Hospitalized patients, who are largely unvaccinated, may now face thousands of dollars in deductibles, copays and other out-of-pocket fees. With vaccines broadly available, nearly all large insurers have ended cost waivers.
Michigan Health Watch
In-depth reporting on the intersection between public policy and important health topics ‒ such as insurance coverage, hospital admissions, opioid abuse, access to care, medical research and the business of health care ‒ that impact nearly every Michigan resident.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Federal authorities to weigh COVID vaccine for children 5 to 11 Tuesday
More than 800,000 Michigan children are in this age group. Pfizer says its vaccine is 91 percent effective in keeping young children free of COVID-19. If approved, young children may be eligible for vaccines by early November.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Where to get COVID vaccine boosters in Michigan
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has now authorized boosters for all three, U.S.-approved COVID vaccines. Getting one should be a snap for any eligible person seeking added protection against the deadly virus.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
370 Beaumont workers suspended for refusing COVID vaccines. 70 more quit.
The health system’s announcement Thursday follows similar action taken by Henry Ford Health System for workers’ failure to abide by a COVID vaccine mandate. Other hospitals will likely follow suit once federal vaccine rules are finalized.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
FDA okays all COVID vaccine boosters and mix-and-match strategy
If the CDC follows suit Thursday, as expected, vaccinated Michiganders should be able to get a booster by the end of the week, even one that is different from the vaccine they received initially.
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COVID vaccine boosters: When, where and how to get them in Michigan
The impending federal approval of Moderna and J and J boosters leaves plenty of questions about who is eligible for which vaccine, how to find them and whether you can also schedule a flu vaccine.
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Michigan ER patients left on stretchers, then recliners, in swamped wards
Michigan emergency department visits are up 43 percent, thanks in part to an avalanche of sick people who delayed medical care amid COVID. Some patients wait in hallways for days. Others lose their beds when even sicker patients arrive.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Studies show meth addicts respond to $2 reward. What’s stopping Michigan?
A California nonprofit has found that modest financial rewards for clean urine tests can help break the chain of meth addiction. But the treatment is barely being replicated in Michigan, in part because insurers are not yet on board.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Lethal, highly addictive methamphetamine again stalking rural Michigan
Law enforcement and treatment experts chart a rising toll from meth, from overdose deaths to families ripped apart. Cheaper and more pure versions now come from Mexican labs, and there are not enough treatment resources in rural counties.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Education levels drive Michigan vaccines. What’s rate in your neighborhood?
Bridge analyzed vaccination rates in thousands of census tracts and found a strong correlation with education levels — even in Republican neighborhoods. Use these map to determine the rate in your area.