To get these headlines delivered to your inbox every week, sign up for our weekly health news roundup.
As maternal deaths rise, CDC says pregnant women report negative experiences at doc visits
Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, Aug. 22
In a recent survey, 1 in 5 American women reported being scolded, threatened or otherwise mistreated during doctor visits while pregnant, with higher rates of such maternal mistreatment reported by women of color, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found. In addition, nearly 45% of respondents reported “holding back from asking questions or discussing concerns with their provider.” The findings emerge as maternal mortality rates in the U.S. rise during pregnancy, delivery and after giving birth.
Why so few get screened for lung cancer, the deadliest cancer in the U.S.
Simar Bajaj, STAT, Aug. 18
Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the U.S., with over 350 people dying from it every day — more than breast, colorectal, and cervical cancers combined. Part of the problem is that nearly half of people are diagnosed with lung cancer already in its metastatic stages, when the disease is almost always fatal. Early detection can help, but the lung cancer screening rate is just 5.7%, compared to 70%-75% for other tests like mammograms, colonoscopies, and Pap smears.
More young women are getting breast cancer. They want answers.
Amanda Morris, Lindsey Bever, and Sabrina Malhi, The Washington Post, Aug. 22
Cancers are on the rise for Americans under 50, particularly among women. Breast cancer accounted for the highest number of cancer cases in younger people. The rate of late-stage breast cancer diagnoses in young women also has been climbing. Despite these trends, there’s little advice for younger women on early detection of breast cancer. Young women with breast cancer said they felt dismissed by their doctors when they first raised concerns. Now, patients and experts are calling for further research and conversations about breast cancer among young women.
Amid proposed CT health insurance rate hikes, advocates and residents fight back
Jenna Carlesso, The Connecticut Mirror, Aug. 21
Frustrated residents, advocates and elected officials demanded that state insurance regulators turn down double-digit rate hikes recommended by insurance companies for 2024 health plans on and off Connecticut’s Affordable Care Act Exchange. The plans cover about 188,000 people. During a public hearing, residents described rationing medication or incurring huge out-of-pocket costs even with insurance. Insurance executives said they face rising costs in reimbursing health care providers for services, and the consolidation of health care companies has made negotiating more challenging.
The big question: How to spend $600M in CT opioid settlement funds
Andrew Brown, Jenna Carlesso, and José Luis Martínez, The Connecticut Mirror, Aug. 20
Millions of dollars from several large legal settlements are beginning to flow into Connecticut to help combat the state’s deadly opioid epidemic, and the organizations that work on the front lines battling the state’s mounting addiction crisis are preparing to apply for a portion of that money. But how and where most of the settlement funds will be used has yet to be determined, and with opioid overdoses currently claiming the lives of more than 100 Connecticut residents a month, the stakes could not be higher.