Population Health

One in six Massachusetts residents avoided obtaining health coverage in 2015 due to the cost, according to a survey from the state's Center for Health Information and Analysis.

After the last of the baby boomers become fully eligible for Medicare, the federal health program can expect significantly higher costs in 2030 both because of the high number of beneficiaries and because many are expected to be significantly less healthy than previous generations.

Since Nov. 1, more than four million have selected plans.

Population health management is fast becoming a priority for healthcare providers, but many are still figuring out which technology partners are best suited to help them fuel data-driven initiatives, according to a new 2015 Population Health Study by HIMSS Analytics.

A coalition of civil rights advocates Tuesday called for a federal investigation of California's Medicaid program, alleging that it discriminates against millions of low-income Latinos by denying them equal access to health care.

Obesity is redrawing the common imagery of old age: The slight nursing home resident is giving way to the obese senior, hampered by diabetes, disability and other weight-related ailments. Facilities that have long cared for older adults are increasingly overwhelmed -- and unprepared -- to care for this new group of morbidly heavy patients.

There's a prescription drug abuse problem sweeping the United States, but fixing it will require a systematic change focused on how most health professionals prescribe drugs, rather than changing the practices of a few bad apples.

As anyone who needs insulin to treat diabetes can tell you, that usually means regular checkups at the doctor's office to fine-tune the dosage, monitor blood-sugar levels and check for complications. But here's a little known fact: Some forms of insulin can be bought without a prescription. One diabetes patient and several medical experts weigh in on whether it should be.

The public health system will also use Cerner's patient engagement tool, which takes patient data and uses it to suggest wellness tools and other health tracking options.

As the deadline for January health care coverage nears, California's insurance exchange is intensifying efforts to sign people up in pockets of the state with exceptionally high numbers of uninsured residents. Covered California is targeting such "hot spots" as San Francisco's Mission district, and Oakland's Fruitvale neighborhood, officials said.