Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Avoiding Medical Bill Mistakes
If a medical bill shows up, don鈥檛 pay it right away. At least that鈥檚 the advice of some experts who say you should closely review all your medical billing information for any errors first. The American Medical Association estimates that 7.1 percent of bills paid by commercial health insurers contain errors, while others estimate errors are far more common than that.(Sell, 10/2)
Only about six in 10 Americans in that age group get the flu shot. While that鈥檚 higher than the overall national average of 46 percent, it鈥檚 below the Centers for Disease Control鈥檚 target of 70 percent flu vaccine coverage, according to new data from the CDC. The reason that health officials are concerned about older adults is that they鈥檙e more likely to be hospitalized or die as a result of catching the flu. Even months after they鈥檝e recovered, older adults who鈥檝e had the flu remain at higher risk of a heart attack or stroke. (Braverman, 9/30)