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This is a MedPage Today story. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s statements before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday revealed a concerning lack of knowledge about the major health programs he'd oversee, should he be confirmed as HHS secretary. On several occasions during the 3.5-hour hearing, Kennedy seemed to conflate Medicare, Medicaid, and Medicare Advantage, and appeared to mistakenly refer to the Affordable Care Act health exchanges. "Medicaid is not working for Americans, and it's specifica…

This is a MedPage Today story. A western New York health insurance provider for seniors and the CEO of its medical analytics arm have agreed to pay a total of up to $100 million to settle Justice Department allegations of fraudulent billing for health conditions that were exaggerated or didn't exist. Independent Health Association of Buffalo, which operates two Medicare Advantage plans, will pay up to $98 million. Betsy Gaffney, CEO of medical records review company DxID, will pay $2 million, a…

This is a MedPage Today story. Luigi Mangione, the person charged with murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, reportedly had spinal surgery for chronic back pain caused by spondylolisthesis. Spondylolisthesis occurs when a vertebra slips forward out of place onto the vertebra below, explained Jessica Stark, MD, spine surgeon at UTHealth Houston. This slippage, a sequela of arthritis, happens most often in the lumbar spine and can put pressure on the nerves around the spine. "Really art…

This is a MedPage Today story. Erica Hayes, 40, has not felt healthy since November 2020 when she first fell ill with COVID. Hayes is too sick to work, so she has spent much of the last 4 years sitting on her beige couch, often curled up under an electric blanket. "My blood flow now sucks, so my hands and my feet are freezing. Even if I'm sweating, my toes are cold," said Hayes, who lives in Western Pennsylvania. She misses feeling well enough to play with her 9-year-old son or attend her 17-ye…

This is a MedPage Today story. Employees at HHS and its various sub-agencies are struggling to figure out how to implement President Donald Trump's executive order requiring them to report in-person to their work sites full-time, and how the changes will affect them. An Early Executive Order The in-person work requirement was outlined in an executive order signed by President Trump on January 20, his first day in office. The two-paragraph order stated that "Heads of all departments and agencies…

This is a MedPage Today story. More than 80 domestic cats, among many other types of mammals, have been confirmed to have had bird flu since 2022 -- generally barn cats that lived on dairy farms, as well as feral cats and pets that spend time outdoors and likely caught it by hunting diseased rodents or wild birds. Now, a small but growing number of house cats have gotten sick from H5N1, the bird flu strain driving the current U.S. outbreak, after eating raw food or drinking unpasteurized milk. …

This is a MedPage Today story. Welcome to the latest edition of Investigative Roundup, highlighting some of the best investigative reporting on healthcare each week. Malpractice Killed Mom What was supposed to be a routine procedure for a Texas mom instead became a tragic example of medical malpractice, according to reporting in Texas Monthly. Kimberly Ray had been getting injections in the lower lumbar region for pain from an old injury. But the injections stopped working, so her provider reco…