Half of Medicaid Providers Not Available to Treat Patients, Report Finds

WASHINGTON — Large numbers of doctors who are listed as serving Medicaid patients are not available to treat them, federal investigators said in a new report.

“Half of providers could not offer appointments to enrollees,” the investigators said in the report, which will be issued on Tuesday.

Many of the doctors were not accepting new Medicaid patients or could not be found at their last known addresses, according to the report from the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services. The study raises questions about access to care for people gaining Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

Administration on Community Living Formed to Support Seniors with Disabilities

A doctor makes a house call.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) announced Monday that it has established a new Administration on Community Living under HHS, which will be dedicated to “enhancing and improving the broad range of supports that individuals with disabilities and seniors may need to live with respect and dignity as full members of their communities” — rather than in nursing homes or other institutions.

Vaccine Debate Troubles Parents

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- For some people, vaccinating infants and children against preventable disease is a part of childhood, like baby teeth and tricycles.
But critics say vaccines cause more harm than good. Vaccinations can have dangerous physical side effects, they add.
Such conflicting messages can create a dilemma for parents as they wonder what to believe.
A national survey released in June of 376 households found that 80 percent of parents are uncomfortable getting their children vaccinated. Still, 95 percent said they would get the vaccinations.