medical tests

When routine medical tests trigger a cascade of costly, unnecessary care

5:00am June 13, 2022

MRIs done early for uncomplicated low back pain and routine vitamin D tests "just to be thorough" are considered "low-value care" and can lead to further testing that can cost patients thousands.

If a doctor is found to be ordering too many MRI or CT scans or other imaging tests for Medicare patients, a federal law is supposed to require the physician to get federal approval for all diagnostic imaging. But the Trump administration has stalled the

Health & Safety

Trump Team Hits Brakes On Law That Would Curb Unneeded Medicare CT Scans, MRIs

11:05am August 09, 2019

by Phil Galewitz

Critics worry that the administration's delays come at a steep cost: Medicare continues to pay for millions of unnecessary exams and patients are being subjected to radiation for no medical benefit.

Why is the price of a CT scan 33 times higher in a hospital emergency room than in an outpatient imaging center just down the street?

Bill Of The Month: A Tale Of 2 CT Scanners — One Richer, One Poorer

7:17pm April 09, 2018

by Alison Kodjak

Why is the price of a CT scan 33 times higher in a hospital emergency room than in an outpatient imaging center just down the street?

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The HQ-40 drone, made by Tuscon, Ariz.-based Latitude Engineering, can carry samples for medical testing in a refrigerated container.

Health & Safety

Medical Cargo Could Be The Gateway For Routine Drone Deliveries

9:01am March 10, 2018

by Esther Landhuis

Proposals for drones to carry blood, trauma supplies and lab samples are awaiting approval by the Federal Aviation Administration. If the ideas get a green light, they could usher in a new drone age.

Liz Moreno thought she was done paying for her back surgery in 2015. But a $17,850 bill for a urine test showed up nine months later. Her father, Paul Davis, a retired doctor from Ohio, settled with the lab company for $5,000 in order to protect his daugh

Health & Safety

How A Urine Test After Back Surgery Triggered A $17,850 Bill

3:42pm February 16, 2018

by Fred Schulte

A few months after surgery for a painful spinal disk, a woman's doctor asked her for a sample of urine during a follow-up visit. The routine request turned into a financial nightmare.

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An analysis of insurance claims in Washington state found that in a single year more than 600,000 patients underwent testing and treatment they didn't need, at an estimated cost of $282 million.

Health & Safety

Unnecessary Medical Care: More Common Than You Might Imagine

10:37am February 01, 2018

by Marshall Allen

An analysis of insurance claims in Washington state found that in a single year more than 600,000 patients underwent testing and treatment they didn't need, at an estimated cost of $282 million.

Scientists are trying to invent a blood test to diagnose cancer.

Scientists Edge Closer To A Blood Test To Detect Cancers

5:33pm January 18, 2018

by Richard Harris

This blood test detected signs of cancer in 70 percent of people with eight common forms of the disease. But it was much less good at identifying cancer in people in the early stages.

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These large capsules, which can be swallowed, measure three different gases as they traverse the gastrointestinal tract.

Gut Check: Gas-Sniffing Capsule Charts The Digestive Tract

5:20pm January 08, 2018

by Angus Chen

The electronic pill looks like the biggest multivitamin a human could possibly swallow. Tests have show that the experimental device can measure gases tied to microbes and digestion.

Mine Cicek, an assistant professor at the Mayo Clinic, processes samples for the All of Us program.

Researchers Gather Health Data For 'All Of Us'

8:12am December 31, 2017

by Richard Harris

Federal researchers are collecting blood samples from 1 million Americans as part of an effort called "precision medicine." But some critics worry that the path ahead is expensive and unclear.

The Boston-based company Orig3n has been offering free genetic testing at pro sports games.

Health & Safety

You Can Get Your DNA Tested At An NFL Game. Should You?

3:44pm November 08, 2017

by Doug Levy

Companies distributing genetic tests at pro sports events say they can help people make the most of exercise and nutrition. But regulators say some are medical tests that could land people in trouble.