Topic: Health
Medical Debt in Collection Estimated at $140 Billion
Poorer residents of states refusing to expand Medicaid hit hardest
Modest Financial Incentives Help with Weight Loss
Tying payments to weight, rather than behaviors, marginally more effective
More Staffers: More COVID-19 Exposures and More Nursing Home Deaths
Reliance on part-timers raises headcounts and dangers to patients
New Study Disavows Marshmallow Test’s Predictive Powers
Test’s originator was a central co-author but died before its completion
Nursing Home Industry Profits Obscured by Related-Party Transactions
Management and real estate deals to owners’ firms siphon off most profits
Orphan Drugs: An Expert Pricing Panel Could Bring Benefits
The goal is continued development of new drugs and reduction of often shocking prices
Overcoming Obstacles to Taking Better Care of Your Future Self
Hal Hershfield’s book offers research-backed methods to build a healthier, happier, more financially secure life
Patience Is a Virtue — Up to a Certain Point
The happiest people are moderately patient, not into extreme delayed gratification
Philadelphia’s Soda Tax Is Nearly Perfect for Maximizing Revenue
It’s less successful at curbing consumption so buyers shop outside the city
Public Disclosure of Drug Company Gifts: High-Prescribing Physicians Unaffected
The average doctor, following sunshine laws, writes fewer Rx’s for marketed medicines
Shaming Smokers Actually Increases Their Urge to Light Up
Being stigmatized by stereotype feeds anxiety and depletes self-control
Should the U.S. Aim for a Zero-COVID-19 Policy?
Tolerating a low level of transmission just might be the better strategy
Testing of Nursing Home Staff Was a Key COVID-19 Mitigation Strategy During the Pandemic. Was It Worth It?
Prior to vaccines, more staff tests per week could have prevented thousands of nursing home deaths, study suggests
Texting Our Way Closer to Herd Immunity
A simple message with a behavioral nudge boosts vaccination rate
The Case for Field Experiments in Behavioral Research
Nudges already proven to work in the real-world increased uptake of COVID-19 boosters; nudges based on lab findings and expert insights, not so much
The Dollar Store Fix for Vaccination Deserts
Pharmacies aren’t everywhere — adding dollar stores could reduce average distance to vaccination by 62%