In a survey released in early 2018, only 37% of Americans said they would be able to pay for an unexpected $500-$1000 cost. 63% of respondents said they would need to resort to measures such as cutting back other spending, using a credit card, or borrowing money from friends or family in the event of a costly emergency. We have been writing for years on our position that people should not have to decide between health care or groceries or skipping prescriptions. There are ways to build a health spending plan to ensure you are financially able to pay for […]
HealthWeb Navigator
In 2014, Dr. Mark A. Kelley, a faculty member of Harvard Medical School, developed the idea for HealthWeb Navigator while serving as a Harvard Advanced Leadership fellow. Partnering with NeedyMeds in 2016, HealthWeb Navigator has since published hundreds of website reviews. Today, HealthWeb Navigator is launching the full version of its collection of health website reviews written by doctors, nurses, and other health professionals. “Patients are more informed now than ever before,” said HealthWeb Navigator founder Mark Kelley, M.D. “Unfortunately, many people make major healthcare decisions based on something they read online. The least we in the medical community can […]
Health Tips & Resources for the First Day of Summer
Today is the first day of summer in the United States. Over the next few months, it will be important to protect ourselves from the health risks posed by the sun and heat. Regardless of skin color, exposure to the sun carries many dangers to one’s skin—from freckles and wrinkles often associated with aging, to sunburns, benign tumors or cancerous skin lesions. Prolonged heat exposure can also have many negative impacts on one’s health ranging from a rash, exhaustion, fainting, or even death. Although everyone should take precautions to protect their skin, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encourages those […]
National Men’s Health Week
Last month, we had National Women’s Health Week. For the month of June there is Men’s Health Week, designed to encourage men to make their health a priority. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has many tips for men to improve their health, and we at NeedyMeds have resources for a number of conditions that predominantly affect men. The CDC offers many ways to observe National Men’s Health Week, such as taking a bike ride, aim to eat healthier, or quit unhealthy habits. Men can improve their health by getting a good night’s sleep, quitting tobacco and avoiding […]
Trump’s Speech on Drug Prices Boosts Pharmaceutical Stocks
President Donald Trump gave a speech about pharmaceutical drug prices last month. During his presidential campaign and leading up to his inauguration, he accused pharmaceutical companies with “getting away with murder” for what they charge patients for prescriptions and promised to enact reforms to lower drug prices. After sixteen months in office, his speech last month consisted of few proposals as opposed to proposing meaningful legislation or guidelines that could have an immediate effect on prescription costs and actually led to pharmaceutical stocks rising. Trump took aim at Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) who he referred to as “middlemen” who […]