New AI tools are helping doctors communicate with their patients, some by answering messages and others by taking notes during exams.
health care
Posted inBusiness, Health, Local & State
New state law makes medical bills in Maine more transparent
Health care providers must now identify where services were provided when submitting claims.
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Posted inHealth, Nation & World
FDA approves weight-loss drug Wegovy to reduce heart-disease risks
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the weight-loss drug Wegovy as a treatment to reduce cardiovascular risk in adults who are overweight, the first approval of its kind.
Posted inPortland Forecaster, The Forecaster
Portland nonprofit relaunches effort to ship medical supplies to Ukraine
Partners for World Health has shipped nearly $4.9 million worth of medical supplies to Ukraine in the past two years.
Posted inAmerican Journal, Coastal Journal, Lakes Region Weekly, Northern Forecaster, Portland Forecaster, Southern Forecaster, The Forecaster
Cardiac care hits the road in new program
MaineHealth’s Cardiac Fellows program and NorthStar division have come together to bring cardiac care to patients who can’t travel or get access to outpatient services.
Posted inBusiness, Health, Local & State
A tenth of Maine’s pharmacies have closed in the past decade
As Walgreens and other chains shutter locations and reduce hours, Mainers point to independent pharmacies as filling a critical need.
Posted inBusiness, Health, Nation & World, News
CVS and Walgreens plan to start dispensing abortion pill mifepristone soon
The abortion pill will only be available in a few states to start.
Posted inBusiness, Health, Nation & World, News
U.S. prescription drug market in disarray as ransomware gang attacks
Insurance giant UnitedHealthcare Group said the hackers struck a business unit that routes prescription claims from pharmacies to companies that determine whether patients are covered by insurance and what they should pay.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, Politics
Maine lawmakers consider requiring insurance to cover non-prescription birth control
A bill proposed following the FDA’s approval of the first over-the-counter daily birth control pill also would apply to other non-prescription contraceptives such as condoms and the morning-after pill.
Posted inHealth, Lewiston-Auburn, News
Lewiston hospitals, facing millions in unexpected costs, search for a cure to problems
Legislation, property sales, layoffs, program closures and partnerships are among the measures the 2 Lewiston hospitals have taken in recent years to address what officials say is a huge unexpected cost of filling critical vacant positions and dealing with low government reimbursement rates.