HEALTH

Nice News -  Previous research has shown that nearly 40% of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia cases may be preventable or delayed. And last year, a team of U.K. researchers published a world-first study identifying risk factors that specifically apply to young-onset, or early-onset, dementia cases, meaning those diagnosed in people under age 65.

NBC News - When Tracy Pike learned he had Stage 4 stomach cancer, his doctor advised a routinely practiced treatment combining surgery and intensive chemotherapy – but the night before his first procedure, he was told insurance declined to cover the roughly $40,000 treatment after ruling it “not medically necessary.”

His wife, Angie, said the last straw came when she learned that one of the insurer’s physicians who had rejected the treatment was not a cancer doctor at all. He was an obstetrician-gynecologist. In January 2024, Tracy Pike died, leaving behind his wife of 22 years and their three children.

An NBC News investigation found that a cancer diagnosis, already a crushing blow to patients, is often compounded by insurance company denials of treatments and screenings recommended by a patient’s physician —  and it's only getting worse, according to the head of the American Medical Association.

Insurance companies say requiring doctors to justify their recommended treatment saves money. However, physicians argue that industry practices delay or outright prevent patient care, and families are left spending what could become their relative's final days navigating red tape and appealing denials. Read the full story here.