A nationwide survey by the health insurer Cigna finds that loneliness is widespread in America, with nearly half of respondents reporting that they feel alone or left out always or some of the time.
More than half of the people surveyed said they always or sometimes feel that no one knows them well. Fifty-six percent reported they sometimes or always felt like the people around them "are not necessarily with them."
“Our survey found that actually the younger generation was lonelier than the older generations," says Dr. Douglas Nemecek, the chief medical officer for behavioral health at Cigna.
"Too often people think that this [problem] is specific to older adults," Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a psychologist at Brigham Young University, tells NPR's Rhitu Chatterjee. "This report helps with the recognition that this can affect those at younger ages."
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To the untrained, the evidence looks promising for a new medical device to ease opioid withdrawal. A small study shows that people feel better when the device, an electronic nerve stimulator called the Bridge, is placed behind their ear.
But some addiction specialists aren't persuaded by the evidence behind the device. The study informing the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to clear the Bridge for marketing in 2017 had shortcomings, Side Effects Public Media’s Jake Harper found.
For instance, the study didn't randomly compare the experience of patients treated with the device with others who got a sham treatment. As a result, Andy Chambers, an addiction psychiatrist in Indianapolis, said there's no way to know if the $595 device works, or if patients and health care providers simply believe that it does.
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Under the Affordable Care Act, many insurance plans are required to cover a range of essential services, such as hospitalization and prescription drugs. But reimbursement for certain medical equipment — such as crutches or a leg boot after an injury — varies widely from plan to plan.
Unless you have direct experience, you probably don’t know how your insurer would cover a wheelchair, walker or knee brace to ease your recovery.
The cost for "durable medical equipment," as these devices are called, may be small compared with the bills for emergency or specialist medical care. But if you're stuck paying for the equipment out-of-pocket, the costs can add up in a hurry, reports Michelle Andrews from our partner Kaiser Health News.
It's well worth your time to look into your coverage and figure out how to get the best deal.
Your Shots editor, Scott Hensley
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