| Headlines for a healthier you | | | Claire Bugos, Staff Writer | | | | You Might Get Billed for Messaging Your Provider in MyChart |  | | Throughout the pandemic, online messaging tools have allowed patients to contact their providers, receive lab test results, and refill prescriptions at home with ease. While many of those tools will remain free, more health systems are starting to allow their providers to bill for certain eVisits and patient-provider messaging in online portals such as MyChart. | | Know More | | Not every message is billable. For instance, there must be an established patient-provider relationship and the patient must send the first inquiry. This includes instances of medical advice and care, but not routine correspondence, like prescription refills requests. | | Feel Better | | Most Medicare-covered patients won't have to pay an out-of-pocket cost. Those under private insurance will have co-payments similar to what they would pay for in-person or video visits, while uninsured patients could be charged as much as $50 per message. Health systems are supposed to warn patients if they could be charged for a MyChart message and give them the opportunity to proceed with the question or make an in-person visit. | | |  | What Else Should You Know | | | Staying Hydrated Might Be the Secret to Living Longer | | A National Institutes of Health study of more than 11,000 adults showed that those with high levels of sodium in their blood–an indicator of poor hydration–had a 21% increased risk of dying younger compared to those who consistently drank up. The study did not definitively show that proper hydration prevents serious disease. But getting the right amount of water can keep joints and organ systems working well. | | | | | | Hearing Aids Could Delay Dementia | | A new study shows that hearing aids could help improve cognition and even delay dementia as you age. Researchers are still trying to understand how hearing loss and dementia are linked, but an earlier study suggests that straining to hear sounds and speech might overwhelm the brain, speeding up cognitive decline potentially. | | | | |  | In Other News | | - Death Sentence: An Investigation Into Prisons' Refusal to Treat Hepatitis C. STAT News
- Tranq Dope: Animal Sedative Mixed with Fentanyl Brings Fresh Horror to U.S. Drug Zones. New York Times
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