Trending News Today: NYC to Expand Health Coverage to Uninsured Residents

The US cancer death rate has been dropping for at least 25 years, hitting a new milestone, the Associated Press reported. According to the article, the Cancer Society report found cancer death rates dropping 27% between 1991 and 2016, with the lung cancer death rate down by approximately 50% among men since 1991. However, the report also stated that obesity-related cancer deaths are on the rise and prostate cancer deaths are no longer decreasing, the article noted.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city will expand health coverage to an estimated 600,000 residents currently without insurance, The Washington Post reported. According to the article, New York City will spend up to $100 million per year for the plan, which involves expanding the city’s existing public insurance programs and providing uninsured residents with access to affordable care at city-owned facilities. The plan will also aim to provide the uninsured with a range of services, including primary care physicians, mental health services, and prescription drugs, the article reported.

A new analysis found that prescription drug ads appeared 5 million times in 2016, with medical marketing reaching $30 billion in that year, the Associated Press reported. According to the article, marketing to physicians and other health professionals accounted for a bulk of the share but spending on consumer-focused ads also increased. The study authors indicated that the upward trend in medical marketing is concerning and suggested consumers need to be increasingly skeptical about marketing claims, the article reported.