UCLA researchers found private insurers covering dialysis patients paid four times as much as government insurance programs for treatments, according to a study released Monday. The study, authored by researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine and the Fielding School of Public Health, said government insurance programs pay an average of $248 per dialysis session, while private insurers pay an average of $1,041 per session. Read more...

Photo: (Daily Bruin file photodaily bruin file photo Government insurance programs pay a fixed rate for dialysis care. However, private insurance companies must negotiate with dialysis clinics on the price of treatment.

A UCLA-led team of researchers received $3.4 million to find ways of financially incentivizing people to quit smoking, a university press release announced Friday. The National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse, which aims to promote research on drug use and its impact on public health, awarded researchers a five-year grant to study how financial incentives can help end smoking addiction. Read more...

Photo: UCLA researchers received a grant from the National Institute of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse to find ways to incentivize people to quit smoking. The research will focus on promoting sustained abstinence from smoking and improving quality of life for smokers. (Lauren Man/Daily Bruin)