MedPage Today (4/13, Clark) reports, “Persistence in appealing denied health insurance claims resulted in overturned decisions between 30% and 78% percent of the time, when the case reached independent review organizations (IROs), an analysis of completed external appeals showed.” The analysis indicated that “among 51,394 closed cases in New York state from May 31, 2019 to Dec. 10, 2025, almost half (46.7%) of external appeals were overturned at this third level of appeal, which often involves independent physicians and other specialists.” The findings were published in a research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

NBC News (4/13, Edwards, Özcan) reports a long-term study found that “tests of intelligence and brain function showed the same results whether or not people drank fluoridated water growing up.” The new research “is the first to measure community water fluoridation exposure during childhood in the U.S. and any potential impact on cognition up to age 80.” The researchers followed 10,317 people in Wisconsin “since they graduated from high school in 1957.” Ultimately, researchers “found no difference, at any stage of life, between people who grew up with water fluoridation in Wisconsin and those who did not.” Opponents of water fluoridation “have often pointed to small studies that suggested a possible link between the mineral and kids’ IQ. Those studies were conducted in China or other countries with much higher fluoride concentrations than allowed in the U.S.” These results notably “contradict claims made by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that fluoride is ‘industrial waste’ associated with IQ loss.” The study was published in PNAS.
        
Psychiatric News (4/13) adds that researchers observed “no differences in average IQ scores at age 16 among any of the four groups after adjusting for sociodemographic or school-level variables. Similar findings were seen when examining children who lived in the same county their whole childhood (to ensure more consistent fluoride exposure).”

Related Links:

— “Fluoride in drinking water has no effect on IQ or brain function, long-term study shows,” Erika Edwards and Kaan Ozcan, NBC News, April 13, 2026

The AP (4/13, Shastri) reports CDC data show that the US “has a mental health problem,” with more young people, especially girls, “reporting poor mental health.” According to the AP, “mental health crises can happen abruptly or build to a tipping point over time.” Whatever the cause, “experts say the best thing to do is to spark a conversation as early as possible and connect to a broader support system.” Dr. Theresa Miskimen Rivera, president of the American Psychiatric Association, explained that crises can begin when someone is feeling depressed or anxious but is unable to pinpoint the cause. Other signs may include engaging less socially, not enjoying things they used to like, sleep irregularities, decreased hygiene, increased mood swings, greater use of drugs or alcohol, or feelings of “hopelessness, wanting to die or kill themselves, having no reason to live.” Experts say “if you see these changes, it’s time for a conversation.”

Related Links:

— “How to spot and help someone in a mental health crisis,”Devi Shastri, AP, April 13, 2026

Pulmonology Advisor (4/10, Goldberg) reported a study found that “inhaling marijuana via smoking or vaping is associated with a significantly greater risk for asthma attacks among young adults in the United States.” Researchers observed that “compared with non-marijuana users, individuals who reported using marijuana in the 12 months prior to baseline had greater odds of reporting an asthma attack across the next year. This included those who used electronic products only (odds ratio [OR], 1.81), those who inhaled combustible marijuana products only (OR, 1.64), and those using both electronic and combustible products (OR, 1.57). Notably, for every point higher on the ACT, participants were less apt to report asthma attacks in the next year (OR, 0.91).” The studywas published in Chest.

Related Links:

— “Inhaled Marijuana Use Linked to Increased Asthma Attack Risk in Young Adults,”Ron Goldberg, Pulmonology Advisor, April 10, 2026

Psychiatric News (4/10) reported a study found that “digital addiction among health care professionals was significantly associated with higher rates of anxiety, depression, and stress.” For the study, “researchers surveyed 371 health professionals from two hospitals in Turkey.” The participants used digital devices “an average of 4.4 hours per day, with 65% using them for social media platforms.” Researchers observed that “higher digital addiction scores were associated with more loneliness, anxiety, depression, and stress. Duration of digital device use was the strongest predictor of digital addiction. Similarly, higher loneliness scores were associated with higher digital addiction scores and more hours spent on digital devices. Together, loneliness and digital addiction explained 21% to 23% of the variance in anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms among participants.” The study was published in BMC Psychology.

Related Links:

— “Digital Addiction Associated With Depression, Anxiety Among Clinicians, Psychiatric News , April 10, 2026