Health Highlights: Jan. 27, 2016

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Hospitals Told to Improve Post-Discharge Care of Minority, Low-Income Medicare Patients

Hospitals need to do a better job of caring for low-income and minority Medicare patients after discharge, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says.

The agency issued new guidelines on how hospitals can improve care and communications for these patients to prevent them from being readmitted, USA Today reported.

Hospitals face financial penalites if these patients have to be readmitted within 30 days after discharge.

Research shows that minority and low-income patients are less likely to follow health care instructions after they leave the hospital, USA Today reported.

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Former NFL Player Tyler Sash Had Concussion-Related Brain Disease

Former NFL player Tyler Sash had a degenerative brain disease associated with repeated concussions, doctors say.

Sash, a safety with the New York Giants who was cut by the team in 2013, was 27 when he was found dead Sept. 8 in his Iowa home. He died from an accidental overdose of pain medications, The New York Times reported.

His family donated his brain to be tested for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease caused by repeated hits to the head that has been detected in dozens of former NFL players after death.

The Sash family were told last by experts at Boston University and the Concussion Legacy Foundation that Tyler had CTE and that the disease was at an advanced stage rarely seen in someone so young, The Times reported.

Tyler Sash was cut by the Giants after he suffered at least his fifth concussion. After his return to Iowa, his behavior grew increasingly erratic and he had episodes of memory loss, confusion and minor outbursts of temper.

His inability to focus prevented him from finding meaningful employment, The Times reported.