The economic burden of the U.S. opioid epidemic likely exceeds $78.5 billion per year when considering its impact on healthcare, substance abuse treatment, the criminal justice system, and productivity costs. Although medication assisted treatment for opioid abuse (covered previously at our blog) may help to reduce these costs [pdf], the epidemic is likely to continue to negatively impact… Read More »
“A book lying idle on the shelf is wasted ammunition.” – Henry Miller, The Books in My Life (1952) The Medical Care Blog is home to many strong opinions. In the last year, contributors have written provocatively about the political determinants of health, highlighted the per-mile cost of President Trump’s wall in numbers of children who… Read More »
Although the term health equity is widely used, a common understanding of this term is lacking. Viewing health equity through the lenses of allostatic load and intersectionality could help. This blog post considers three case scenarios, all of which are composites of actual cases that have occurred within the United States, to explore ideas of… Read More »
Individuals experiencing homelessness are among the most medically, socially, economically, and politically vulnerable in our society. Because of this, patterns of service use by these individuals can often serve as indicators of the safety net capacity and overall wellness of the systems of care we have in place – like “canaries in the coal mine.”… Read More »
It’s a new season. The federal government re-opened this week after a record-breaking shut-down. Democrats gained control of the U.S. House of Representatives, feeling newly emboldened after the dispute about a border wall. A gaggle of 2020 presidential hopefuls has revealed themselves in recent weeks, lining up to be, arguably, the most liberal class of… Read More »
President Trump wants $5 billion right now for his border wall, and another $7 billion (or maybe $13 billion) later on to finish the project. What else could we do with that kind of money? Here’s an idea: with $12 billion we could cover ALL 3.9 million uninsured children in the US today, and still have a… Read More »
There are approximately 61 million women of reproductive age (15-44 years) in the United States, and at any given time, 70% of them are at risk of unintended pregnancy—that is, they are sexually active but do not want to become pregnant. About 72% of women who currently use contraception use non-permanent methods, such as the… Read More »
Going to the hospital is more than a drag. For patients, it can be a frightening experience, dangerous to one’s health, a burden on family and caregivers, and very expensive. Policies to reduce preventable return visits to the hospital are good for patients – and good for Medicare’s bottom line. Medicare’s Hospital Readmission Reduction Program… Read More »
A relatively undiscussed and unconsidered form of discrimination continues to plague our health care institutions. It’s about time we talk about it. Insurance-based discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of a patient based on his/her insurance status. This type of discrimination mostly affects the 28.9 million Americans who have no health insurance coverage, although there is… Read More »
A few weeks ago, a headline in the Chicago Tribune grabbed my attention: “Millennials are trading primary care doctors for faster, cheaper alternatives.” This headline fits the rather unfortunate stereotype of millennials as impatient, job-hopping, financially-struggling, digital natives. But if this is true, then millennials are bound to “swipe left” to health care delivered in a… Read More »
The concept that health comes with significant social determinants is everywhere we turn. This idea – that health and health inequities are driven by “the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age [and are] shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources” – is increasingly the focus of articles, research… Read More »
Over a third of all Americans are at an increased risk for chronic conditions such as heart attack, stroke, cancer, and diabetes due to their lack of sleep. Key disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, which now afflicts 30 million adults in the United States, are some of the primary causes of the morbidity and… Read More »
Welcome to the Bang for the Buck series! In this series, we will look at the most recent cost and cost-effectiveness research on public health methods and technology and discuss their potential for policy and implementation within the current health care system. As the costs of treating diseases continue to rise faster than inflation, prevention… Read More »
Chlamydia and gonorrhea are among the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States, and research shows that 50% of sexually active individuals will contract an STI by 25 years old. Though chlamydia and gonorrhea are often asymptomatic in women, screening is important in order to prevent complications, such as pelvic inflammatory disease… Read More »
We are in the midst of a national epidemic concerning opioid misuse and abuse, and lawmakers are rushing to address this concerning situation. However, a recent report finds that only a few states are successfully implementing a balanced approach to curbing opioid misuse and abuse while maintaining access to pain relief for patients in need.… Read More »
Many women in the United States will be sexually assaulted during their lifetimes. And the aftermath of sexual assault impacts women health long after the assault itself. Survivors of sexual assault have been shown to have a greater increase in psychiatric disorders directly after their assaults than patients who have not been assaulted. Other research… Read More »
Readers of The Medical Care Blog know that the United States spends more money than any other country on healthcare. Currently, the US spends about 18% of its gross domestic product on health care, and it is predicted to grow to nearly 20% by 2026 [PDF]. While the growth rate in spending remains near historical… Read More »
Reproductive rights have been a topic for policy making and legal jurisprudence throughout much of the past century. As the healthcare system of the United States continues to evolve, women’s health and reproductive rights remain central to the debate. I previously authored a post here at The Medical Care Blog which discussed religion-restricted healthcare and… Read More »
In the new US consumer marketplace, doing good for society is powerful. Choices that people are making about how their food is grown, how companies test household products and reduce their impact on the environment, and how companies make their profits are driving new business models. Farmers are changing their pest and weed-control methods, manufacturers are… Read More »
In a recent letter to state Medicaid directors, officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) encouraged states to implement work requirements in Medicaid, writing that “a growing body of evidence suggests that targeting certain health determinants, including productive work and community engagement, may improve health outcomes.” In response, 10 Republican-led states have… Read More »
Reactions to the opioid crisis are affecting patients in need of hospice and end-of-life care in the United States. Hospice providers have been largely exempt from the increasing regulation of opioid and narcotic prescriptions, as most recent laws and regulations affecting opioid prescribing specifically exempt individuals receiving cancer treatment, palliative care, or those nearing their end-of-life. However,… Read More »
It was my first interview of the season, and I was interviewing for Obstetrics & Gynecology residency at a university-affiliated Catholic hospital. Because Catholic institutions do not allow abortion, patients are generally referred to other clinics and hospitals for termination needs. As the daughter of a religion scholar and professor, I was already very familiar… Read More »
A fundamental question in health reform is how changes to insurance policy affect health insurance coverage. Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, research has demonstrated that the ACA reduced the uninsured rate across the country [pdf]. By expanding eligibility for the Medicaid program, establishing marketplaces for the purchase of private insurance, providing… Read More »
Opioid use is a serious concern that the executive branch of the United States government recently declared a public health emergency. Based on data from the Department of Health and Human Services, in 2016, 2.1 million people misused prescription opioids for the first time, and 42,249 people died from overdosing on opioids. Also in 2016, 170,000… Read More »
During my time as a community pharmacist in Maryland, I often encountered individuals who would approach the pharmacy in search of syringes. Although they would try to disguise their intentions by stating that they needed it for someone else or for an animal, it was apparent why they were there; they were going to use… Read More »
[Editors’ note: This post was originally published on Feb. 7, 2018.] Now more than ever, we need a sensible, unified, national response to the opioid epidemic; a response that recognizes the gravity of the situation and the reality that opioid use disorder (OUD) is a chronic – and treatable – condition. While there are many… Read More »
Medication is an essential aspect of tertiary prevention, as it often addresses symptoms, may restore function, and minimizes adverse consequences associated with chronic conditions. Medication adherence is most often studied in the context of Medicare Part D. In a newly published Medical Care article, Drs. Roebuck, Kaestner, and Dougherty, instead measure the associations between medication… Read More »
Despite continuous efforts to address the problem, high rates of prescription opioid use and abuse continue to plague our country. According to the CDC, deaths involving prescription opioids in the United States have quadrupled since 1999, and so have the sales of these prescription drugs. In 2015, the American Public Health Association published a policy… Read More »
One hundred and sixty-one Americans died of an opioid overdose each day in 2016, and early 2017 data suggest this trend is continuing. The medical and public health community knows from decades of research that providing individuals suffering from opioid use disorder with specific medications can save lives. Our public policies governing opioid use disorder,… Read More »
Prisoners have a fundamental right to receive health care while incarcerated, a right that is mandated by the US Supreme Court. However, negligent care in prisons persists and is often an issue of limited access due to cost mitigating policies. Since the 1990’s, prison systems have integrated managed care strategies, like co-payments, to mitigate increasing… Read More »
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) had a roller-coaster of a year. It began with threats of almost certain repeal, followed by effort after unsuccessful effort to dismantle it. Then in the last days of 2017, there was the successful repeal of the individual mandate penalty. This was brazen politics, suspenseful and often agonizing. It… Read More »
What role does mental health play in preventable hospitalizations? In a new article in the January 2018 issue of Medical Care, Dr. Laura Medford-Davis and colleagues report that in Texas, mental illnesses were associated with higher odds of preventable hospitalizations. Using an administrative database of all Texas hospital admissions from 2005-2008, the authors found that 13% of… Read More »
A new study in the January 2018 issue of Medical Care, “Changes in Case-Mix and Health Outcomes of Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries and Managed Care Enrollees During the Years 1992-2011” by Dr. Siran Koroukian, et al., finds that while Medicare Advantage private plans continue to benefit from favorable risk selection, Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollees do not have better… Read More »
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has a set of “Compare” websites – Hospital Compare, Nursing Home Compare, Home Health Compare, etc.; consumers and policymakers can compare physicians, long-term care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, hospice care, and dialysis facilities today, and other settings may follow. Together with their associated health care quality measurement… Read More »
Improving the overall patient care experience is an essential focus for organizations as healthcare delivery continues to evolve. The US Department of Health & Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) notes patient experience as an integral component of healthcare quality, which includes “several aspects of healthcare delivery that patients value highly when… Read More »
Over the last few decades, cigarette smoking has become a health burden concentrated primarily among low-income individuals in the U.S. In our recently published research study, Medicaid coverage expansions and cigarette smoking cessation among low-income adults, we sought to determine the relationship between recent expansions of Medicaid coverage and smoking cessation for low-income adults. Demographics… Read More »
As the City of Worcester Commissioner of Health and Human Services, I have developed city-wide initiatives and worked on policy change to address three primary health issues prevalent in our community, those being addiction, mental health, and homelessness, which all tend to occur hand in hand. Addiction is the largest public health and public safety… Read More »
American Indians (AIs) typically have poorer health outcomes than any other racial or ethnic minority group in the United States. This includes an increased risk for cancer, diabetes, injury related mortality, and infant mortality. AIs tend to have the highest rates of poverty and low rates of insurance coverage. Much of the AI population uses the Indian… Read More »
There are some occupations where employees are mandated to receive age-based skills and cognitive testing. For example, the National Business Aviation Association has a mandatory retirement age of 65 for airline pilots. Additionally, firefighters, employees of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, air traffic controllers, and nuclear material couriers are all subject to age-based regulations. These agencies impose age-based… Read More »
“Neonatal abstinence syndrome” (NAS) sounds deceptively innocuous, given that it is literally infant drug withdrawal. It is usually caused by prenatal exposure to opioids but can also result from maternal consumption of other substances, like alcohol and antianxiety medications. Common symptoms include excessive high-pitched crying, fever, sweating, irritability, vomiting, diarrhea, rapid breathing, sleep disturbances, and poor… Read More »
Medicine, alongside achievements in sanitation and public health, remains one of the major achievements of modern society. The reduction (or eradication) of many infectious diseases from the developed world, breakthroughs in anesthesiology and surgery, and advances in the care of chronic diseases (including HIV) are just a few of the multitudes of achievements. But these… Read More »
Every physician fears being sued. Almost half of primary care doctors are subject to a malpractice lawsuit at some point in their careers. In some quarters, physicians are fatalistic about this fact. I have heard colleagues say: “It’s going to happen at some point, I know it.” But since the publication of the Institute of… Read More »
In a recent Health Affairs blog post, Universal Health Coverage? Why?, Walter McClure, Alain Enthoven, and Tim McDonald make a convincing case for expanding health insurance coverage in the United States. They argue that universal coverage is a “wise public investment” that “expands the workforce and makes it more productive,” similar to universal public education.… Read More »
Enrollment in Medicaid has been shown to enhance access to health care for our nation’s most vulnerable citizens. Yet despite these benefits, a substantial number of beneficiaries lose coverage at the time of renewal. An article by Xu Ji and colleagues, published in this month’s issue of Medical Care, demonstrates how critical maintaining continuous Medicaid coverage… Read More »
Annual routine check-ups, flu shots, and mammograms are among the basic preventive services for which the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 established a mandate for insurance plans: full coverage, with no out-of-pocket costs. In making it a little easier for some parts of the US population to access basic services, did the… Read More »
The pursuit of health equity – ensuring equal access to opportunities that enable all communities to lead healthy lives – is a critical task for the U.S. The direct and indirect medical costs associated with sickness and premature death resulting from health care inequities are enormous (estimated to be $230 billion and $1.24 trillion, respectively,… Read More »
Recently, I sat down to talk with Arlene Ash, PhD about risk adjustment. Dr. Ash is Professor and Chief of the Division of Biostatistics and Health Services Research, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. As a methods expert on risk adjustment in health services research, she has pioneered tools… Read More »
Reproductive rights have been a topic for policy making and legal jurisprudence throughout much of the past century. As the healthcare system of the United States continues to evolve, women’s health and reproductive rights remain central to the debate. A recent policy update by Aishwarya Rajagopalan and Lisa Lines here at The Medical Care Blog discusses… Read More »
The burden of contraception falls primarily on women. In the United States, women need prescriptions for the majority of contraceptive methods, and so are vulnerable to changes in the healthcare system affecting access to care. Recently, President Trump has issued executive orders on religious liberty and related subjects that have paved the way for a rule… Read More »
Emergency departments (EDs) nationwide are busy places. In some locales they are overcrowded. In places like Los Angeles and other dense, urban areas with high poverty, they are over-capacity to such an extent that they can grind to a halt for all but the highest priority cases. In years past, it was not unheard of for… Read More »