What we're reading, August 10, 2016: mortality rate in the United States declines after 2015's increase; infant death in Texas linked to Zika virus; and Ohio colleges drop student health insurance due to Obamacare provisions.
In the first quarter of 2016, the death rate in the United States decreased after increasing in 2015. Mortality rate is a key indicator of the health of the nation and improvements in medical care and healthier living almost always drive the rate to decline, reported The New York Times. However, the increase in drug overdoses drove the mortality rate up. Death rates from heart disease, diabetes, and chronic lower respiratory disease were all lower in the first quarter of 2016 compared with a year ago. Unfortunately, it is still too soon to know if drug deaths declined in the first quarter of the year.
An infant death in Texas has been linked to Zika. According to The Washington Post, the mother had been infected during travels to Latin America during her pregnancy, and the baby had been born with microcephaly. Several other babies have been born with the birth defect, but the Texas case appears to be the only death. Meanwhile, as the number of cases of local mosquito-borne transmission of the virus increase in the Miami area, a majority of Americans are still largely unconcerned with Zika, the Post reported. Two-thirds (65%) say they are not worried about being infected with Zika or about a family member being infected.
In Ohio, some colleges are dropping student health insurance as a result of the changes enacted by the Affordable Care Act. In fact, it was becoming a hassle for students to waive the option insurance coverage in order to avoid being charged for it, according to The Columbus Dispatch. With the health law, more college students are arriving with health insurance since they can be covered on their parents’ plan until age 26. While Ohio State University is continuing to offer a student plan, enrollment has dropped 8% since fall 2011.
Navigating Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in National Health Plans
February 13th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the February 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on how health plans can screen for health literacy, social determinants of health, and perceived health care discrimination.
Listen
Drs Raymond Thertulien, Joseph Mikhael on Racial Disparities in Multiple Myeloma Care Access
December 28th 2023In the wake of the 2023 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition, Raymond Thertulien, MD, PhD, of Novant Health, and Joseph Mikhael, MD, MEd, FRCPC, FACP, chief medical officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, discussed health equity research highlights from the meeting and drivers of racial disparities in multiple myeloma outcomes.
Listen
Gene and Cell Therapies Hold Potential—but How Can Payers Manage Their Costs?
April 18th 2024Presenters at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2024 annual meeting discussed the current promise and future potential of gene and cell therapies, as well as payer management strategies for these costly treatments.
Read More
Commonwealth Fund Report Details Pervasive Racial and Ethnic Disparities in US Health Care, Outcomes
April 18th 2024Using 25 health system performance indicators, the Commonwealth Fund 2024 State Health Disparities Report evaluated racial and ethnic disparities in health care and health outcomes both within and across US states and highlighted the urgent need for equitable health care policies and practices in the US.
Read More