Giuliana Grossi

Over the past 20 years, Medicare physician pay has plummeted by 26% when adjusted for inflation, while hospital reimbursement has surged by 70%, prompting over 100,000 doctors to abandon independent practice for hospital or corporate employment since 2019.

Catch up on this week's news at the Center on Health Equity and Access.

The mobile intervention teams mark a significant step forward in federal efforts to transform mental health services across the nation, as New Mexico becomes the 15th state to adopt this option under the American Rescue Plan.

While White individuals are less likely to suffer from severe psychological distress, findings showed White individuals are more likely to experience “deaths of despair” when compared with Black and Hispanic individuals in the US.

A total of 16,430,000 Medicaid enrollees have been disenrolled across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as of February 1, 2024.

The Center on Health Equity and Access provides real-time updates, shares cutting-edge research, and supports continuous efforts dedicated to tackling health care disparities and enhancing widespread access to high-quality health services.

The findings not only underscore the efficacy of 2 major interventions—Behavioral Activation Psychotherapy (BA) and Antidepressant Medication Management (MEDS)—but also support patient autonomy in choosing their preferred path to mental well-being.

A national analysis found significant disparities between non-binary transgender individuals and cisgender individuals related to mental health.

The Center on Health Equity and Access delivers current updates, highlights breakthroughs in research, and ongoing endeavors committed to addressing healthcare inequalities and improving universal access to exceptional health care.

A comprehensive report exhibits how in-person, telephone-, and video-based care has trended from 2020-2023 within the US Department of Veterans Affairs health care system.

Topline results from a pivotal phase 3, open-label extension study showcase the long-term safety and efficacy of olanzapine and samidorphan (Lybalvi) in patients with schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, or bipolar I disorder.

David Adamson, MD, emphasizes the need for continuous education and building relationships with colleagues to navigate the complexities of reproductive rights and evolving care standards.

The findings demonstrate the critical need for immediate policy reforms to tackle structural racism and promote equitable pediatric care in the US for children regardless of race or ethnicity.

The Center on Health Equity and Access provides up-to-date news, showcases research advancements, and ongoing initiatives dedicated to tackling healthcare disparities and enhancing overall accessibility to outstanding care.

Results revealed current cut points may lead to a high false-positive rate, prompting a call for lower thresholds in both language versions to enhance diagnostic accuracy.

While individual interventions have become popular among employers to enhance workplace well-being, a new study shows interventions may have to take place on an organizational level to be effective.

David Adamson, MD, founder and CEO of ARC Fertility, discusses how physicians should consider moral and ethical variations of patients when adhering to professional guidelines in fertility care.

“These autosomal diseases, from an inheritance standpoint, affect men and women equally, but because of their impact on the gynecological system and menses, women are often affected much more than men," hematologist Donna DiMichele, MD, explains.

The Center on Health Equity and Access delivers current news, highlights research advancements, and continuous initiatives focused on addressing health care disparities and improving overall accessibility to exceptional care.

"It’s time for our industry to recognize the consequences of the lack of investment in maternal health and come together to bring forward innovations," Charlotte Owens, MD, stated.

The top articles of 2023 addressed key issues such as representation gaps in aRCC research, concerns about the 340B program's impact on asthma disparities, slow adoption of equity innovations, potential biases in type 2 diabetes risk models, and addressing disparities in psoriasis treatment based on race and culture.

Employers, recognized as pivotal contributors to health equity, are urged to prioritize equitable benefits, address the complexity of health plans, and engage in education, data-driven interventions, and systematic measurements to comprehensively improve outcomes for diverse employee populations.

“Unfortunately, limited access to these therapies worldwide appears to be a major challenge,” the researchers wrote.

Key highlights from SLEEP 2023: long COVID-19's impact on sleep, racial disparities in sleep health, idiopathic hypersomnia prevalence, disrupted nighttime sleep's link to narcolepsy in children, and the ease of transitioning to lower-sodium oxybate in narcolepsy treatment while maintaining effectiveness.

The Center on Health Equity and Access offers updates on recent news, breakthroughs in research, and ongoing initiatives aimed at tackling health care disparities and enhancing overall access to top-notch care.

"From a health benefit standpoint, specifically, the employees have to be able to access care, they have to be able to afford the care that they are going to receive, and the benefits also have to be relevant to employees," Bruce Sherman, MD explains.

The results indicated that a substantial proportion of patients, particularly in rural, less educated, and elderly demographics, are insufficiently informed about novel MM treatments, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies and bispecific antibody alternatives.

While past studies have shown the connection between poor sleep and job performance, this research dives deeper into the experience of this specific population.

New results from the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS) identified a significant association between sleep duration and all-cause mortality among individuals grappling with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).