Population Health

Removing Barriers to Mental Health Care for Children and Teenagers

April 20th 2021, 8:38pm

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the chief strategy officer for Well Being Trust, one of the authors of a recent report about how well health insurers and state Medicaid programs are covering mental health care for children and compliance with federal law. We discuss the unique challenges that youth face, the health disparities, racism, and community trauma that has been experienced in the past year, and some creative ways that organizations and communities can consider increase access to mental health supports.

A Timeline of COVID-19 Vaccine Developments in 2021

April 19th 2021, 3:45pm

Article

If 2020 was dominated by the news of how COVID-19 spread across the globe, then 2021 has so far been focused on ending the pandemic through vaccine distribution.

How Not to Prepare for a Pandemic: Can We Learn From Public Health Budgetary Neglect?

April 13th 2021, 7:13pm

Podcast

Neglecting public health in state budgets for more than 10 years created an environment that was ill-suited to deal with the challenges of COVID-19 as well as other issues. On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with one of the authors of a recent paper that examined state funding trends from 2008 to 2018 and discuss what could be done in the future to avoid past mistakes.

What We’re Reading: Pfizer Vaccine Effective After 6 Months; USDA Halts Plan to Cut Food Stamps; Pandemic Overdose Deaths

April 2nd 2021, 1:59pm

Article

Phase 3 data show the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is effective at preventing COVID-19 6 months after the second dose; the USDA will not move forward with a plan to cut food stamps; data reveal spike in drug overdose deaths during pandemic.

Leveraging Health Data and AI to Predict COVID-19 Hotspots

March 30th 2021, 6:00pm

Podcast

Early on in the pandemic, Cotiviti developed a COVID-19 tracker map that accurately predicts where in the United States new COVID-19 outbreaks would occur. Nicole Neumarker, of Cotiviti, provides insight into what impact this technology could have in the future.

Designing Multimedia Patient Education to Overcome COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

March 23rd 2021, 8:51pm

Podcast

How can health care systems talk about the issue of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy with their patients? On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Pat Salber, MD, MBA, of The Doctor Weighs In, interviews the developer of interactive, people-centered, multimedia, educational programs for Wolters Kluwer Health.

Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 May Experience Long-term Physical and Psychological Symptoms

March 17th 2021, 3:07pm

Article

Patients discharged from hospitals after recovering from severe COVID-19 were found to have lasting functional impairment and post-traumatic stress symptoms months after, according to a study.

20 Years of VBID Policy Achievements and How to Continue Progress

March 14th 2021, 5:00pm

Article

A panel of policy experts, including employees of the previous 2 administrations and a former lobbyist for health plans, discusses achievements of value-based insurance design and how to take the concept to the next level.

In American Rescue Plan, ACA Exchanges Start Clock for New Enrollees

March 11th 2021, 6:56pm

Article

The $1.9 trillion spending package aimed at providing COVID-19 relief for those with low and middle incomes also represents the biggest investment in the exchange marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) since the landmark law was passed 11 years ago.

CDC Provides First Guidance on Safe Activities for Fully Vaccinated Individuals

March 8th 2021, 5:13pm

Article

In a briefing, the White House COVID-19 Team discussed the first guidance from the CDC on activities that individuals fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can safely resume, and Anthony S. Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, gave an update on antiretroviral drug development.