Health Equity and Access Weekly Roundup: January 6, 2023
January 6th 2024The 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.
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What We’re Reading: Drug Price Increases; FDA Approvals Rise; Abortion Pill Demand Surge
January 3rd 2024Drugmakers are expected to increase prices on more than 500 drugs early this month; the FDA approved nearly 50% more novel drugs in 2023 than in 2022; the number of Americans who were not pregnant and wanted abortion pills increased by nearly 10 times after the Supreme Court’s 2022 Roe v Wade decision leaked.
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Top 5 Most-Read Articles From the Center of Health Equity and Access 2023
December 25th 2023The 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.
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Health Plan Design: Employers as the Architects of Health Equity
December 22nd 2023Employers, 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.
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What We’re Reading: Health Data Breaches; Medicaid Grassroots Groups; PCP Shortage Impact
December 22nd 2023As many as 116 million patients were impacted by large health data breaches this year; grassroots groups have begun leading the push to re-enroll patients denied Medicare coverage for bureaucratic reasons; a nationwide shortage of primary care clinicians is causing more distrust in the health care system.
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Community and Connection Drive UPMC Health Plan’s Multifaceted Success
December 22nd 2023In September, The American Journal of Managed Care® joined 4 individuals whose involvement with UPMC Health Plan, a Strategic Alliance Partner of AJMC®, has proved to be instrumental in furthering health equity and providing high-quality care in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland.
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NAHCP’s Mike Thompson Highlights Crucial Strategies for Enhancing Employee Health and Equity
December 22nd 2023At this year’s Community Oncology Alliance Payer Exchange Summit on Oncology Payment Reform, leaders from across all facets of the cancer care space engaged in thought-provoking panel discussions and debates. They have a common aim: to optimize cancer care delivery and ensure patients have a positive experience throughout their cancer care journey.
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Obesity, Women’s Health, Health Equity Among Top Benefit Focuses for Employers in 2024
December 19th 2023A new survey from the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions found that employers are planning to place a larger focus on obesity management, women’s health, and health equity in 2024 and beyond.
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Higher Survival Rates Found in Male Hispanic, API Patients With Early Breast Cancer
December 18th 2023These findings suggest that addressing socioeconomic disparities and inequities that impact access to health care and services may help improve survival outcomes across racial/ethnic groups of male patients with early breast cancer.
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Patients With Multiple Myeloma Lack Awareness of CAR T-Cell Therapy, Research Says
December 15th 2023The 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.
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The rate of invasive pneumococcal disease in children plummeted by 72% from 2002 to 2021; health care spending in the United States rose 4.1% in 2022 to $4.5 trillion; roughly two-thirds of Americans who have a mental health condition were unable to access treatment in 2021 despite having health insurance.
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ICYMI: Highlights From the ACCC Fall National Oncology Conference
December 11th 2023This year’s top content from the fall meeting of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) highlights both treatment gains made through innovative referral, screening, and assistance initiatives and the ongoing need to improve health equity and research inclusivity.
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California Aims for Equity by Redefining Cancer Care
December 8th 2023Authors highlight key aspects of the California Cancer Care Equity Act, including its focus on Medi-Cal beneficiaries, the requirement for managed care plans to contract with specialized cancer centers, and the definition of complex cancers.
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What We’re Reading: RSV Vaccine Demand; Permanent Contraception; Drug Negotiation Impact
December 8th 2023The Biden administration recently met with manufacturers of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunizations to encourage them to increase access to the vaccine; since the Dobbs v Jackson decision, many patients have been seeking more permanent reproductive health care solutions; a Mathematica analysis showed that Medicare prescription drug price negotiations could have cut seniors’ out-of-pocket costs by nearly a quarter had the program been in effect in 2021.
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Research Reveals the Role of Structural Racism in Lung Cancer Risk
December 7th 2023Spanning 22 studies, the analysis illuminated housing disparities, occupational hazards, unequal health care access, economic inequality, and discriminatory industry practices and how they collectively contribute to heightened lung cancer risks.
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Race/Ethnicity May Influence Local Recurrence in DCIS, Adjuvant Treatment
December 6th 2023Disparities in 10-year local recurrence following breast-conserving surgery were seen among women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) treated over a nearly 4-decade span at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, with Black women having the highest rate.
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Data analysis showed that 40% of patients who filled a prescription for Wegovy in 2021 or 2022 were still taking it a year later; both Democrats and reproductive rights organizations are pressuring the Biden administration to ensure health insurers fully cover contraception; CMS implemented Medicare changes in March that limited access to blood tests that help transplant recipients ensure their organs remain healthy.
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SDOH in Cancer Care Highlight Multifactorial Equity Issues
December 6th 2023A trio of speakers addressed the importance of social determinants of health (SDOH) in cancer care on day 1 of the 46th annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in the session, “Social Determinants of Health: Impact on Cancer Care.”
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Obesity Advocates Challenge FDA Over Drug Approval Process Disparities
December 5th 2023The Obesity Action Coalition and other organizations are urging the FDA to address critical gaps in drug testing, emphasizing the need for specific testing in individuals with obesity to ensure safety and efficacy, as current practices expose this population to unnecessary risks.
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Health Equity and Access Weekly Roundup: December 2, 2023
December 2nd 2023The Center on Health Equity and Access highlights the most recent updates in the realm of health equity, including news, research findings, and initiatives focused on mitigating health care disparities and enhancing overall access to quality care.
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