Health Equity and Access Weekly Roundup: March 16, 2024
This week, the Center on Health Equity and Access highlighted expert opinions on a mental health paradigm shift in the workplace, the impact health care algorithms can have on patient outcomes, and social factors linked with hidradenitis suppurativa severity, in addition to addre...
Alcohol Use Disorder Equally Linked to Suicide Across Genders, Study Finds
Illuminating the critical intersection of substance use and mental health, these findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to address alcohol use disorder within suicide prevention efforts.
What We’re Reading: Potential “Disease X” Threat; Teen Pregnancy, Premature Death Risk; Bipartisan PBM Reform
The fiscal 2025 budget will prioritize investments in rapid tests and antimicrobial drugs; women who were pregnant as teenagers are more likely to die before 31 years; leaders push for reform as part of spending bill for federal health agencies.
Contributor: Breaking the Cycle—RSAT Program Improving Reentry in Arizona
Arizona is well suited to benefit from its 1115 demonstration waiver requested from CMS because it already has a robust justice-involved reentry initiative called the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) Program, which is emerging as an archetype of successful reentry pro...
What We’re Reading: HHS Investigating Change Cyberattack; Maternal Mortality Data Questioned; Drug Testing in Welfare
The HHS Office for Civil Rights is investigating whether patient data were exposed in the cyberattack on Change Healthcare; a new study claims that the US’ high maternal mortality rates are the product of flawed data; HHS secretary is open to drug testing recipients of welfare....
Study: ACA Medicaid Expansions Increased Coverage for Childbearing Age American Indian, Alaska Native Women
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansions increased health care coverage for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women of childbearing age but had limited effects on prenatal care, birth outcomes, and health care supply.
From Stigma to Solutions: MBGH Panel Explores Mental Health Paradigm Shift in the Workplace
The critical issue of mental health in the workplace was discussed by experts in the field at the recent Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH) Mental Health Forum, shedding light on the growing concern surrounding alcohol use disorder and the pressing need for innovative therap...
What We’re Reading: State of the Union Proposals; US Latino All-Cause Mortality Changes; Select Alabama Fertility Clinics Resume IVF Services
President Biden will preview his plan to more than double the size of Medicare’s new drug price negotiation program in the upcoming State of the Union address; Mexicans and Central Americans were most affected by the pandemic in terms of all-cause mortality; two Alabama fertility...
Part 2: Dr James Robinson on the Impact of 340B Programs and Drug Pricing Policies
In part 2 of our interview with Robinson, he addresses the potential for exacerbated health care disparities in the aftermath of hospital price markups and how insurance plan design often disadvantages the patients who most need expensive infusion therapies but cannot afford them...
Carrie Kozlowski: Enhancing Patient Access Amidst Rising Medicaid Disenrollment
Carrie Kozlowski, OT, MBA, chief operating officer and cofounder of Upfront Healthcare, explains how the company emphasizes personalized engagement to overcome technological, cultural, and social barriers while Medicaid disenrollment rates are increasing.
Navigating Single Motherhood, Mental Health, and Finding Support Amidst Challenges
UPMC Health Plan member Marjorie Robinson, of Monroeville, Pennsylvania, tells of her experiences with Pittsburgh-based Fabric Health as a single mom of 2 teenagers and why she believes that mental health–related concerns can be significant obstacles to overall good health.
Dr Lucy Langer: How UnitedHealthcare Is Enhancing Oncology Pathway Adherence and Promoting Equity
UnitedHealthcare's oncology payment mode initially involved a pay-for-performance program based on pathways adherence, and will be transitioning in 2024 to a broader system with graded quartiles to incentivize greater participation and pathway adherence.
Housing Stability and Adequate Health Care Are Crucial for Mental and Physical Health
Serena Sloane, a Pittsburgh-based certified nursing assistant, took advantage of a chance meeting at her laundromat with someone from Fabric Health to learn more about her options for bettering her health care benefits
Dr Melinda Aldrich on Disparities and the Importance of Screening in Lung Cancer
Melinda Aldrich, PhD, MHE, associate professor in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in the division of genetic medicine, discussed her ongoing research aiming to identify the drivers of disparities in lung cancer outcomes in the US.
Dr Sandra Stein Shares Takeaways From Banner|Aetna IVBM
According to Sandra Stein, MD, of Banner Health Plans, the event highlighted the significant influence of social determinants of health on health care costs and outcomes, emphasizing the shift in focus from traditional medical care to addressing crucial factors like housing, food...
Dr Michael Gieske on Successes and Challenges in Increasing Lung Cancer Screening in Rural Regions
Michael Gieske, MD, director of lung cancer screening at St. Elizabeth Health Care, speaks to the success of the Rural Appalachian Lung Cancer Screening Initiative, along with challenges to implementing increased lung cancer screening.
Improving Eye Care Through Community Service With the UPMC eyeVan
Amrish Selvam is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Pittsburgh whose research and career interests lay in ophthalmology and who volunteers with the UPMC Vision Institute’s mobile eye clinic, the eyeVan.
Unpacking Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease Management: Exploring Strategies for Equitable Care
Nihar Desai, MD, MPH; Natalie Evans, MD, MS, FAHA; Seth S. Martin, MD, MHS, FACC, FASPC, FAHA; and Pam R. Taub, MD, FACC, FASPC, discuss disparities in cardiovascular disease management and their vision for more equitable care.
Unveiling Disparities, Fostering Awareness, and Building Inclusive Strategies in Diabetic Macular Edema Care
Joseph M. Coney MD, FACS, discusses key factors needed to address disparities in care among patients with diabetic macular edema, including the significance of community involvement and the role of provider self-reflection in facilitating fair and unbiased medical care.
Navigating Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in National Health Plans
On 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 heal...
Drs Raymond Thertulien, Joseph Mikhael on Racial Disparities in Multiple Myeloma Care Access
In 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 highlight...
Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Thyme Care CEO and Cofounder Robin Shah
Robin Shah, CEO of Thyme Care, which he founded in 2020 with Bobby Green, MD, president and chief medical officer, joins hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, to discuss his evolution as an entrepreneur in oncology care innovation and his goal of positive...
Insufficient Data, Disparities Plague Lung Cancer Risk Factor Documentation
On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the senior author of a study published in the September 2023 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® on the importance of adequate and effective lung cancer risk factor documentation to determine a patient's eligibility f...
The Importance of Examining and Preventing Atrial Fibrillation
At this year’s American Society for Preventive Cardiology Congress on CVD Prevention, Emelia J. Benjamin, MD, ScM, delivered the Honorary Fellow Award Lecture, “The Imperative to Focus on the Prevention of Atrial Fibrillation,” as the recipient of this year’s Honorary Fellow of t...
CDPHP's Kathy Leyden on Food Insecurity Programs
On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Kathy Leyden, vice president of community engagement at Capital District Physicians' Health Plan (CDPHP), discusses key initiatives and areas of focus to address hunger and food insecurity issues across Upstate New York.
Not Just a Hair Cut; An Initiative
On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we talk with 2 individuals who were essential in the creation and implementation of the Health Access Initiative for Recovery (Our HAIR), launched by Community Care Behavioral Health Organization of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Navigating Medicare's Part D Subsidy Program to Achieve Value-Based Care
On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the lead researcher from a study published in the May 2023 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about the impact of low-income subsidies on the uptake and equitable use of expensive orally administered antimyeloma ther...
Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Dr Shereef Elnahal, Under Secretary for Health
Shereef Elnahal, MD, MBA, under secretary for health at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), sat for a conversation with our hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, Tennessee Oncology, that covered the cancer foo...
Bridging the Gap in Health Care Inequities: Considerations in Treatment Selection, Part 2
In part 2 of this 2-part series on health equity in the treatment of psoriasis, Ryan Haumschild, PharmD, and Bryan Buckley, DrPH, discuss how providers can address disparities in psoriasis care, specifically with race, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds in mind.
A Conversation on the Past, Present, and Future of Public Health: NPHW 2023
For National Public Health Week this year, we sat down with Kristen Krause, PhD, MPH, instructor in the Department of Urban-Global Public Health and deputy director, Center for Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies, Rutgers School of Public Health.
Bridging the Gap in Health Care Inequities: Considerations in Treatment Selection, Part 1
In part 1 of this 2-part series on health equity in the treatment of psoriasis, Ryan Haumschild, PharmD, and Bryan Buckley, DrPH, discuss how providers can address disparities in care, specifically with race, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds in mind.
More Needs to Be Done to Reduce Racial Disparities in Home Dialysis
On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Virginia Wang, PhD, and Matthew L. Maciejewski, PhD, who talk about their recent study on racial disparities in home dialysis, and what more needs to be done to increase uptake and reduce disparities in home dialysis for non-Whi...
Reaching Rural America: Value-Based Care Solutions for Systemic Health and Social Inequalities
On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Jennifer Schneider, MD, co-founder and chief executive officer of Homeward, a value-based care provider aiming to improve access to high-quality care in rural communities through tech-enabled clinical services, partnerships with...
AHN’s Center for Inclusion Health Personalizing Equitable Care Delivery for Marginalized Communities
On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Elizabeth Cuevas, MD, division chief of Allegheny Health Network’s (AHN) Center for Inclusion Health, on prevalent health inequities facing marginalized communities and strategies to identify and address these issues.
Addressing Maternal Mortality in Medicaid by Focusing on Mental Health
On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Inland Empire Health Plan, a managed care plan serving more than 1.4 million residents on Medi-Cal in California, about a new maternal mental health program aimed at supporting new mothers, both before they give birth and afterw...
Intermountain Healthcare and Story Health Partner to Optimize Rural Heart Failure Care
On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Tom Stanis, CEO and cofounder of Story Health, and Phillip Wood, Intermountain Ventures program director, on how their partnership came about, how it is going so far, and the future of their collaboration.
Promoting Health Equity and Resiliency in Trauma-Affected Communities
On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Reverend Paul Abernathy, CEO of the Neighborhood Resilience Project and board member of UPMC for You, who discusses his experiences in promoting health and resiliency in trauma-affected communities, as well as challenges related...
Examining Telehealth Uptake to Increase Equitable Care Access
To mark the publication of The American Journal of Managed Care®’s 12th annual health IT issue, on this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Christopher M. Whaley, PhD, health care economist at the RAND Corporation, who focuses on health economics issues, including the inf...
Removing Barriers to Rural Health Care Equity
On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Teresa Tyson, DNP, MSN, FNP-BC, FAANP, and Paula Hill-Collins, DNP, MSN, FAANP, discuss how The Health Wagon, a free mobile-based and nurse-managed clinic, provides accessible health care to rural residents in Virginia's Appalachian region....
Health Inequities and SDOH Affect Primary Care Across Insurance Types
At an Institute for Value-Based Medicine® event held in Phoenix, Arizona, experts from Banner Health and Aetna discussed how health inequities and social determinants of health can affect primary care in patients with any type of insurance.
Screening for Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in Health Plans
This study provides insight on the experiences of patients of a national health plan with 2 structural determinants of health—health care discrimination and health literacy—and how those interact with social determinants of health and patient demographics.
Building Research Capacity in Primary Care Practices That Serve Predominantly Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations
The successful collaboration between a primary care–based network of practices and academic researchers demonstrates feasibility and the need for more funding for primary care research.
2 Commerce Drive
Cranbury, NJ 08512