Health Equity & Access Weekly Roundup: July 7, 2025

Why Collaborative Care Is the Path Forward for Mental Health Care: Anna Bob, MPH

In this podcast episode, Anna Bob, MPH, executive director of Path Forward, discusses a new national analysis that shows significant but uneven progress in expanding access to the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM), an evidence-based, team approach that integrates mental health services into primary care. The analysis, conducted by Milliman for the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, reviewed 5 years of claims data covering 219 million Americans and found a 10-fold increase in CoCM use among commercially insured individuals from 2018 to 2023. However, access remains limited, with only about 100,000 people receiving CoCM care last year. Despite being available in all 50 states and backed by over 90 clinical trials showing improved mental health outcomes, barriers such as start-up costs and inconsistent reimbursement continue to hinder adoption. To address these gaps, Path Forward, the Meadows Institute, and the American Psychiatric Association are urging Congress to pass the bipartisan COMPLETE Care Act to strengthen Medicare reimbursement for CoCM services.

Racial Disparities in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment After ED Visit for Overdose

Researchers found significant disparities in outpatient referrals for opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment following emergency department (ED) visits for opioid overdose, particularly affecting Black patients. The study, using data from the Toxicology Investigators Consortium (TOXIC) Fentalog Study across 10 US health care centers, revealed that overall, only 17.8% of patients received outpatient treatment referrals at discharge. Black patients were notably less likely than White patients to receive these referrals, highlighting substantial racial disparities in access to OUD treatment. The findings underscored the urgent need for targeted interventions in ED settings to address these disparities and improve care outcomes for vulnerable populations affected by opioid overdose.

The Double-Edged Sword of Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose have become widespread as low-calorie sugar alternatives, found in thousands of products and promoted for benefits such as weight management and diabetes prevention. However, despite FDA approval and some evidence supporting their use, ongoing research raises concerns about potential health risks, including links to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, appetite disruption, neurological effects, and even cancer. These possible health consequences may translate into significant hidden economic costs, such as increased medical expenses, lost productivity, and rising chronic disease rates. While artificial sweeteners offer short-term benefits in reducing sugar intake, experts stress the need for caution as their long-term health and economic impacts remain uncertain.

5 Evidence-Based Practices to Help Older Adults Live Independently

More than one in 4 older adults experience falls each year, often leading to serious injury, reduced mobility, and loss of independence. While regular physical activity is one of the most effective ways to prevent falls and maintain independence, research shows that other strategies also play a key role. These include improving home safety with grab bars and better lighting, managing medications to reduce harmful side effects like dizziness, and staying up to date on vision and hearing screenings to address sensory issues that increase fall risk. Additionally, using telehealth and ensuring reliable transportation help older adults access essential care, while programs that support technology use among seniors can further promote safe, independent living. Together, these evidence-based practices can help older adults stay healthier and more self-sufficient at home.

At ASCO, Testing and AI Rival Drugs for Attention, but Reimbursement Remains a Barrier

The 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting highlighted how cancer care is rapidly evolving beyond new drugs to include groundbreaking advancements in biomarker testing, artificial intelligence (AI), and precision medicine. The SERENA-6 trial exemplified this shift, combining the next-generation oral estrogen receptor degrader camizestrant with circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing to detect ESR1 mutations early and significantly improve outcomes for patients with HR+/HER2– breast cancer. At the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois, experts emphasized that integrating genomics, AI, and real-world data can personalize treatments, predict relapse, and improve early detection, but challenges like testing disparities, physician education gaps, and inconsistent access persist, particularly for underserved groups. Efforts like Caris Life Sciences’ Precision Oncology Alliance and Foundation Medicine’s expanding tools aim to harness large-scale data to accelerate discovery and close these gaps, while AI is increasingly viewed as essential to guiding complex treatment decisions. However, leaders stress that improving clinician training, addressing health inequities, and ensuring widespread access to testing remain critical to realizing the full promise of precision oncology.