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|Articles|October 27, 2022

What We’re Reading: State Determines Health Outcomes; Increasing Comorbid HIV/Monkeypox Infection; More Children Uninsured

Author(s)AJMC Staff

A recent study found that Americans die younger in states with conservative policies; most patients admitted to the hospital with monkeypox also have HIV; 4 million children are uninsured due to state policies, according to new research.

Americans Die Younger in Conservative States

A new study found that Americans die younger in states that have more conservative policies whereas states with more liberal policies have a lower mortality rate, according to The Hill. In the study that analyzed mortality rates in all 50 states from 1999 to 2019, the researchers concluded that 171,030 lives could have been saved in 2019 if all states switched to fully liberal policies and 217,635 lives could have been lost if the states switched to fully conservative policies. The United States has one of the highest mortality rates in the world vs other developed countries.

Patients Admitted for Monkeypox Also Had HIV

A new report from the CDC shows that most Americans who were hospitalized for monkeypox had weakened immune systems, with a majority of patients also having HIV, according to The New York Times. The report found that 82% of the 57 patients hospitalized for monkeypox also had diagnosed HIV; more than two-thirds of the patients were Black, and a quarter were homeless. The research suggests that doctors should test patients with suspected cases of HIV who are admitted for monkeypox to offer treatment for both viruses.

State Policies Leave Children Uninsured

There are approximately 4 million children in the United States who are not covered by health insurance, which amounts to 5% of Americans 18 years and younger. New research claims that state policies that made it harder to obtain safety-net coverage is to blame for this number, according to Bloomberg. The percent of children covered by Medicaid dropped between 2016 and 2019 due to states making it harder to obtain and stay on Medicaid, with effects most pronounced on Hispanic children, children of noncitizen parents, and families without college-educated parents. The research found that policies that had administrative burdens on families reduced public health coverage in the following year.

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