Health Equity and Access Weekly Roundup: May 18, 2024
The US Senate hosted a panel addressing physician and health care shortages and efforts to increase minority representation in the medical field. An expert discussed initiatives to prevent senior homelessness. Advocates called for the repeal of the Comstock Act. Regulatory reforms are called for to improve rural cancer patients' access to pharmacies. Research reveals the impact of denials on patient access to immunology treatments.
Congress Urged to Repeal Comstock Act Threatening Reproductive Rights and Public Health
In a joint letter addressed to Congress, Healthcare Across Borders, Take Back the Court Action Fund, and UltraViolet Action called out the resurgence of the Comstock Act, urging immediate action to repeal this century-old law that threatens reproductive rights and public health in the US.
Panel Addresses Minority Physician Shortage, Maternal Health at Senate Committee Hearing
The senate hearing held by the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I, Vermont), chairman of the committee, and ranking member Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD, (R, Louisiana), addressed the critical issue of physician and health care worker shortages, as well as the maternal health crisis, in the US.
Dr Chris Pagnani: Bringing Consistency to Psychiatric Care for College Students
Chris Pagnani, MD, medical director and founder of Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates in Philadelphia, explains the importance of offering college students consistent care via telehealth while collaborating with their campus counseling centers.
Health Equity and Access Weekly Roundup: May 11, 2024
This week's topics include frameworks for improving health equity nationwide, addressing social determinants of health, discussing CMS's Medicare rules, investigating breast cancer treatment refusal, and exploring HIV and major depressive disorder in underrepresented groups.
Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity: Urban Health Outreach
In the series debut episode of "Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity," Mary Sligh, CRNP, and Chelsea Chappars, of Allegheny Health Network, explain how the Urban Health Outreach program aims to improve health equity for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Health Equity and Access Weekly Roundup: May 4, 2024
This week, the Center on Health Equity and Access highlights a variety of gaps that exist in health care, spanning women's health, the rising rate of metabolic disease, and policy for LGBTQ+ and immigrant populations. The consensus among featured experts points to comprehensive care models.
Bimekizumab Shows Promising 52-Week Safety and Efficacy in Psoriatic Arthritis
Promising results presented at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2024 annual meeting support the safety and efficacy of bimekizumab treatment in patients with active psoriatic arthritis who had previously shown inadequate response or intolerance to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors.
Shelly Lanning on How Employers Can Reduce Costs by Bridging Gaps in Women's Health Care
In a presentation at the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health Women’s Health Summit, Shelly Lanning, cofounder and president of Visana Health, addressed the need for comprehensive approaches in women’s health care and their coverage options.
Joanne Mizell: Lifestyle Modification Programs Take Holistic Aim at Metabolic Disease
Joanne Mizell shares insurer strategies in addressing the escalating rates of metabolic diseases, highlighting the importance of holistic treatment methods like lifestyle modification programs, which integrate nutrition, physical activity, and community engagement.
Bimekizumab Shows Sustained Efficacy in Treating Axial Spondyloarthritis for 52 Weeks
Results from a study presented at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2024 annual meeting demonstrated sustained efficacy of bimekizumab compared with placebo in patients with non-radiographic and radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) at week 52.
Health Equity and Access Weekly Roundup: April 27, 2024
Racial disparities in end-of-life care, the role of wellness and faith in minority health, award-winning research on health disparities, societal factors impacting cardiometabolic health, and rising mental health challenges among US youth are all covered this week in the Center on Health Equity and Access.
Mental Health Diagnoses, Care Challenges Rise Among US Youth, Report Finds
While behavioral health care utilization has been rising, the treatment landscape has been worsening. New findings show that 20% of youths did not receive any form of treatment within 3 months of their initial behavioral health diagnosis.
Dr Rashon Lane Addresses How Racial, Ethnic Inequities Factor Into Cardiometabolic Health Care
In addition to sharing research related to disparities and inequities in the cardiometabolic space, Rashon Lane, PhD, MA, Sutter Health, discussed “how we might need to think differently about how we are intervening on disparities.”
Dr Ryan Stice Shares Strategy on Expanding Access to Care With Virtual Population Health Teams
In an interview during The American Journal of Managed Care®'s Institute for Value-Based Medicine® event, held with Sutter Health, Ryan Stice, PharmD, BCPS, explains the impact virtual population health teams can have on improving access to care for patients with cardiometabolic conditions.
Commonwealth Fund Report Details Pervasive Racial and Ethnic Disparities in US Health Care, Outcomes
Using 25 health system performance indicators, the Commonwealth Fund 2024 State Health Disparities Report evaluated racial and ethnic disparities in health care and health outcomes both within and across US states and highlighted the urgent need for equitable health care policies and practices in the US.
Study Highlights Disparities in Access to In-Network Mental Health Care vs Medical Care
While health plans often employ reimbursement rates as a tool to incentivize provider participation within their networks, study results showed reimbursement rates for office visits with medical/surgical clinicians were on average 22% higher than behavioral health clinicians.
NSAIDs vs bDMARDs: Sex Disparities in Treatment Initiation for Axial Spondyloarthritis
New research examining treatment initiation patterns among patients with axial spondyloarthritis revealed significant sex-based disparities, shedding light on the process from diagnosis to therapeutic intervention.