International Survey: U.S. Adults with Lower Incomes Faring Worse Than Counterparts in Other Wealthy Countries
As COVID-19 continues to ravage countries around the world, findings from the 2020 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey, published by Health Affairs, show that U.S. income-related inequality and relatively worse access to primary care could threaten the nation’s recovery from the pandemic. The survey compared the health experiences of adults with lower incomes and income-related disparities across 11 countries.
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Ensuring Universal Coverage for COVID-19 Vaccinations
Now that promising COVID-19 vaccines are nearing approval, states face the enormous challenge of distributing them. While the Affordable Care Act ensures that most people with private coverage can get vaccinated at no cost, there are potential gaps, say Georgetown University researchers. Federal and state officials should stand ready to help consumers who fall through the coverage cracks, the authors advise.
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How Do We Distribute the COVID-19 Vaccine Equitably and Effectively?
How should we distribute scarce coronavirus vaccine doses? The Commonwealth Fund’s Eric Schneider, M.D., argues in an op-ed for USA Today that vaccine distribution should prioritize those who are at highest risk of getting COVID-19 and dying from it, and not be allocated to states based simply on the size of their adult populations.
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Joe Biden’s Presidency Kicks Off with a “Once in a Century” Health Crisis
For President-elect Joe Biden, the most pressing health care issue is — no surprise here — COVID-19. On the latest episode of The Dose podcast, Commonwealth Fund President David Blumenthal, M.D., talks about Biden’s opportunity to leave a lasting health care legacy by bringing the pandemic under control. But, he warns, “A new president doesn’t get four years to shape health care — he gets six months.” History will judge the incoming president by how he rises to our new reality, says Blumenthal.
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Maternity Care, Interrupted
Researchers studying the effects of Medicaid expansion on preconception health found increases in the share of low-income women who reported having a preconception conversation with a provider and using effective contraception during the postpartum period. The Commonwealth Fund’s Martha Hostetter, Sarah Klein, and Laurie Zephyrin, M.D., recently described
delivery system changes designed to ensure that women have access to high-quality maternity care during the COVID-19 pandemic, using telemedicine and other digital health tools.
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Short-Term Medicaid Cuts Could Cause Long-Term Harm to Children
In the wake of revenue shortfalls during the COVID-19 pandemic, states are under pressure to reduce expenditures. But any cuts to state Medicaid programs could have both immediate and long-term effects on the health and well-being of pregnant mothers and their children. According to researchers with the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, short-term budget fixes aren’t worth the detrimental long-term effects that Medicaid cuts are likely to have.
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Making Medicare Easier to Navigate
Millions of Medicare beneficiaries just completed open enrollment, navigating a dizzying array of plan options. But did they make the best enrollment choices? In examining the Medicare resources available to beneficiaries, Riaz Ali reports on To the Point that the most prominent information is sponsored by health plans and insurance brokers. This may leave many consumers vulnerable to poor guidance and aggressive marketing campaigns, he says.
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How Have Integrated Health Systems Affected Patient Care?
What happens when physicians and hospitals consolidate into large integrated health systems? In a special issue of Health Services Research, 10 peer-reviewed studies examine the cost, quality, and care delivery impacts of consolidation. In a commentary, Commonwealth Fund President David Blumenthal, M.D., discusses how the predominantly fee-for-service reimbursement model these health systems follow may not lead to better patient outcomes.
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How States Can Establish Effective All-Payer Claims Databases
As states seek solutions for controlling health care costs while maximizing value for purchasers and consumers, all-payer claims databases, or APCDs, can supply crucial answers. For the Commonwealth Fund’s two-part report, State All-Payer Claims Databases: Tools for Improving Health Care Value, Douglas McCarthy shows how states can develop better APCDs. Part 1 synthesizes experiences and lessons learned from the creation and implementation of eight diverse, state-level APCDs.
Part 2 offers practical advice for states about the importance of cultivating relationships with stakeholders and using data to meet their needs.
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