To view this email as a web page, go to the link below, or copy and paste it into your browser's address window.
[link removed]


Having trouble viewing this email?
[link removed]
View online

The Commonwealth Fund Connection

A roundup of recent Fund publications, charts, multimedia, and other timely content.




April 2, 2021

[link removed]

[link removed]

[link removed]








COVID-19


[link removed]
How the American Rescue Plan Could Help Insure More Americans

The American Rescue Plan contains the most extensive health insurance improvements for Americans since the Affordable Care Act. On To the Point, the Commonwealth Fund’s Sara Collins and Gabriella Aboulafia explore who the remaining uninsured are and how the $1.9 trillion relief package will help many of them get covered.

[link removed]
READ MORE

[link removed]
New Support for States’ COVID-19 Response Efforts

The American Rescue Plan also provides significant funding for states to help them respond to COVID-19 — something missing from previous relief measures. Josh LaRosa and colleagues from the Wynne Health Group and the Commonwealth Fund’s Rachel Nuzum break down the money allocated for states’ pandemic responses, including funding for vaccination, testing, public health workforce maintenance and expansion, and nursing homes.

[link removed]
READ MORE

[link removed]
States to Get Big Medicaid Boost

On To the Point, the Commonwealth Fund’s Akeiisa Coleman offers details on how the new pandemic relief package supports full funding for vaccinating Medicaid beneficiaries, incentivizes the 12 holdout states that haven’t yet expanded Medicaid eligibility to change course, gives states the option to extend pregnancy-related Medicaid coverage, and offers additional funding for a range of long-term care and behavioral health services.

[link removed]
READ MORE

[link removed]
Stemming the Tide of Overdose Deaths: More Help Is Needed

Drug overdose deaths have soared during the COVID-19 pandemic, new estimates show, with total monthly overdose deaths growing by about 50 percent between February and May 2020. Although the two federal COVID-19 relief funding packages have targeted billions of dollars to support mental health and substance use treatment, the Commonwealth Fund’s Jesse Baumgartner and David Radley say the nation needs greater access to medication-assisted treatment and mental health care, as well as broader Medicaid eligibility in those states that haven’t expanded their programs.

[link removed]
READ MORE

[link removed]
Telehealth’s Future Role in Medicaid

What role will telehealth play in state Medicaid programs once the COVID-19 pandemic winds down? According to a review of the Commonwealth Fund’s
[link removed]
Medicaid managed care contract database by George Washington University’s Sara Rosenbaum and Rebecca Morris, states showed robust interest in mobile technology even before the current crisis, though actual use of these services has been slow to spread. The authors say more explicit state managed care contract expectations or financial incentives could help.

[link removed]
READ MORE

[link removed]
A Year into the Pandemic, Where Do Americans Stand on Racism in Health Care?

Have American views regarding race changed since the onset of COVID-19? On To the Point, the Commonwealth Fund’s Eric Schneider, M.D., and Arnav Shah join experts from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in a discussion of polling data on how Americans view health care and racial equity in 2020 compared to previous years. The researchers find that public opinion has shifted modestly, but meaningfully.

[link removed]
READ MORE

[link removed]
A Marathon, Not a Sprint: The Race Between COVID-19 Vaccines and Variants

If you’re an optimist, then every piece of good news about vaccines has put the end of the pandemic in sight. If you’re a pessimist, then all the new coronavirus variants signal the apocalypse. On the latest episode of The Dose podcast, the Commonwealth Fund’s Eric Schneider, M.D., talks about the high-stakes race between the quick-spreading variants of COVID-19 and the effective vaccines that more Americans receive each day.

[link removed]
READ MORE
Addressing the Psychological Effects of COVID-19

[link removed]
A study published in JAMA detailed the psychological effects of the coronavirus pandemic’s long-term disruptions to education, income, and finances. Researchers found 13.6 percent of adults in April 2020 and 13 percent in July 2020 reported serious psychological distress. In both April and July, levels were highest among young adults. The Commonwealth Fund’s Sarah Klein and Martha Hostetter recently explored the ways other countries have
[link removed]
made it easier to find treatment for mental health problems and reported on pediatricians’ efforts to
[link removed]
help the many kids and teens experiencing anxiety or depression.




Other News


[link removed]
Check Out Our New Instagram Account Focused on Health Equity

Health care in the United States has long been marked by racism and discrimination, leading to the widespread inequities we see today in access, quality, and outcomes for people of color — and COVID-19 has only exacerbated these disparities. But people across the nation are advocating for new policies and practices while also bringing their personal experiences into conversations about racial justice. The Commonwealth Fund’s new Instagram account is intended to contribute to these conversations.

[link removed]
READ MORE

[link removed]
New Paths to Drug-Pricing Reform Under the Biden Administration

Whether through legislation or regulation, the Biden administration has options for advancing reforms to prescription drug pricing, say Erin Slifer and colleagues with the Wynne Health Group. On To the Point, they discuss some of the pathways available to lower drug costs, including Medicare Part D benefit redesign and new regulatory initiatives.

[link removed]
READ MORE
The Administration, Congress, and the Supreme Court: Health Implications

In collaboration with the Commonwealth Fund, Politico will host the April 14 forum “The Biden Administration, U.S. Congress, and Supreme Court: Health and Rights Implications” at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Panelists include Harvard University’s Robert J. Blendon and David King, Georgetown University’s Sabrina Corlette, and Duke University’s Guy-Uriel Charles. View the live stream and recorded video at the
[link removed]
Forum website , as well as on
[link removed]
Facebook and
[link removed]
YouTube .





Affordable, quality health care. For everyone.

[link removed]
Subscribe |
[link removed]
Privacy policy |
[link removed]
Unsubscribe
Add
mailto:[email protected]?omnicid=CFC1946754&[email protected]
[email protected] to your address book [
[link removed]
vCard ]


2021 (c) The Commonwealth Fund


THE COMMONWEALTH FUND | One E 75th St, New York, NY 10021 United States | Phone: 212.606.3800










----------------------------------------

This email was sent by:
THE COMMONWEALTH FUND
One E 75th St
New York, NY, 10021, United States

We respect your right to privacy - visit the following URL to view our policy.
( [link removed] )

----------------------------------------

Visit the following URL to manage your subscriptions.
( [link removed] )

Visit the following URL to update your profile.
( [link removed] )

Visit the following URL to unsubscribe.
( [link removed] )