The Latest Research, Commentary, And News From Health Affairs
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
Dear John,
While delayed and cancelled appointments due to the COVID-19 pandemic were common over the past year, it’s important to ask whether certain populations were more affected than others by these disruptions.
The Patients Most Disrupted by COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted patients and providers to delay or cancel a substantial share of medical care in the past year. In an article published ahead of print today, Kevin Callison and Jason Ward examined the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of patients who have been subject to these involuntary care disruptions.
Using survey data from May through October 2020, they found that, “older age, being in fair or poor health, greater education, the presence of a work-limiting disability, and having health insurance
coverage were associated with greater likelihood of experiencing an involuntary disruption in accessing medical care as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Some of these populations are consistent with those that experience a constant level of disruption across the health care system, but others—such as the respondents with higher levels of education—are less intuitive. Read Callison and Ward’s paper for more about their findings. In a new Health Affairs Blog post, Katie Keith takes a deep dive into a
district court decision in the “take care” lawsuit that set aside several Trump administration policy
changes; an appellate decision regarding the health insurance tax as it applies to Medicaid managed care entities; and a district court decision allowing challenges to the ACA’s preventive services mandate to proceed.
Also, Kara Odom Walker and coauthors discuss how to sustain the reductions in childhood poverty that will result from the December 2020 COVID-19 relief law and the March 2021 American Rescue Plan.
Health Affairs is planning an upcoming issue on Racism and Health, with an emphasis on structural racism. To be published in February 2022, it will feature original research, analyses, commentaries, and personal narrative. The deadline to submit abstracts, May 3, is fast
approaching. If you are thinking about submitting an abstract, join us tomorrow for an informal, online Q&A session, “Tips for Navigating our Request for Abstracts (RFA) Process.” The Q&A will be hosted by Health Equity Director Vabren Watts and Senior Editor Jessica Bylander. Date: Thursday, April 22, 2021 Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET Place: Online (meeting details will be emailed in advance)
Presenters to include:
Arturo Vargas Bustamante, Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health, and recent theme issue adviser for Health Affairs, will share his thoughts on what makes a successful abstract and his advice for someone hoping to publish in Health Affairs.
Please note: We encourage papers that represent cross-disciplinary efforts that bridge health and nonhealth sectors. In addition, we are seeking contributions from junior faculty; authors with lived experience of racism, including nonacademic community members; and authors from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-Serving Institutions, tribal colleges and universities, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander–Serving Institutions. Health Affairs thanks the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Episcopal Health Foundation for their generous support of this
issue.
Health Affairs is the leading peer-reviewedjournalat the intersection of health, health care, and policy. Published monthly
by Project HOPE, the journal is available in print and online. Late-breaking content is also found through healthaffairs.org, Health Affairs Today, and Health Affairs Sunday Update.
Project HOPE is a global health and humanitarian relief organization that places power in the hands of local health care workers to save lives across the globe. Project HOPE has published Health Affairs since 1981.
