Friday, June 3, 2022 | The Latest Research, Commentary, And News From Health Affairs
Dear John,
In May, we launched Health Affairs Insider, a membership offering exclusive access to content beyond the journal. Learn more and sign up today with discount code HAInsider10 to get $10 off your membership.
Alternative First Responders
The latest Leading To Health column in Health Affairs highlights a Washington State fire department that dispatches nurses and social workers to address the underlying health and social needs of repeat 911
callers.
Every community has what emergency service professionals refer to as 911 high utilizers—a small subset of the population that uses a large portion of emergency resources.
“Many high utilizers have complex medical and psychosocial needs and call 911 for nonmedical emergencies,” writes Brian Rinker.
To better meet these needs, the fire department in Renton, Washington has established a nonemergency unit known as FDCARES, which stands for Fire Department Community Assistance, Referrals, and Education Services.
Mobile integrated health programs such as FDCARES are strategically better positioned than hospitals or physician groups to provide care and social services to people in the community by harnessing the infrastructure of local emergency services.
“The idea is that by addressing the root causes of super utilizers’ super utilization, the program will save fire departments, hospitals, and taxpayers tons of
money,” explains Rinker.
Want to read more articles like this about health system transformation? Sign up for the periodic Leading to Health newsletter.
The authors indicate that, as many modern clinical tests have become increasingly complex, there is a growing need for a systematic approach to designing, maintaining, and improving
tests.
Kenneth Thorpe and Thomas Johnson discuss how the ongoing effort to deny or restrict Medicaid coverage for drugs approved through the FDA’s accelerated approval program is not a change that should be taken lightly, especially without data to support doing so.
Katie Keith discusses several recent developments in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including the Biden administration's withdrawal of the so-called SUNSET rule and its approval of Virginia’s waiver request to operate a state-based reinsurance program under Section 1332 of the ACA.
Currently, more than 70 percent of our content is
freely available — and we’d like to keep it that way. With your support, we can continue to keep our digital publication Forefront free for everyone.
FDA Under The Microscope On User Fees And Baby Formula Shortage
Listen to Health Affairs' Rob Lott and Chris Fleming put the FDA under the microscope on user fees and baby formula shortages.
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.
