Loss of Abortion Rights Will Send Shockwaves Through the U.S. Health Care System
The Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade will send shockwaves through American health care. On To the Point, Commonwealth Fund President David Blumenthal, M.D., and Vice President Laurie Zephyrin, M.D., say our health care system already frequently fails women of reproductive age, especially members of racial or ethnic minorities. Women in the U.S. are more likely than women in other high-income countries to die of preventable causes, including complications from pregnancy. Learn how the Court’s decision will reduce access to care and deepen inequities.
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Nonpartisan Commission Issues Recommendations for Building a National Public Health System
In a new report, the nonpartisan Commonwealth Fund Commission on a National Public Health System laid out a vision for transforming public health in the United States to better protect lives and provide robust, coordinated responses to health emergencies. The Commission recommendations, which were informed by the splintered and often ineffective U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic, are guided by four principles: the federal government should lead a strong and capable national public health system; Congress should provide stable support matched with clear expectations for states, localities, tribes, and territories to protect the health of their populations; the health care system should work closely with public
health agencies in normal times and during emergencies; and the public health system should earn the public’s trust.
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New Health Care Scorecard Reveals How Well States Have Managed COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has put states’ health care systems to the test. Overall, states that entered the pandemic with stronger systems fared better, experiencing lower rates of preventable deaths and generally healthier populations, according to the Commonwealth Fund’s 2022 Scorecard on State Health System Performance. For the first time, the scorecard, which ranks states’ health care systems based on how well they provide high-quality, accessible, and equitable health care, added seven COVID-19-specific measures, including state vaccination rates, hospital and intensive care unit capacity, and death rates exceeding historical norms.
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Challenges in Rolling Out Coronavirus Vaccines for Young Children
Pediatric practices, as well as public health departments and children’s hospitals, will be vital to a successful rollout of coronavirus vaccines for children as young as six months. That’s because federal law bars pharmacies from vaccinating children under age 3. Last year, the Commonwealth Fund reported on how primary care providers, including a pediatric practice in Texas, overcame the
logistical challenges of offering vaccines in the exam room and addressed vaccine hesitancy. |
Exploring Medicaid Reimbursement Policy Through a Racial Justice Lens
In 2020, U.S. hospitals received only 88 cents for every dollar spent caring for Medicaid patients — a $24.8 billion underpayment. For those covered by Medicaid, many of whom are people of color, low reimbursement rates reduce access to quality care and contribute to poor health outcomes. On To the Point, Cornell University’s Tiffany Ford and Jamila Michener explore Medicaid reimbursement through the lens of racial justice, using a tool that assesses the structural racism embedded in policy.
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How We Can Advance Health Equity Through Federal Payment and Delivery System Reform
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Center for Medicare and Medicare Innovation have made health equity a new priority. Researchers Ava Ferguson Bryan, Ciara Duggan, and Thomas Tsai identify areas where CMS can move health equity forward through payment and delivery system reform. Although reducing disparities also means addressing structural barriers, mistrust, and racism in health care, the authors say a shift toward equity-focused payment reform can help move the needle.
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Black Adults Have Less Access to Newer, Better Diabetes Drugs
Newer, highly effective diabetes medications are on patent, and they’re expensive. According to a new Commonwealth Fund study, significant disparities between Black and white adults in the use of the newer medications emerged soon after their introduction and continue to this day. New York University researchers Sherry Glied and Dong Ding found that Black adults with diabetes are less likely than white adults to use these drugs, and similar disparities exist between patients with private and public insurance coverage.
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Virtual Symposium: Transforming Health Care to Advance Black Maternal Health Equity
Despite the nation’s maternal health crisis, new policies and initiatives, along with a fuller range of perinatal providers, hold promise to bring lifesaving, equitable care to more Black women and birthing people than ever before. On June 30 at 10:00 a.m. ET, the Commonwealth Fund will host a virtual symposium that examines ideas for financing health care transformation and innovation, strategies for implementing respectful, high-quality care, and ways to use data to advance maternal health equity.
REGISTER HERE |
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