MedWorm: Uninsured

Variation in State Unintended Pregnancy Rates In the United States

Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: State programs and policies should pay particular attention to increasing support for family planning services for minority groups. Findings also suggest that insurance coverage and receipt of Medicaid among women of reproductive age deserve further exploration as potentially important mechanisms for reducing state unintended pregnancy rates. (Source: Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

The Effect of HIFA Waiver Expansions on Uninsurance Rates in Adult  Populations

Health Services Research — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

ConclusionsOur findings suggest that public insurance initiatives that provide states with flexibility regarding eligibility and plan design are a viable policy approach to reducing uninsurance rates. (Source: Health Services Research)

Safety Net EDs Meet Goals for Length of Stay (CME/CE)

MedPage Today Public Health — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:21:10 +0100

(MedPage Today) -- Emergency department visits as hospitals that care for large numbers of Medicaid and uninsured patients are about the same length as those at hospitals serving more economically stable populations, researchers found. (Source: MedPage Today Public Health)

Partnership and empowerment program: a model for patient-centered, comprehensive, and cost-effective care.

Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Brown C, Bornstein E, Wilcox C Abstract The Partnership and Empowerment Program model offers a comprehensive, patient-centered, and cost-effective template for coordinating care for underinsured and uninsured patients with cancer. Attention to effective coordination, including use of internal and external resources, may result in decreased costs of care and improved patient compliance and health outcomes. PMID: 22297001 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing)

Images: States With The Most Uninsured

WDSU.com - Health — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:00:05 +0100

More Americans than ever are going without health insurance. Find out where uninsured rates are highest. (Source: WDSU.com - Health)

The impact of insurance status on outcomes after surgery for spinal metastases

Cancer — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS:This nationwide study suggests that disparities based on insurance status for patients undergoing surgery for spinal metastases may be attributable to a higher acuity of presentation. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society (Source: Cancer)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Association of Emergency Department Length of Stay With Safety-Net Status [Original Contribution]

JAMA — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion Compliance with proposed ED length-of-stay measures for admissions, discharges, transfers, and observations did not differ significantly between safety-net and non–safety-net hospitals. (Source: JAMA)

National Reporting of Emergency Department Length of Stay: Challenges, Opportunities, and Risks [Editorial]

JAMA — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: JAMA)

Examining factors influencing patient satisfaction with nurse practitioners in rural urgent care centers

Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: No statistical significance was noted in regards to patient satisfaction for the demographic factors age, gender, country of upbringing, or education level. Presence of health insurance was a significant factor, with uninsured patients rating higher levels of satisfaction. However, based on patients' responses to role clarity for this survey, it is evident that there continues to be insufficient public understanding of the role of NPs.Implications for practice: The future of the NP relies on patient approval as well as acceptance of the role. This study joins the pioneering efforts towards describing what patient satisfaction is and supports NPs serving as providers in rural, nonprimary care venues. By identifying influential factors of satisfaction, NPs can bridge the gap bet...

Doctor Exposes the Dangers of Overtreatment

RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The woman walked quietly into the busy emergency room at Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta's safety net hospital for the poor and uninsured. (Source: RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality)

TMAF Honors Medical Program, Clinics for Serving Patients

News_Room — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0100

The Texas Medical Association Foundation (TMAF) has presented its 2012 John P. McGovern Champion of Health and Secondary Award to two Texas programs aimed at serving uninsured and underinsured patients. (Source: News_Room)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

A Model for Treating the Uninsured

Sound Medicine — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:00:01 +0100

For the past 20 years, an unusual clinic in Baltimore has been providing comprehensive care to uninsured patients -- without government funding. The Shepherd's Clinic relies on medical professionals to volunteer their services and depends on patients to pay a voluntary fee of an hour's wage. Sound Medicine reporter Scott Goldberg meets with Shepherd's Clinic founder Jack VandenHengel and i.... (Source: Sound Medicine)

Lower Extremity Vascular Injuries: Increased Mortality for Minorities and the Uninsured?

Journal of Vascular Surgery — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:25:15 +0100

There are mortality disparities associated with race and insurance status in patients with penetrating lower extremity vascular injury. Outcome disparities for Medicaid patients, people of color and the uninsured may be partially attributable to differences in baseline healthcare characteristics and/or hospital performance (Osborne NH et al. J Vasc Surg 2009;50:709-13). The author's considered that in trauma patients heterogeneity of injury, difficulties in injury measurement and a lack of standardized care may contribute to potential disparities in trauma outcomes, including vascular injury. Their hypothesis was that mortality rate disparities by socioeconomic status and race could be explained by injury heterogeneity. They therefore limited analysis of vascular injury to a group with ho...

Young breast cancer survivors face serious quality-of-life challenges

UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:22:04 +0100

Quality of life in younger patients treated for breast cancer is seriously compromised, and these women face more physical and mental health issues than women their age who haven't had cancer and women over 50 who have, according to a study by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. The study, published Jan. 20 in the peer-reviewed Journal of the National Cancer Institute, found that younger breast cancer survivors suffer from a slew of problems, including severe psychological distress, infertility, premature menopause, a decrease in physical activity and weight gain. The study points to the need for oncologists to let these younger patients know from the beginning of their therapy what may happen to them after it's finished, said the study's lead author, D...

Community Health Centers Struggle to Meet Demand from Poor and Uninsured Patients

News stories via the Rural Assistance Center — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:59:50 +0100

Courier-Journal, (KY) article reports that as the nations economic slump continues, growing numbers of uninsured patients are straining community health facilities. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)

Creating Community Collaboration to Improve the Care of Patients With High Blood Pressure: Lessons From Rochester, New York

The Journal of Clinical Hypertension — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

This report describes the process to date and hopefully will stimulate conversations about mechanisms to encourage similar collaboration within other communities. (Source: The Journal of Clinical Hypertension)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Affordable Care Act Litigation: The Supreme Court and the Future of Health Care Reform [Viewpoint]

JAMA — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: JAMA)

Vision improves modestly in patients after human embryonic stem cells transplants

UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:00:32 +0100

Researchers at UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute and colleagues who successfully transplanted specialized retinal cells derived from human embryonic stem cells into the eyes of two legally blind patients report that the transplants appear safe and that both patients have experienced modest improvement in their vision. The preliminary findings, published online Jan. 23 in the journal The Lancet, represent a milestone in the therapeutic use of stem cells and may pave the way for a new therapy to treat eye diseases, the researchers said. Because this is the first time physicians have applied the power of regenerative medicine to eye disease, the clinical trials are being watched closely by scientists, stem-cell therapy advocates and the public. The patients — a woman in her...

Vision improves modestly in patients after human embryonic stem cell transplants

UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:00:32 +0100

Methethamphetamine fills hospitals with burn patients

USATODAY.com Health — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:12:23 +0100

Meth filling hospitals with thousands of uninsured burn patients requiring millions of dollars in advanced treatment. (Source: USATODAY.com Health)

Obama Health Care Overhaul Lags in States

Arkansas Business - Health Care — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:32:21 +0100

Here's a reality check for President Barack Obama's health overhaul: Three out of four uninsured Americans live in states that have yet to figure out how to deliver on its promise of affordable medical care. (Source: Arkansas Business - Health Care)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Crude new meth recipe overburdening some U.S. hospitals

CTV Health — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:25:54 +0100

A crude new method of making methamphetamine poses a risk even to Americans who never get anywhere near the drug: It is filling hospitals with thousands of uninsured burn patients requiring millions of dollars in advanced treatment -- a burden so costly that it's contributing to the closure of some burn units. (Source: CTV Health)

A snapshot of smokers after lung and colorectal cancer diagnosis

Cancer — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS:After diagnosis, a substantial minority of patients with lung and colorectal cancers continued smoking. Patients with lung cancer had higher rates of smoking at diagnosis and after diagnosis; whereas patients with colorectal cancer were less likely to quit smoking after diagnosis. Factors that were associated with continued smoking differed between lung and colorectal cancer patients. Future smoking‐cessation efforts should examine differences by cancer type, particularly when comparing cancers for which smoking is a well established risk factor versus cancers for which it is not. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society. (Source: Cancer)

$1.6 million grant awarded to develop cervical cancer screening program for under, uninsured

Baylor College of Medicine News — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Baylor College of Medicine News)

Medicaid Program; Disproportionate Share Hospital Payments - Uninsured Definition

Federal Register updates via the Rural Assistance Center — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0100

This proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services addresses the hospital-specific limitation on Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments under the Social Security Act. (Source: Federal Register updates via the Rural Assistance Center)

Insured Americans have healthier lifestyles than uninsured

American Medical News - PROFESSION — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0100

People without health insurance are more likely to smoke and generally have less healthy habits than people with coverage, Gallup reports show. (Source: American Medical News - PROFESSION)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Association Between Hospitals Caring for a Disproportionately High Percentage of Minority Trauma Patients and Increased Mortality: A Nationwide Analysis of 434 Hospitals [Paper]

Archives of Surgery — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions Patients treated at hospitals with higher proportions of minority trauma patients have increased odds of dying, even after adjusting for potential confounders. Differences in outcomes between trauma hospitals may partly explain racial disparities. (Source: Archives of Surgery)

Ethnicity, Insurance Status, and Hospitals Serving Predominantly Minorities: Comment on "Association Between Hospitals Caring for a Disproportionately High Percentage of Minority Patients With Trauma and Increased Mortality Due to Trauma" [Invited Critique]

Archives of Surgery — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Archives of Surgery)

The effect of cost on adherence to prescription medications in Canada.

cmaj — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Law MR, Cheng L, Dhalla IA, Heard D, Morgan SG Abstract BACKGROUND:Many patients do not adhere to treatment because they cannot afford their prescription medications, putting them at increased risk of adverse health outcomes. We determined the prevalence of cost-related nonadherence and investigated its associated characteristics, including whether a person has drug insurance. METHODS:Using data from the 2007 Canada Community Health Survey, we analyzed the responses of 5732 people who answered questions about cost-related nonadherence to treatment. We determined the national prevalence of cost-related nonadherence and used logistic regression to evaluate the association between cost-related nonadherence and a series of demographic and socioeconomic variables, including pro...

Differences in Intra-Cranial Pressure Monitor Utilization and Subsequent Outcomes Between Insured and Uninsured Patients After Traumatic Brain Injury

Journal of Surgical Research — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 22:29:13 +0100

Introduction: Disparities in outcome after Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) have been previously demonstrated for uninsured patients. However, the cause of this discrepancy is not well defined. We hypothesized that there are differences in Intra-Cranial Pressure (ICP) monitor utilization and subsequent outcomes between insured and un-insured patients after TBI. Methods: This was a retrospective of review of the most recent National Trauma Databank research datasets from 2007-2008. All patients that met ICP insertion criteria as set forth by the most recent Brain Trauma Foundation Guidelines were included in the analysis. Relevant demographic data, injury characteristics, invasive procedures, and outcomes were abstracted from the dataset. Patients were stratified by insurance into respective Pr...

Coakley Files Brief Backing Federal Health Care Law

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:15:20 +0100

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley has filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting a key provision in the federal health care law. The high court is expected to hear arguments this year on the constitutionality of a requirement in the 2010 law that individuals must buy health insurance if they can afford to or pay a penalty. Coakley argues in the brief filed Friday that a similar provision in Massachusetts’ first-in-the-nation health care law has been highly successful. She says 98 percent of state residents now have health coverage, the highest percentage in the country, and the cost of providing free care to the uninsured has dropped by $235 million per year. The attorney general says the 2006 Massachusetts law served as a “blueprint”...

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

ACA to Bring Influx of Diabetics to Medicaid (CME/CE)

MedPage Today Primary Care — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0100

(MedPage Today) -- Health reform will increase the number of uninsured adults with diabetes who will be covered by Medicaid, researchers found. (Source: MedPage Today Primary Care)

VFC Program: Vaccines for Uninsured Children

MedlinePlus Health News — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:21:18 +0100

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Related MedlinePlus Page: Childhood Immunization (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)

Uninsured Receive Less ED Imaging, Similar Inpatient Imaging

Diagnostic Imaging — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0100

In the emergency department, those lacking health insurance receive less imaging than those covered. But once admitted as inpatients, they’re treated equally from the diagnostic imaging perspective, according to two studies published in the January 2012 edition of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. (Source: Diagnostic Imaging)

In Hospital In-Patient Setting, Uninsured Receive Same Quantity, Value Of Imaging Services As Insured

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Insurance status doesn't affect the quantity (or value) of imaging services received by patients in a hospital, in-patient setting, according to a study in the January issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. Approximately 51 million Americans, or 16.7 percent of the population, were without health insurance for some or all of 2009. Lack of insurance is associated with less preventive care, delays in diagnosis and unnecessary deaths. "Americans without health insurance generally receive fewer health care services than those with insurance... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Medicaid Expansion Under Health Reform May Increase Service Use And Improve Access for Low-Income Adults With Diabetes [Implications For Medicaid]

Health Affairs — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Medicaid’s key role in financing diabetes care will grow when many low-income uninsured people with diabetes gain eligibility to the program in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act. Using a national data set to describe current health care use and spending among the nonelderly, low-income adult population, we found that adult Medicaid beneficiaries with diabetes had total annual per capita health expenditures more than three times higher ($14,229 versus $4,568) than those of adult beneficiaries without diabetes. At the same time, Medicaid facilitates financial protection and care access among beneficiaries with diabetes. Low-income adults with diabetes who were uninsured used fewer services, spent more out of pocket, and reported worse access than did their peers who were covered by Me...

Uninsured receive same quantity, value of imaging services as insured in hospital, in-patient setting

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(American College of Radiology) Insurance status doesn't affect the quantity (or value) of imaging services received by patients in a hospital, in-patient setting, according to a study in the January issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Uninsured patients get less ED imaging

AuntMinnie.com Headlines — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:36:57 +0100

Compared with emergency department (ED) patients with insurance, uninsured (more) (Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines)

Social and Medical Vulnerability Factors of Emergency Department Frequent Users in a Universal Health Insurance System

Academic Emergency Medicine — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Frequent users accounted for a moderate proportion of visits at the Lausanne ED. Social and medical vulnerability factors were associated with frequent ED use. In addition, frequent users were more likely to have both social and medical vulnerabilities than were other patients. Case management strategies might address the vulnerability factors of frequent users to prevent inequities in health care and related costs. (Source: Academic Emergency Medicine)

Race, insurance influence treatment of advanced ovarian cancer

Modern Medicine — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Black and Hispanic women and uninsured or Medicaid-insured women are less likely to receive standard treatment for stage IIIC or IV ovarian cancer, according to a large, multi-institutional cohort study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology (2012;119[1];68-77). MORE (Source: Modern Medicine)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Social and Medical Vulnerability Factors of Emergency Department Frequent Users in a Universal Health Insurance System.

Accident and Emergency Nursing — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Ohio Medicaid Patients Have Shorter Cancer-Specific SurvivalOhio Medicaid Patients Have Shorter Cancer-Specific Survival

Medscape Medical News Headlines — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:01:59 +0100

Cancer patients on Medicaid die sooner of their disease than people with private or no insurance, data from Ohio show. Reuters Health Information (Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines)

Health Reform After 2014: Not - so - Universal Coverage

News stories via the Rural Assistance Center — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0100

American Medical News article reports that the national health system reform law is expected to reduce the nation's uninsured population to what could be an all - time low, but even after the major reforms take effect starting in 2014, millions will remain without coverage, whether by choice or by circumstance. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)

The effect of national health insurance on mortality and the ses–health gradient: evidence from the elderly in taiwan

Health Economics — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

ABSTRACTUsing the difference‐in‐difference‐in‐differences method, we examine the effect of the National Health Insurance (NHI) on mortality, self‐assessed health, and functional limitations of the elderly and seek to determine whether the effect is spread equally across health classes. We find that the NHI only has an effect on the death hazard, and it is the least healthy who benefit the most. The death hazard falls by 16–48% and 3–9% for the least health and the healthiest, respectively. The decline in the hazard ratio for the least healthy among the uninsured is 58% greater than that of their counterparts among the insured. Moreover, female participants benefit more from the NHI than male participants. We find no significant effect of the NHI in the SES–health gradient e...

Uninsured in U.S. turn to daily deal sites for health care

CTV Health — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:43:19 +0100

The last time Mark Stella went to the dentist he didn't need an insurance card. Instead, he pulled out a Groupon. (Source: CTV Health)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Health reform after 2014: Not-so-universal coverage

American Medical News - GOVERNMENT — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0100

About 20 million people are expected to remain uninsured even after the major coverage expansions of the law kick in. Who will these people be? (Source: American Medical News - GOVERNMENT)

Use of Inpatient Imaging Services by Persons Without Health Insurance

Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Because insurance status does not seem to significantly influence the quantity or value of imaging services received by hospital inpatients who receive imaging, efforts to assist uninsured patients with imaging needs would be better directed elsewhere than the hospital inpatient setting. (Source: Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR)

Imaging and Insurance: Do the Uninsured Get Less Imaging in Emergency Departments?

Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: These results suggest that insurance status influences how much imaging and the intensity of imaging patients receive. Further research is needed to understand whether insured patients receive unnecessary imaging or if uninsured and Medicaid patients receive too little imaging. (Source: Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR)

Health Insurance Status, Medical Debt, and Their Impact on Access to Care in Arizona: Herman PM, Rissi JJ, Walsh ME. Am J Public Health 2011;101:1437–43.

The Journal of Emergency Medicine — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

This study used data from the 2008 Arizona Health Survey to create logistic regression models examining how health insurance status affected medical debt and access to care among 2368 Arizona residents aged 18–64 years. Medical debt was defined as individuals who were having problems paying or were currently paying medical bills. Access to care was defined by delayed or missed medical care or medications due to cost or lack of insurance. The authors found that an individual's current insurance status was not an independent predictor of their medical debt. Importantly, however, individuals who had insurance at the time of the survey but were uninsured at some time during the preceding year (inconsistent coverage) had the highest measures of medical debt. These individuals had an adjusted ...

Ohio Medicaid patients have shorter cancer-specific survival

Modern Medicine — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Cancer patients on Medicaid die sooner of their disease than people with private or no insurance, data from Ohio show. (Source: Modern Medicine)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Ohio Medicaid cancer patients survive less time

Reuters: Health — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 22:21:12 +0100

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Cancer patients on Medicaid survive less time after their diagnosis than people with private or no insurance, data from Ohio show. (Source: Reuters: Health)

Uninsured turn to Groupon for health care

Health News: CBSNews.com — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:28:35 +0100

Daily deal sites are increasingly moving beyond little luxuries and helping people fill holes in health insurance coverage (Source: Health News: CBSNews.com)

Factors Influencing Healthcare Utilization Within a Free Community Clinic

Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 07:08:05 +0100

Abstract The purpose was to explore the relationship between the presence of a free community clinic and factors associated with utilization of healthcare through a secondary data analysis. Using a descriptive correlational design, results were analyzed to explore relationships between potential utilization of healthcare, identification of a regular source of healthcare, and health insurance status. Most subjects would not seek healthcare if the free community clinic was not available. Subjects with health insurance were significantly more likely to have a regular source of healthcare and seek healthcare in the absence of the free community clinic. Subjects with a regular source of healthcare were significantly more likely to seek healthcare in the absence of the free comm...

Trends in Preventive Asthma Medication Use Among Children and Adolescents, 1988-2008

PEDIATRICS — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Between 1988 and 2008, the use of PAM increased among children with current asthma. Non-Hispanic black and Mexican American children, adolescents aged 12 to 19 years, and uninsured children with current asthma had lower use of PAM. (Source: PEDIATRICS)

BadgerCare receives $24.5 million bonus

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:25:02 +0100

Wisconsin received a $24.5 million “performance bonus” from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, recognizing the state’s success in covering uninsured children. To qualify for these bonus payments, states had to surpass a specified Medicaid enrollment target. They also must adopt procedures that improve access to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), making it easier for eligible children to enroll and retain coverage. Wisconsin is one of 23 states to share over $296 million in Federal performance bonuses this year... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

ManagementPlus contributes $140,000 in EHR software to People’s Health Clinic in Park City

Healthcare IT News Press Releases — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:34:51 +0100

More than 9,000 office visits to the People’s Health Clinic (PHC) in Park City, Utah, in 2012 will use the latest in Electronic Health Record (EHR) technology, thanks to a holiday donation of $140,000 in practice management software from ManagementPlus. ManagementPlus’ EHR 5.0 software will now assist the clinic’s staff and volunteer doctors in providing care to uninsured patients in Utah’s Summit and Wasatch counties. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Press Releases)

Need a Pap Smear, But Don't Have Insurance?

About.com Cancer — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 16:48:58 +0100

Thanks to federal programs, no woman in the U.S. has to go without having a regular Pap smear. The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program provides free or low cost Pap smears to eligible women across the country. Through this program, uninsured and impoverished women can receive Pap smears at local clinics and doctor's offices....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Cancer)

Disparities in the allocation of treatment in advanced ovarian cancer: are there certain patient characteristics associated with nonstandard therapy?

Obstetrics and Gynecology — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 10:52:32 +0100

CONCLUSION: : In this large multi-institutional cohort, approximately 47% of patients with stage IIIC and IV ovarian cancer did not receive standard treatment. Pretreatment patient characteristics such as race, insurance status, age, Charlson comorbidity score, and facility type were associated with nonstandard treatment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: : II. PMID: 22183213 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Interactive web-based mapping: bridging technology and data for health

International Journal of Health Geographics — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The system features query on the fly technology, which means the data is not generated until the query is provided to the system. This allows users to interact in real-time with the databases and generate customized reports and maps. To the author's knowledge, the Breast Health Portal and Project Safety Net are the first local-scale interactive online mapping interfaces for public health data which allow users to control the data generated. For example, users may generate breast cancer incidence rates by Census tract, in real time, for women aged 40-64. Conversely, they could then generate the same rates for women aged 35-55. The queries are user controlled. (Source: International Journal of Health Geographics)

The Texas Health Care Landscape

Rural publications via the Rural Assistance Center — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:07:56 +0100

Overview of the demographics, population health, the uninsured and Medicaid in the State of Texas. -- Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (Source: Rural publications via the Rural Assistance Center)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

The California Health Care Landscape

Rural publications via the Rural Assistance Center — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:02:07 +0100

Overview of the demographics, population health, the uninsured and Medicaid in the State of California. -- Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (Source: Rural publications via the Rural Assistance Center)

Medicaid Enrollment: December 2010 Data Snapshot

Rural publications via the Rural Assistance Center — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:38:06 +0100

Shows enrollment in Medicaid programs nationally is 51.5 million. Discusses factors including economic changes, uninsured children, policy changes, and eligibility. -- Kaiser Family Foundation (Source: Rural publications via the Rural Assistance Center)

Uninsured child population shrinks by 1 million

American Medical News — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0100

But state budget officers predict that Medicaid and other spending will continue to outpace state revenue growth. (Source: American Medical News)

Concentration of hospital care for acute sickle cell disease‐related visits

Pediatric Blood and Cancer — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

ConclusionsAdults and patients with public insurance or no insurance are more likely to use multiple hospitals for acute care. By receiving acute care at multiple hospitals, patients with SCD experience dispersed and fragmented care potentially leading to decreased care quality. Pediatr Blood Cancer © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Pediatric Blood and Cancer)

CMS Approves Hospital Medicaid Waiver

Blogged_Arteries — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:00:00 +0100

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved a waiver that the state Health and Human Services Commission says allows Texas "to expand Medicaid managed care while preserving hospital funding, provides incentive payments for health care improvements, and directs more funding to hospitals that serve large numbers of uninsured patients." The waiver means Texas will continue receiving federal funds while expanding Medicaid managed care. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

The Effect of Community Uninsurance Rates on Access to Health Care

Health Services Research — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

ConclusionsChanges in rates of insurance coverage are likely to affect access to care for both previously and continuously uninsured. In contrast with earlier studies, there is no evidence of spillover effects on the insured, suggesting that such policy changes may have little effect on access for those who are already insured. (Source: Health Services Research)

Health Care Access and Use Among the Rural Uninsured (Policy Brief)

Rural publications via the Rural Assistance Center — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:49:38 +0100

Examines access to care and service use among non-elderly, uninsured rural and urban residents compared to each other and to their insured counterparts. -- Maine Rural Health Research Center (Source: Rural publications via the Rural Assistance Center)

IBC Foundation Supports Gwynedd-Mercy College Health Clinic Through Blue Safety Net

Medical News (via PRIMEZONE) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:00:00 +0100

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 13, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Independence Blue Cross Foundation has awarded a $50,000 Blue Safety Net grant to Gwynedd-Mercy College Adult Health Center, which serves 3,000 people from Montgomery, Bucks, Lehigh, and Philadelphia counties -- most of whom are uninsured. (Source: Medical News (via PRIMEZONE))

Using time as currency can help practices care for the uninsured

American Medical News - BUSINESS — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Practice Management - A column about keeping your practice in good health (Source: American Medical News - BUSINESS)

Racial, Ethnic And Insurance Disparities Revealed In Post-Hospital Care After Trauma

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:00:00 +0100

According to the results of a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, African-Americans, Hispanics and uninsured patients use fewer post-hospitalization services after traumatic injury, including home health care, skilled nursing care, and rehabilitation. Notably, the authors found African-American patients fell short of post-hospital care in only a few categories, while disparities were highest among the Hispanic population... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Hawaii health insurance exchange hires executive director

bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:33:06 +0100

Hawaii's first health insurance exchange established under the federal health-care reform law has hired Coral Andrews as its first executive director. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that Andrews, who was previously vice president of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii trade association, told a health forum Tuesday that the Hawaii Health Connector will help to reduce the number of uninsured in Hawaii from 8 percent to less than 5 percent over the next 10 years. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines)

Racial, ethnic and insurance disparities revealed in post-hospital care after trauma

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Weber Shandwick Worldwide) According to the results of a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, African-Americans, Hispanics and uninsured patients use fewer post-hospitalization services after traumatic injury, including home health care, skilled nursing care, and rehabilitation. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Disparities in Provision of Transplant Information Affect Access to Kidney Transplantation

American Journal of Transplantation — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Recently Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) began asking providers on Form‐2728 whether they informed patients about transplantation, and if not, to select a reason. The goals of this study were to describe national transplant education practices and analyze associations between practices and access to transplantation (ATT), based on United States Renal Data System (USRDS) data from 2005 to 2007. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with not being informed about transplantation, and modified Poisson regression to examine associations between not being informed and ATT (all models adjusted for demographics/comorbidities). Of 236 079 incident end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, 30.1% were not informed at time of 2728 filing, for reason...

More Children Using Preventive Asthma Drugs: Study

Pharmacy News - Doctors Lounge — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0100

Minorities and uninsured had lower use of these medications, researchers say (Source: Pharmacy News - Doctors Lounge)

More Children Using Preventive Asthma Drugs

MedlinePlus Health News — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0100

Minorities and uninsured had lower use of these medications, researchers say Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Page: Asthma in Children (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Improving Coverage For Children Under Health Reform Will Require Maintaining Current Eligibility Standards For Medicaid And CHIP [Coverage Of Kids & Families]

Health Affairs — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

When the Affordable Care Act of 2010 is fully implemented, it will extend health insurance coverage to many adult Americans who currently lack it. It is not known, however, how the health reform legislation will affect children and parents who would otherwise be uninsured. Based on our analysis, the Affordable Care Act has the potential to cut the number of uninsured children by about 40 percent, from 7.4 million to 4.2 million, and the number of uninsured parents by almost 50 percent, from 12.7 million to 6.6 million. However, the actual impact will depend on increasing the share of children and parents who are enrolled in public coverage and on other implementation outcomes. Most strikingly, if the requirement that states continue their Medicaid and Children...

Ohio Study Shows That Insurance Coverage Is Critical For Children With Special Health Care Needs As They Transition To Adulthood [Coverage Of Kids & Families]

Health Affairs — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

This study demonstrates that continuous and adequate health insurance is vital to the continued well-being of children with special health care needs as they transition to young adulthood. (Source: Health Affairs)

Dermatologic Health Disparities

Dermatologic Clinics — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:37:24 +0100

Although significant data highlight the extent of health disparities, data regarding dermatologic health disparities are limited. Ethnic minorities, people of low socioeconomic status, the less educated, elderly, and uninsured have poorer melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer outcomes. Atopic dermatitis is more prevalent among ethnic minorities, but whether morbidity is also increased in these populations is unclear. Given the current dermatology workforce shortage, increased patient load from health care reform may have an adverse effect on access to dermatologic care. Additional concerns include status of dermatologic training, insufficient research involving ethnic minorities, and lack of investigation of dermatologic health disparities. (Source: Dermatologic Clinics)

Editorial Comment

Urology — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Urologists are coming under close scrutiny by third-party payers and the government for their ownership of ancillary services, including laboratory services such as blood work and pathology, imaging equipment, treatment facilities including surgicenters, lithotripters, and intensity-modulated radiation therapy. These relationships have not gone unnoticed in the lay press and are frequently recounted on the front pages of the nation's more prominent newspapers. In this article, Hollingsworth and colleagues at the University of Michigan looked at whether urologist investment in lithotripters in the state of Michigan changed practice patterns, specifically with regard to ureteroscopy (URS) and shock wave lithotripsy (SWL). The authors queried the state's ambulatory surgery database to perform...

System Dynamics and Dysfunctionalities: Levers for Overcoming Emergency Department Overcrowding

Academic Emergency Medicine — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2011; 18:1255–1261 © 2011 by the Society for Academic Emergency MedicineAbstractOvercrowding of U.S. emergency departments (EDs) is a widely recognized and growing problem. This presentation offers the perspectives of a primary care physician (PCP) examining the problem at three levels: global health policy, quality process improvement, and more intimate clinical caring. It posits that ED overcrowding is actually a symptom of 10 more fundamental problems in U.S. health care and EDs: variations/supply‐demand mismatch; primary care provider shortfalls; limited after‐hours access; admission throughput challenges; clinical challenges related to discontinuity patients; clinical challenges related to those with special needs; interruptions; testing logistical c...

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

System dynamics and dysfunctionalities: levers for overcoming emergency department overcrowding.

Accident and Emergency Nursing — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Schiff GD Abstract ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2011; 18:1255-1261 © 2011 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine ABSTRACT: Overcrowding of U.S. emergency departments (EDs) is a widely recognized and growing problem. This presentation offers the perspectives of a primary care physician (PCP) examining the problem at three levels: global health policy, quality process improvement, and more intimate clinical caring. It posits that ED overcrowding is actually a symptom of 10 more fundamental problems in U.S. health care and EDs: variations/supply-demand mismatch; primary care provider shortfalls; limited after-hours access; admission throughput challenges; clinical challenges related to discontinuity patients; clinical challenges related to those with special needs; in...

2 million Californians report mental health needs; most receive little or no treatment

UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:00:00 +0100

Nearly 2 million adults in California, about 8 percent of the population, need mental health treatment, but the majority receive no services or inadequate services, despite a state law mandating that health insurance providers include mental health treatment in their coverage options, a new report by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research shows. The report, which provides some of the first comprehensive data in recent years on the mental health of California's adult population, found that one in 12 Californians reported symptoms consistent with serious psychological distress and experienced difficulty functioning at home or at work. Over half of these adults reported receiving no treatment for their disorders, and about one-quarter received "inadequate" treatment, defined...

Health Highlights: Nov. 30, 2011

Primary Care News - Doctors Lounge — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:52:00 +0100

More U.S. Students Getting Free and Subsidized School Meals Former Players Sue NCAA Over Head Injuries Obesity Screening, Counseling Added to Medicare Coverage White House Appeals Ruling on Cigarette Warning Images Fewer Uninsured Children in U.S.: Report Michael Jackson's Doctor Sentenced to 4 Years in Jail Laptops' Wi-Fi May Damage Sperm: Study (Source: Primary Care News - Doctors Lounge)

Prescriptions Blog: States Receive Health Care Grants

NYT Health — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:45:48 +0100

The Department of Health and Human Services issued the funds as part of the planning to set up exchanges for health insurance coverage. (Source: NYT Health)

Study: Hispanic, Native American kids lag in health coverage

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:44:53 +0100

Georgetown University Health Policy Institute's Center for Children and Families found that just six states — Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, New York and Texas — account for more than half of the uninsured children nationally. Minnesota was the only state to lose ground in covering uninsured children. Thirty four states experienced a decrease in their uninsured rate from 2008-2010 despite a sharp rise in childhood poverty. Florida made the most progress in reducing the number of uninsured children over the three-year period, but it still has one of the highest rates and largest number of uninsured children in the nation, according to the report. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Disparities in bladder cancer

Urologic Oncology: Seminars and Original Investigations — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Abstract: Among men, bladder cancer is the fourth most common malignancy and ninth leading cause of death from cancer in the United States. In contrast, it is the 11th most common malignancy and 12th leading cause of death from cancer among women. The successful management of bladder cancer largely depends on its timely diagnosis and treatment. Unfortunately, barriers disproportionately delay detection and treatment for individuals with social, economic, and community disadvantages. This imbalance creates health disparities (i.e., differences in health outcomes that are closely linked to these disadvantages), which negatively affect vulnerable populations, such as racial and ethnic minority groups, those from lower socioeconomic classes, and the uninsured. To obtain a better understanding...

Prostate cancer survivorship: Lessons from caring for the uninsured

Urologic Oncology: Seminars and Original Investigations — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Abstract: Since 2001, UCLA has operated IMPACT: Improving Access, Counseling, and Treatment for Californians with Prostate Cancer (CaP). Funded by the California Department of Public Health, with a cumulative budget of over $80 million, the program provides comprehensive care for low-income, uninsured Californian men with biopsy-proven CaP. Health services research conducted with program enrollees, through the UCLA Men's Health Study, yields an opportunity to perform qualitative and quantitative assessments of patient-reported outcomes in these men, all members of historically underserved, primarily minority populations. This review summarizes data from several studies in which validated instruments were administered longitudinally in 727 participants, prospectively measuring health-relat...

Delegates back state flexibility on uninsured

American Medical News — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0100

States should have the choice to create insurance programs, but only if they maintain coverage levels mandated under the health reform law, the AMA says. (Source: American Medical News)

Prostate cancer survivorship: Lessons from caring for the uninsured.

Urologic Oncology — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Chamie K, Connor SE, Maliski SL, Fink A, Kwan L, Litwin MS Abstract Since 2001, UCLA has operated IMPACT: Improving Access, Counseling, and Treatment for Californians with Prostate Cancer (CaP). Funded by the California Department of Public Health, with a cumulative budget of over $80 million, the program provides comprehensive care for low-income, uninsured Californian men with biopsy-proven CaP. Health services research conducted with program enrollees, through the UCLA Men's Health Study, yields an opportunity to perform qualitative and quantitative assessments of patient-reported outcomes in these men, all members of historically underserved, primarily minority populations. This review summarizes data from several studies in which validated instruments were administere...

Disparities in bladder cancer.

Urologic Oncology — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Jacobs BL, Montgomery JS, Zhang Y, Skolarus TA, Weizer AZ, Hollenbeck BK Abstract Among men, bladder cancer is the fourth most common malignancy and ninth leading cause of death from cancer in the United States. In contrast, it is the 11th most common malignancy and 12th leading cause of death from cancer among women. The successful management of bladder cancer largely depends on its timely diagnosis and treatment. Unfortunately, barriers disproportionately delay detection and treatment for individuals with social, economic, and community disadvantages. This imbalance creates health disparities (i.e., differences in health outcomes that are closely linked to these disadvantages), which negatively affect vulnerable populations, such as racial and ethnic minority groups, tho...

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

The Men’s Health Forum: An Initiative to Address Health Disparities in the Community

Journal of Community Health — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:09:45 +0100

This article provides an explanation of the key components that have contributed to the success of the Men’s Health Forum, including challenges and lessons learned. It is intended that this information be replicated in other communities in an effort to eliminate health disparities. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original PaperPages 1-8DOI 10.1007/s10900-011-9510-3Authors Cathy G. Grant, Moffitt Diversity, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, MRC-CAN CONT, Tampa, FL 33612, USAJenna L. Davis, Health Outcomes & Behavior, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, MRC-CAN CONT, Tampa, FL 33612, USABrian M. Rivers, Health Outcomes & Behavior, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Driv...

The Addition of Internists to a Breast Health Program

The Breast Journal — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Abstract: With the increases in complexity of care for breast health concerns, there is a growing need for efficient and effective clinical evaluation, especially for vulnerable populations at risk for poor outcomes. The Breast Health Center at Boston Medical Center is a multidisciplinary program, with internists providing care alongside breast surgeons, radiologists, and patient navigators. Using a triage system previously shown to have high provider and patient satisfaction, and the ability to provide timely care, patients are assigned to either a breast surgeon or internist. From 2007 to 2009, internists cared for 2,408 women, representing half of all referrals. Women served were diverse in terms of race (33% black, 30% Hispanic, 5% Asian), language (34% require language interpreter)...

Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Screening Prevalence Among U.S. Women of Reproductive Age: Opportunities to Improve Screening

American Journal of Preventive Medicine — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:39:41 +0100

Conclusions: Most women received blood pressure screening, but many did not receive cholesterol screening. Universal healthcare access may improve screening prevalence. (Source: American Journal of Preventive Medicine)

Black Children at Greatest Risk of Death From Kidney DiseaseBlack Children at Greatest Risk of Death From Kidney Disease

Medscape Today Headlines — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:20:00 +0100

Uninsured black children with end-stage renal disease had a higher rate of death than white children; Hispanic children had a lower rate than either white or black children. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

AstraZeneca have announced the launch of a new Crestor [rosuvastatin] savings card for both insured and uninsured patients.

PharmacoEconomics and Outcomes News — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 18:01:00 +0100

(Source: PharmacoEconomics and Outcomes News)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Health Insurance Non-Benefit Expenditures Unnecessarily Excessive

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:00:00 +0100

The U.S. remains on track to spend twice as much for health care as for food, yet millions are without insurance or uninsured. "Health insurance premiums also continue to rise on average another 9 percent in 2011," says Merton Bernstein, JD, leading health insurance expert and the Walter D. Coles Professor of Law Emeritus at Washington University in St. Louis. "Medical care costs can change direction if policy makers stop whistling past a significant contributor non-benefit costs... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Uninsured US patients discharged quicker from hospital than those with health cover

the Mail online | Health — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:00:31 +0100

Research of nearly 850,000 patients revealed that those who were uninsured had slightly shorter average hospital stays than those with private insurance or Medicaid. (Source: the Mail online | Health)

Health Professional Shortage Areas, Insurance Status, and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study.

Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 01:21:02 +0100

Authors: Brown TM, Parmar G, Durant RW, Halanych JH, Hovater M, Muntner P, Prineas RJ, Roth DL, Samdarshi TE, Safford MM Abstract Abstract:Individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD) living in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) may receive less preventive care than others. The Reasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke Study (REGARDS) surveyed 30,239 African American (AA) and White individuals older than 45 years of age between 2003-2007. We compared medication use for CVD prevention by HPSA and insurance status, adjusting for sociodemographic factors, health behaviors, and health status. Individuals residing in partial HPSA counties were excluded. Mean age was 64±9 years, 42% were AA, 55% were women, and 93% had health insurance; 2,545 resi...

Uninsured hospital patients discharged sooner

Reuters: Health — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:23:45 +0100

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -- Uninsured Americans tend to be discharged from the hospital somewhat sooner than those with health coverage, regardless of the medical condition itself, a new study finds. (Source: Reuters: Health)

Uninsured Hospital Patients Discharged Sooner

MedlinePlus Health News — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:23:39 +0100

Uninsured Americans tend to be discharged from the hospital somewhat sooner than those with health coverage, regardless of the medical condition itself, a new study finds.Source: Reuters Health Related MedlinePlus Pages: Health Facilities, Health Insurance (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

News From The Annals Of Family Medicine: November/December 2011

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:00:00 +0100

Uninsured Patients Have Shorter Hospital Stays Patients without insurance have significantly shorter hospital stays than patients with insurance, raising worrisome concerns that hospitals may have increased incentive to release these patients earlier to reduce their own costs of uncompensated care... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Factors Associated With Triptan Use in Episodic Migraine: Results From the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention Study

Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions.— Less than 1 in 5 persons with migraine in the United States who were respondents to this survey used triptans for acute headache treatment over the course of a year. Several markers of severe headache, including disability and allodynia, were associated with increased triptan use. Groups less likely to get triptans included males, African Americans, older adults, and the uninsured. Predictors of use provide insight into groups with unmet treatment needs. (Source: Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain)

Interventions to Improve the Management of Medically Uninsured Adult Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Primary Care, Community-Based Settings

Western Journal of Nursing Research — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Western Journal of Nursing Research)

A 3-Year Supply of Spring Universal Infusion Set to be Donated to an Uninsured Family

Medical News (via PRIMEZONE) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 13:01:00 +0100

FORT LEE, N.J., Nov. 13, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spring Health Solutions Inc. (Spring) is pleased to announce, as part of the World Diabetes Day, a donation of a 3-year supply of its innovative Spring Universal Infusion Set and a $250 gift to Arden's Day's Untitled Giving Project, a project whose sole purpose is to put Insulin Pumps and Continuous Glucose Monitors in the hands of children that want but cannot afford them. (Source: Medical News (via PRIMEZONE))

Nurse-Led Clinics Show Success in Chronic Disease ManagementNurse-Led Clinics Show Success in Chronic Disease Management

Medscape Today Headlines — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:26:24 +0100

Clinics in areas with high numbers of uninsured people help patients with chronic illnesses to affordably reach benchmarks in diabetes and hypertension. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Disparities in Diabetes Self-management Education for Uninsured and Underinsured Adults

The Diabetes Educator — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions Findings of this study suggest that adults who are utilizing Medicaid or are uninsured do not get the amount, type, or quality of DSME needed to sustain successful self-management. Limited availability and inadequate access to quality DSME place vulnerable adults at increased risk for devastating and costly complications despite the known benefits. (Source: The Diabetes Educator)

Pilot Test of a Peer-Led Small-Group Video Intervention to Promote Mammography Screening Among Chinese American Immigrants

Health Promotion Practice — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

This study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and potential effect of a small-group video intervention led by trained Chinese American lay educators who recruited Chinese American women not up to date on mammography screening. Nine lay educators conducted 14 Breast Health Tea Time Workshops in community settings and private homes that started with watching a culturally tailored video promoting screening followed by a question-and-answer session and distribution of print materials. Many group attendees did not have health insurance or a regular doctor, had low levels of income, and were not proficient in English. Forty-four percent of the attendees reported receipt of a mammogram within 6 months after the small-group session, with higher odds of screening among women who had lived in...

Without The Individual Mandate, The Affordable Care Act Would Still Cover 23 Million; Premiums Would Rise Less Than Predicted [Web First]

Health Affairs — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Many policy analysts fear that eliminating the individual health insurance mandate and penalty from the Affordable Care Act of 2010 would lead to a "premium spiral," in which healthy people would drop coverage, premiums would soar, and the number of people with coverage would plummet. However, there are other provisions of the law that would greatly mitigate this effect. For example, the subsidies provided in the law to help people purchase coverage through health insurance exchanges would restrain a premium spiral by absorbing much of the impact of premium increases. We estimate that if the mandate were lifted, premiums in the individual market would increase by 12.6 percent—somewhat less than other estimates—with 7.8 million people losing coverage, versus other esti...

Lack of health insurance in living kidney donors

Clinical Transplantation — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Casagrande LH, Collins S, Warren AT, Ommen ES. Lack of health insurance in living kidney donors. Clin Transplant 2011 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399‐0012.2011.01558.x. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Abstract: Living donors are recommended to receive lifelong routine health maintenance after donation. There has been little examination of health insurance status among living donors, despite the fact that lack of health insurance is likely to impede donors’ ability to obtain long‐term healthcare post‐donation. We performed a retrospective chart review for all living kidney donors at our institution between 2004 and 2008 to determine insurance status, demographic, socioeconomic, and basic health characteristics. Twenty‐three percent of donors were uninsured at the time of donation. Od...

The Little Center That Could

RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

As Heather Budd tells it, Ray Lavoie, executive director of Blackstone Valley Community Health Care (BVCHC), which serves uninsured and under-insured patients, believes that a small, government-funded health center like Blackstone can provide care that equals or even rivals the care delivered by the private sector. (Source: RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Medicare Program; Part A Premiums for CY 2012 for the Uninsured Aged and for Certain Disabled Individuals Who Have Exhausted Other Entitlement

Federal Register updates via the Rural Assistance Center — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:04:09 +0100

This annual notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announces Medicare's Hospital Insurance (Part A) premium for uninsured enrollees in calendar year (CY) 2012. (Source: Federal Register updates via the Rural Assistance Center)

Developing DNP Expertise in using Social Media to Meet the Needs of Rural America

Clinical Simulation in Nursing — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Healthcare Reform, signed into law in March of 2010, mandated changes for how and where future health care will be delivered in the United States. A major concern is the ability of our healthcare system to accommodate and provide timely and affordable access for the 40 million uninsured Americans that will enter the health care system. For people living in rural areas, issues of access will be even greater. Technology has been identified as an important channel for providing care to many of these individuals. Nursing education programs are seeking strategies to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and comfort needed to utilize healthcare technology and thus enhance the care in such rural regions. (Source: Clinical Simulation in Nursing)

An Evaluation of Statewide Emergency Department Utilization Following Tennessee Medicaid Disenrollment.

Accident and Emergency Nursing — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The TennCare disenrollment of 2005 was associated with a modest decrease in the number of total ED visits in Tennessee. However, the payer mix among the Tennessee ED population shifted abruptly. The increased rate of ED visits by Tennessee's uninsured and the increased proportion of uninsured ED visits leading to hospital admission suggest an increased burden of illness in this highly vulnerable population. PMID: 22044504 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Accident and Emergency Nursing)

Predictors and Outcomes of Limited Resection for Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

JNCI — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions Evidence is statistically inconclusive but suggestive that lobectomy, compared with limited resection, is associated with increased long-term survival for early-stage lung cancer. Clinical, socioeconomic, and surgeon factors appear to be associated with the choice of surgical resection. (Source: JNCI)

Impact of insurance and hospital ownership on hospital length of stay among patients with ambulatory care-sensitive conditions.

Annals of Family Medicine — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS Patients without insurance have shorter lengths of stay for both ACSCs and non-ACSCs. Future research should examine whether patients without insurance are being discharged prematurely. PMID: 22084259 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Annals of Family Medicine)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

U.S. Uninsured Total Up Nearly 1 Million From 2009 to 2010

Clinical Endocrinology News — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Nearly 50 million people in the United States lacked health insurance in 2010, up almost a million from the year before, according to statistics released by the Census Bureau. (Source: Clinical Endocrinology News)

Characteristics Associated with the Initiation of Radiation Therapy after Breast-Conserving Surgery among African American and White Women Diagnosed with Early-Stage Breast Cancer in Maryland, 2000–2006

Annals of Epidemiology — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Socioeconomic disparities were identified in the initiation of RT after BCS in Maryland from 2000 to 2006. In addition, racial disparities in RT after BCS were apparent for women diagnosed from 2000 to 2003. Additional research is needed to investigate uptake of prescribed treatments after BCS and develop strategies for reducing barriers to obtaining treatments among patients at risk for incomplete cancer care. (Source: Annals of Epidemiology)

Uninsured Kids Unlikely to Get Asthma Diagnosis (CME/CE)

MedPage Today Allergy — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:43:00 +0100

(MedPage Today) -- Children with intermittent asthma symptoms are less likely to receive a formal diagnosis when they lack health insurance, but the same was not true for kids with persistent symptoms, researchers said. (Source: MedPage Today Allergy)

Challenges, Opportunities in Store for Safety Net ProvidersChallenges, Opportunities in Store for Safety Net Providers

Medscape Today Headlines — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:02:23 +0100

This report gives some details. The Nation's Health (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Policymakers Should Prepare For Major Uncertainties With Medicaid Expansion

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:00:00 +0100

The number of low-income, uninsured Americans enrolling in Medicaid under the expanded coverage made possible by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 could vary considerably from the levels currently projected by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), according to a new study by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers. They report that it's probably more realistic to say somewhere between 8 million and 22 million may enroll in Medicaid by 2014 instead of the 16 million predicted by the CBO... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

The Association of Health Insurance and Disease Impairment with Reported Asthma Prevalence in U.S. Children

Health Services Research — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

ConclusionBeing insured increases only the likelihood that a child with intermittent, not persistent, asthma symptoms will receive an asthma diagnosis and control medication, and it may not reduce acute care utilization. Although universal insurance may increase detection and management of undiagnosed childhood asthma, theorized cost savings from reduced acute care utilization might not materialize. (Source: Health Services Research)

Santa Ana Star Casino, Lovelace offer mammograms

bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:43:46 +0100

Women can get free or low-cost mammograms Oct. 29 at Santa Ana Star Casino in a joint effort by the casino and Lovelace Women’s Hospital. A mobile mammography unit will be in the casino parking lot from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 54 Jemez Canyon Dam Road. The unit is a partnership between Lovelace and Assured Imaging. Most insurance providers cover the cost of yearly mammograms, so for many participants the screenings will be free, said Lovelace officials. Women who are uninsured or underinsured can contact the New Mexico Department of Health’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection program to find out whether they qualify for no-cost mammograms... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines)

Interesting Correlation: Fast Food Founders and Longevity

Clinical Cases and Images — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:47:00 +0100

This article is horribly out of date (as in, it looks at WEST Germany), so take it for what it's worth, but the relationship between income and lifespan was least pronounced in Sweden and Norway, worst in the US and UK (and W. Germany, but let's ignore that all together). http://www.bmj.com/content/304/6820/165.full.pdfAre there more uninsured and under-insured than I would like? Absolutely. But I think you're looking at this upside down. Our ability to take care of the bottom of our society is undeniably poor. But the middle elements of society get good care. And I'm not even saying that this is the way things ought to be. But it's the way things are, and to say a minority of patients get good healthcare is inaccurate to me. I would fundamentally disagree that FEW people in the US get "go...

Policymakers should prepare for major uncertainties with Medicaid expansion

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(Harvard School of Public Health) The number of low-income, uninsured Americans enrolling in Medicaid under the expanded coverage made possible by the Affordable Care Act of 2010 could vary considerably from the levels currently projected by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, according to a new study by Harvard School of Public Health researchers. They report that somewhere between 8 million and 22 million may enroll in Medicaid by 2014 instead of the 16 million predicted by the CBO. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Without The Individual Mandate, The Affordable Care Act Would Still Cover 23 Million; Premiums Would Rise Less Than Predicted [Web First]

Health Affairs — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Got Insurance? [Health Agencies Update]

JAMA — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(Source: JAMA)

Kids' ER visits for psychiatric care inching up

Reuters: Health — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:20:09 +0100

BOSTON (Reuters Health) - Emergency room doctors are seeing more and more kids for mental health problems, and many of them are uninsured, researchers said at the annual conference of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Boston. (Source: Reuters: Health)

Home birth and the National Australian Maternity Services Review: Too hot to handle?

Women and Birth — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Many positive recommendations have come from the MSR, however the decision to exclude homebirth from these reforms is perplexing considering the large number of submissions describing the benefits of and barriers to homebirth in Australia. A concerning number of submissions discuss having had or having considered an unattended birth at home due to these barriers. Overall there is the belief that not enabling access to funded, insured homebirth in Australia is a violation of human rights. It appears that homebirth was considered by the MSR as ‘too hot to handle’ and by dismissing it as a minority issue the government sought to avoided dealing with homebirth as a ‘sensitive and controversial issue.’ (Source: Women and Birth)

UCLA volunteers provide free health care at clinic in dowtown Los Angeles

UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Scores of UCLA physicians, dentists and ophthalmologists are among the hundreds of doctors volunteering at the CareNow/LA clinic providing free health care to nearly 5,000 uninsured and underinsured people. More than 70 UCLA doctors in a variety of disciplines filled cavities, provided mammograms, completed cancer screenings, screened patients for glaucoma and cataracts, and donated many other services. The four-day clinic, which CareNow describes as the largest free health care clinic in the country, began on Thursday and will continue through Sunday, serving patients who waited in line earlier in the week to claim one of the coveted appointments. UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute will also provide free surgery to 10 patients, said Faye Oelrich, the program manager of the UCL...

UCLA volunteers provide free health care at clinic in downtown Los Angeles

UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:00:00 +0100

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Sick economy takes toll on Californians

FT.com - Drugs and Healthcare — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:32:51 +0100

Demand for basic medical care in the state soars, with more than 2.2m people in Los Angeles County alone uninsured (Source: FT.com - Drugs and Healthcare)

Patients Lost to Follow-Up After Metacarpal Fractures

The Journal of Hand Surgery — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Patients who do not attend a scheduled 1-month follow-up after a single isolated metacarpal fracture are sociologically distinct from those who do attend. Type of study/level of evidence: Prognostic IV. (Source: The Journal of Hand Surgery)

The Effects of Financial Pressures on Adherence and Glucose Control Among Racial/Ethnically Diverse Patients with Diabetes

Journal of General Internal Medicine — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 05:48:47 +0100

Conclusions While having health insurance coverage eliminated some of the financial barriers associated with having diabetes, low-income patients still faced significant financial burdens. Thus, providing health insurance to more individuals is only the first step towards eliminating health disparities. It is important to address medication cost in order to improve medication adherence and glucose control. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ResearchPages 1-6DOI 10.1007/s11606-011-1910-7Authors Quyen Ngo-Metzger, Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care and Health Policy Research Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USADara H. Sorkin, Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care and Health Policy Research Instit...

Expanding the Safety Net of Specialty Care for the Uninsured: A Case Study

Health Services Research — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

ConclusionsIncluding safety‐net providers, specialty physicians, hospitals, and community stakeholders in all steps of development allowed us to respond to potential barriers and implement a navigated care model for the uninsured. This process, whereby we integrated principles from CBPR, may be relevant for future capacity‐building efforts to accommodate the specialty care needs of other vulnerable populations. (Source: Health Services Research)

Clinical Trial Participation and Time to Treatment Among Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer: Does Age at Diagnosis or Insurance Make a Difference? [Clinical Trials]

Journal of Clinical Oncology — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusion Our study identified factors associated with low clinical trial participation in AYA patients with cancer. These findings support the continued need to improve access to clinical trials and innovative treatments for this population, which may ultimately translate into improved survival. (Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Increased Pediatric Emergency Department Visits For Psychiatric Care

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 07:00:00 +0100

Pediatric patients, primarily those who are underinsured (either without insurance or receiving Medicaid), are increasingly receiving psychiatric care in hospital emergency departments (EDs), according to an abstract presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in Boston. Researchers reviewed ED data, including patient age, sex, race, ethnicity, insurance status, and type of care received, from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, between 1999 through 2007... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

AAP: More Kids Going to ED for Psych Care (CME/CE)

MedPage Today Meeting Coverage — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 13:43:10 +0100

BOSTON (MedPage Today) -- More than half of all hospital psychiatry visits by underinsured pediatric patients came in through the emergency department, investigators reported here. (Source: MedPage Today Meeting Coverage)

Pediatric emergency department visits for psychiatric care on the rise

ScienceDaily Headlines — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:05:05 +0100

People With Mental Health Issues More Likely to Be Uninsured

The Doctors Lounge - Psychiatry — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Study cites less access to recommended care, poorer quality care (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Psychiatry)

Pediatric emergency department visits for psychiatric care on the rise

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(American Academy of Pediatrics) Pediatric patients, primarily those who are underinsured (either without insurance or receiving Medicaid), are increasingly receiving psychiatric care in hospital emergency departments, according to an abstract presented Friday, Oct. 14, at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition in Boston. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

People with Mental Health Issues More Likely to Be Uninsured

MedlinePlus Health News — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:00:00 +0100

Study cites less access to recommended care, poorer quality care Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Health Insurance, Mental Health (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)

Wake has lowest uninsured rate in the state

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:30:28 +0100

A higher percentage of Wake County residents had health insurance than in any other county in the state in 2009, the latest figures available, according to information released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday. In Wake, 13.9 percent of all residents under 65 years old did not have health insurance, the lowest percentage in the state. In Orange County, 14.2 percent did not have health insurance, the second lowest rate in the state. In Durham County, 17.7 percent of those under 65 did not have health insurance... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

Rural Washington collaborative building HIE

Healthcare IT News — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:27:14 +0100

Small and resource-poor, the Western Washington Rural Health Care Collaborative (WWRHCC), has shown it is not afraid to tackle - and complete - big projects, such as building an HIE from scratch and developing a telepharmacy system. WWRHCC, a nonprofit health network comprising 10 critical access hospitals (CAHs), serves some 288,000 residents who for the most part are elderly and uninsured, underinsured, or are Medicare/Medicaid beneficiaries. Display on Best Hospitals page: No read more (Source: Healthcare IT News)

Analysis of the Demographic Characteristics and Medical Conditions of the Uninsured Utilizing a Free Clinic

Journal of Community Health — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 05:48:05 +0100

This study adds to the literature by describing characteristics of a free clinic population and their medical conditions. This research can contribute to the improvement of a health care delivery system that is challenged in providing access to medical care by low-income and uninsured populations. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original PaperPages 1-6DOI 10.1007/s10900-011-9470-7Authors Stephen J. Notaro, Department of Kinesiology & Community Health, University of Illinois, 124A Huff Hall, MC 588, 1206 S. Fourth St., Champaign, IL 61820, USAMarium Khan, Department of Kinesiology & Community Health, University of Illinois, 124A Huff Hall, MC 588, 1206 S. Fourth St., Champaign, IL 61820, USANina Bryan, Department of Kinesiology & Community Health, University of Illinois, 124A ...

Curative-intent NSCLC surgery less likely at hospitals treating underinsured, uninsured

HemOncToday.com — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:17:00 +0100

Virgo KS. J Am Coll Surg. 2011;doi:10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2011.07.014. (Source: HemOncToday.com)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Commonwealth Fund releases framework for healthcare policy

CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:39:05 +0100

A new set of strategies was released in a report by the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a high-performance health system to help improve how the U.S. healthcare system serves the uninsured, low-income or members of racial and ethnic minority groups. (Source: CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives)

Improving Health Care For The Vulnerable - Uninsured, Low-Income, And Minorities In The US

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 07:00:00 +0100

A new set of strategies released by the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System could dramatically improve how the U.S. health care system serves vulnerable populations - those in the U.S. who are uninsured, low-income, or members of racial and ethnic minority groups... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Racial, Ethnic, and Insurance Status Disparities in Use of Posthospitalization Care after Trauma. - Englum BR, Villegas C, Bolorunduro O, Haut ER, Cornwell EE, Efron DT, Haider AH.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:10:04 +0100

BACKGROUND: Posthospitalization care is important for recovery after trauma. Disadvantaged populations, like racial or ethnic minorities and the uninsured, make up substantial percentages of trauma patients, but their use of posthospitalization facilities ... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

MedWorm: Uninsured

Variation in State Unintended Pregnancy Rates In the United States

The Effect of HIFA Waiver Expansions on Uninsurance Rates in Adult Populations

Safety Net EDs Meet Goals for Length of Stay (CME/CE)

Partnership and empowerment program: a model for patient-centered, comprehensive, and cost-effective care.

Images: States With The Most Uninsured

The impact of insurance status on outcomes after surgery for spinal metastases

Association of Emergency Department Length of Stay With Safety-Net Status [Original Contribution]

National Reporting of Emergency Department Length of Stay: Challenges, Opportunities, and Risks [Editorial]

Examining factors influencing patient satisfaction with nurse practitioners in rural urgent care centers

Doctor Exposes the Dangers of Overtreatment

TMAF Honors Medical Program, Clinics for Serving Patients

A Model for Treating the Uninsured

Lower Extremity Vascular Injuries: Increased Mortality for Minorities and the Uninsured?

Young breast cancer survivors face serious quality-of-life challenges

Community Health Centers Struggle to Meet Demand from Poor and Uninsured Patients

Creating Community Collaboration to Improve the Care of Patients With High Blood Pressure: Lessons From Rochester, New York

Affordable Care Act Litigation: The Supreme Court and the Future of Health Care Reform [Viewpoint]

Vision improves modestly in patients after human embryonic stem cells transplants

Vision improves modestly in patients after human embryonic stem cell transplants

Methethamphetamine fills hospitals with burn patients

Obama Health Care Overhaul Lags in States

Crude new meth recipe overburdening some U.S. hospitals

A snapshot of smokers after lung and colorectal cancer diagnosis

$1.6 million grant awarded to develop cervical cancer screening program for under, uninsured

Medicaid Program; Disproportionate Share Hospital Payments - Uninsured Definition

Insured Americans have healthier lifestyles than uninsured

Association Between Hospitals Caring for a Disproportionately High Percentage of Minority Trauma Patients and Increased Mortality: A Nationwide Analysis of 434 Hospitals [Paper]

Ethnicity, Insurance Status, and Hospitals Serving Predominantly Minorities: Comment on "Association Between Hospitals Caring for a Disproportionately High Percentage of Minority Patients With Trauma and Increased Mortality Due to Trauma" [Invited Critique]

The effect of cost on adherence to prescription medications in Canada.

Differences in Intra-Cranial Pressure Monitor Utilization and Subsequent Outcomes Between Insured and Uninsured Patients After Traumatic Brain Injury

Coakley Files Brief Backing Federal Health Care Law

ACA to Bring Influx of Diabetics to Medicaid (CME/CE)

VFC Program: Vaccines for Uninsured Children

Uninsured Receive Less ED Imaging, Similar Inpatient Imaging

In Hospital In-Patient Setting, Uninsured Receive Same Quantity, Value Of Imaging Services As Insured

Medicaid Expansion Under Health Reform May Increase Service Use And Improve Access for Low-Income Adults With Diabetes [Implications For Medicaid]

Uninsured receive same quantity, value of imaging services as insured in hospital, in-patient setting

Uninsured patients get less ED imaging

Social and Medical Vulnerability Factors of Emergency Department Frequent Users in a Universal Health Insurance System

Race, insurance influence treatment of advanced ovarian cancer

Social and Medical Vulnerability Factors of Emergency Department Frequent Users in a Universal Health Insurance System.

Ohio Medicaid Patients Have Shorter Cancer-Specific SurvivalOhio Medicaid Patients Have Shorter Cancer-Specific Survival

Health Reform After 2014: Not - so - Universal Coverage

The effect of national health insurance on mortality and the ses–health gradient: evidence from the elderly in taiwan

Uninsured in U.S. turn to daily deal sites for health care

Health reform after 2014: Not-so-universal coverage

Use of Inpatient Imaging Services by Persons Without Health Insurance

Imaging and Insurance: Do the Uninsured Get Less Imaging in Emergency Departments?

Health Insurance Status, Medical Debt, and Their Impact on Access to Care in Arizona: Herman PM, Rissi JJ, Walsh ME. Am J Public Health 2011;101:1437–43.

Ohio Medicaid patients have shorter cancer-specific survival

Ohio Medicaid cancer patients survive less time

Uninsured turn to Groupon for health care

Factors Influencing Healthcare Utilization Within a Free Community Clinic

Trends in Preventive Asthma Medication Use Among Children and Adolescents, 1988-2008

BadgerCare receives $24.5 million bonus

ManagementPlus contributes $140,000 in EHR software to People’s Health Clinic in Park City

Need a Pap Smear, But Don't Have Insurance?

Disparities in the allocation of treatment in advanced ovarian cancer: are there certain patient characteristics associated with nonstandard therapy?

Interactive web-based mapping: bridging technology and data for health

The Texas Health Care Landscape

The California Health Care Landscape

Medicaid Enrollment: December 2010 Data Snapshot

Uninsured child population shrinks by 1 million

Concentration of hospital care for acute sickle cell disease‐related visits

CMS Approves Hospital Medicaid Waiver

The Effect of Community Uninsurance Rates on Access to Health Care

Health Care Access and Use Among the Rural Uninsured (Policy Brief)

IBC Foundation Supports Gwynedd-Mercy College Health Clinic Through Blue Safety Net

Using time as currency can help practices care for the uninsured

Racial, Ethnic And Insurance Disparities Revealed In Post-Hospital Care After Trauma

Hawaii health insurance exchange hires executive director

Racial, ethnic and insurance disparities revealed in post-hospital care after trauma

Disparities in Provision of Transplant Information Affect Access to Kidney Transplantation

More Children Using Preventive Asthma Drugs: Study

More Children Using Preventive Asthma Drugs

Improving Coverage For Children Under Health Reform Will Require Maintaining Current Eligibility Standards For Medicaid And CHIP [Coverage Of Kids & Families]

Ohio Study Shows That Insurance Coverage Is Critical For Children With Special Health Care Needs As They Transition To Adulthood [Coverage Of Kids & Families]

Dermatologic Health Disparities

Editorial Comment

The Effect of HIFA Waiver Expansions on Uninsurance Rates in Adult  Populations