Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: Options For Coverage Reform; Housing Codes; Medicare Payments; And More
Commonwealth Fund: Comparing Reform Options: From 'Building On ACA' To Single Payer
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has substantially reduced the number of uninsured Americans, increased access to care, reduced uncompensated care for hospitals and other providers, and largely eliminated discrimination against the sick in private health insurance markets. Still, significant problems remain: 30 million people in the United States remain uninsured, while many others are underinsured — meaning they lack adequate financial protection against high health care costs. (Blumberg, 10/16)
Urban Institute: Housing Codes Should Protect Public Health, Not Penalize Low-Income Homeowners
Two days ago, Vice published a story about Tamara Adrine-Davis, a resident of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, who is facing jail time because of housing code violations. Adrine-Davis, who is 57 and uses a wheelchair, hasn’t been able to raise the $8,000 needed for home repairs, such as fixing a step on her front porch. The story raises questions about housing code enforcement, which we studied in Memphis, Tennessee, last year. What are these codes meant to promote—the health of occupants and the public or community aesthetics? How do these codes vary from place to place? And who is affected by these codes and decisions about how to enforce them? (Stacy and Schilling, 10/9)
JAMA Internal Medicine: Trends In Medicare Payment Rates For Noninvasive Cardiac Tests And Association With Testing Location
In settings in which reimbursement depends on test location, increasing hospital-based payments correlated with greater proportions of outpatient NCTs performed in the hospital-based outpatient setting. Site-neutral payments may offer an incentive for testing to be performed in the more efficient location. (Masoudi, 10/14)
JAMA Internal Medicine: Gender Differences In Twitter Use And Influence Among Health Policy And Health Services Researchers
Ample research has documented the lower visibility and success of women compared with men in academic medicine. Against this setting, social media platforms such as Twitter offer academics opportunities to promote their research, network professionally, gain visibility, and, in turn, foster opportunities for career advancement. These opportunities are particularly critical in health policy and health services research, in which dissemination of policy-relevant research and engagement with health care decision-makers impacts academic influence, recognition, and promotion. Herein, we describe gender differences in Twitter use and influence among health services researchers. (Zhu, 10/14)
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation: Impact Of Shifting Immigration Policy On Medicaid Enrollment And Utilization Of Care Among Health Center Patients
On August 14, 2019, the Trump administration published a final rule to broaden the programs the federal government will consider in public charge determinations to include Medicaid coverage for non-pregnant adults and certain previously excluded nutrition and housing programs. (Tolbert, Artiga and Pham, 10/15)
The New York Times: Can Eating Red Fruits And Vegetables Lead To Healthier Sperm?
Can eating tomatoes improve sperm quality? In a randomized placebo-controlled trial, British researchers tested the effect on sperm of lycopene, a red pigment found in tomatoes, watermelons, pink grapefruits and other red-tinted fruits and vegetables. The scientists divided 56 men ages 19 to 30 into two groups. For 12 weeks, one group took a daily pill containing 14 milligrams of lactolycopene, a combination of whey protein and lycopene that makes the lycopene easier to absorb. (Bakalar, 10/15)
