health policy

Americans have worse health than people in other high-income countries
01/11/2013 - 11:01

On average, Americans die sooner and experience higher rates of disease and injury than people in other high-income countries, says a new report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. The report finds that this health disadvantage exists at all ages from birth to age 75 and that even advantaged Americans—those who have health insurance, college educations, higher incomes and healthy behaviors—appear to be sicker than their peers in other rich nations.

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Black and Hispanic Patients Less Likely to Complete Substance Abuse Treatment than White Patients
01/08/2013 - 09:49

Roughly half of all black and Hispanic patients who enter publicly funded alcohol treatment programs do not complete treatment, compared to 62 percent of white patients, according to a new study from a team of researchers including the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Comparable disparities were also identified for drug treatment program completion rates.

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Disparities in Treatment of Children in the Emergency Department Based on Their Insurance Status
05/10/2012 - 07:13

In 2009, children with public insurance were three times more likely and children with no insurance were eleven time more likely not to have a primary care physician, compared with children with private insurance. Without a primary care physician, the Emergency Department (ED) often becomes the primary point of contact for treatments and diagnoses. A new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics reports that children with private, public, and no insurance may receive differing levels of treatment in EDs.

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Maryland Study Urges Workplace Policies to Prevent Postpartum Depression, Save Costs
03/10/2012 - 12:14

Employed mothers who suffer postpartum depression incur higher overall health care costs, according to a study led by Dr. Rada K. Dagher, assistant professor of health services administration at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. Dr. Dagher suggests that employers should create programs to prevent and address postpartum mental health issues, as this could result in health care cost savings and a healthier workforce.

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Study Finds Proposed Regulations Limit Working Families’ Access to Affordable Health Care
12/14/2011 - 08:33

Tens of thousands of working Californians’ family members could be denied access to affordable health insurance under proposed regulations to the federal health care law, says a new report released today (Tuesday, Dec. 13) by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Los Angeles.

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Health gap has grown among young U.S. adults, study finds
12/02/2011 - 15:21

Levels of health disparity have increased substantially for people born in the United States after 1980, according to new research.

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