Introduction As recently reported by the CDC, the number of states with obesity rates of 35% or higher has almost doubled in the past two years. In 2018, 9 states reported having obesity rates above 35%. In 2020, that number rose to 16 states reporting obesity rates above 35% with Delaware, Iowa, Ohio, and Texas … Continue reading
Category Archives: Healthcare
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
Introduction Artificial Intelligence (AI) has already begun to transform industries around the world and is continuously evolving in both the public and private sectors. AI has been shown to increase business productivity by up to 40% and is predicted to help grow the global GDP $15.7 trillion in total by 2030. In health care, AI applications are projected to improve outcomes by 30-40% and reduce treatment costs by nearly 50%. Despite these seemingly positive outcomes, the ethical and legal challenges of … Continue reading
Downstream Impact of Telehealth on Health Care Overuse
Telehealth exploded this past year and is expected to continue to make up a significant portion of health spending. Still, the overconsumption of healthcare remains a pressing concern in health policy, and it is important to consider how this new care model may combat or contribute to this issue. Patients receiving unnecessary or even potentially … Continue reading
What Lessons Have We Learned?
Introduction Debate over mishandling of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic may sound surprising when the world has been experiencing pandemics from as early as 3000 B.C., but as we enter April of 2021, the country is reportedly closer than ever to ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Proper sanitation and isolation are common methods in pandemic-response but may … Continue reading
Delayed Care Suggests Sicker Patients
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has shocked the healthcare system and changed the manner care is being supplied as well as demanded by patients. Over the past year, the United States has seen demand shifts for many health procedures as there is a widespread deferral of care, including patients missing recommended screenings as well as a … Continue reading
A Pandemic, a Plan, and Some Patience
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has left many with the impression that the United States does little public health planning, in general, and had no planned response to a pandemic, in particular. In fact, each decade the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) develops quantifiable objectives to target national heath deficits. The timing of the … Continue reading
The State of Nursing Homes: COVID-19 Accelerates the Shift to Home Health Care
Introduction What is the outlook for nursing homes and home health care industries? There has been a trend toward home health care and away from nursing homes in recent years. The former is less expensive and permits seniors to remain in the community, promoting better social health. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically accelerated these trends … Continue reading
Racial Discrimination and the Role it Plays in Vaccine Distribution
The thought of a COVID-19 vaccine is quickly working its way towards a reality. Attention is largely focused on distribution and whose responsibility that may be. All states have submitted their initial distribution plans to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One overarching concern among nearly each state is how to provide equitable … Continue reading
The Price of Health: A look into COVID-19 vaccine price plans
The Coronavirus pandemic has swept through America, and the rest of the world, at a rapid pace. There could be days, maybe even weeks, spent on speculation as to why this virus has not been controlled. Was it the President’s response? Was it the lack of supplies in health care facilities? Was it the sheer … Continue reading
I Have to Pay What? The Current State of Surprise Medical Billing
Health insurance is a beautifully, complex thing. Costs for healthcare often varies by the insurance plan. Some plans pay for every penny, while others are more selective in what is covered. However, in the grand scheme of things, when an individual visits a health facility, they can pretty much expect most of their costs to … Continue reading
