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
Category Archives: Healthcare
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
Fast or For All? COVID-19 Vaccine Development
The United States, along with the rest of the world, has been pushing forward with full force on developing an effective COVID-19 vaccine. With 7 COVID-19 vaccine prospects in phase-three trials, and 17 in or having completed phase-two trials, [I] the idea of having a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year calls attention … Continue reading
How COVID-19 is Affecting Mental Health
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated several known risk factors for mental health issues, unsurprisingly causing a spike in symptoms of depression and anxiety and exacerbating existing mental health conditions. Such risk factors for mental health issues include, but are not limited to, uncertainty and fear of the future, economic instability, social isolation, physical inactivity, … Continue reading
