Highlighted Studies of the Week

News At A Glance

NationalFood and Drug Administration (FDA) puts pressure onelectronic cigarette company Juul– The FDA seized thousands of documents in the last few weeks in order to investigate the company’s marketing practices. Juul has come under heavy criticism due to the widespread use of its products amongst teenagers. Reports show that e-cigarette usage can become a gateway to smoking cigarettes. Moreover, the high concentration of nicotine can be harmful to brain development. The FDA issued a 60-day notice that requires e-cigarette manufacturers to develop strategies to prevent underage use of the devices. Educators concerned that industry-set guidelines for minimum security standards for schools could reroute necessary funding for bullying-prevention programs– The school safety fortification industry became more active in pushing safety products for schools after the Parkland shootings. Some industry experts admitted that schools have been sold overpriced equipment. The new push to develop minimum requirements for school safety products has translated into legislation in some states. Some educators have expressed concern that such demands may siphon funds used for proven intervention methods like mental health care. North American Free Trade Agreement’s (NAFTA) new clause to provide biologic makers with patent protection for 10 years is worrisome for Canadians– For Canada, this deal would delay the entrance of generics into the market by two years, thereby reducing competition and keeping prices high. More than 100 members of the House are requesting the Secretary of State to reinstate information about access to contraception and abortion across the globe in the annual human rights report– This section was removed altogether while a section regarding gender-based violence was shortened. The representatives, all from the Democratic Party, are urging the secretary to reinstate the information that would allow for the government, as well as non-government organizations, to determine where to provide foreign aid.

October 10, 2018 | Issue 32

Health and Human Services‘ (HHS) Final Rule on Short-Term Health Plans

On October 2, 2018, the final rule for short-term health insurance plans went into effect:

• The 3-month cap has beenextended to up to 364 days and canbe renewed for up to 3 years.

• The plans will not be required tocover essential health benefits orpre-existing conditions.

The plans will differ based on each state. There are five states in which these plans are not allowed: NY, NJ, MA, RI, and VT.

1. Study from The Journal of the AmericanMedical Association (JAMA) found an18.4 percentage point increase inpatients reporting 5-star satisfaction ifpatients received an antibioticprescription during their visit asopposed to no prescription.

2. Study from The Commonwealth Fundfound that the Affordable Care Act(ACA) led to a 10 percentage pointdecrease in the number of uninsuredsmall business employees.

3. Study from JAMA found that theworst performing emergency medicalservices had 0 percent survival inpatients treated for cardiac arrestcompared to 30 percent survival ratesfor the best performing agencies.

4. Study from Health Affairs found thathospitals in the United States paid upto six times more for medical devicescompared to the UK, France, Italy, andGermany between 2006-2014.

Healthcare

California

Other States

Data indicates a nearly two-fold increase in asthma-related emergency room visits in some California counties compared to the average statewide rate– The statewide annual rate of emergency visits for asthma was 75 visits per 10,000 children in 2016. Fresno County had the highest rate with 143 visits per 10,000 children. The other counties with more than 120 visits per 10,000 children were Del Norte, Merced, Madera, and Imperial. The county with the lowest rate was Marin with 33 visits per 10,000 children. California’s mountainous terrain, large population, warm climate, and wildfires all contribute to the poor air quality. Another key factor has been the release of toxic dust into the air from the drying up of lakes. As a result, many schools are transitioning to in-door recess on days where the air quality is particularly harmful.

Bill requiring hospitals to develop a discharge process for homeless patients gets signed into law– The law will commence in July 2019 and is intended to curb the habit of “patient dumping.” Hospitals found in violation of this law could face penalties from the federal government or the California Department of Public Health. Hospitals will also be required to keep the relocation destination to a maximum of 30 minutes or 30 miles from where the patient was discharged.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) award $880,000 to Colorado, Hawaii, Kentucky, Montana, and New Mexico to start immunization pilot programs– For the next three years, these states will focus on improving vaccination rates amongst low-income children and pregnant women through developing Medicaid immunization registries. The goal is to use the data to identify and address potential gaps that are disproportionately affecting certain populations. Health insurance premiums for those in the individual market will decrease by 27 percent in some parts of Minnesota– The state spends nearly $550 million on reinsurance programs. The 2019 premiums are expected to decline, but the percentage will depend on the insurance carrier. The Minnesota Commerce Commissioner expects that premiums may decrease by more than $500 a month for a family of four in Rochester, MN. The uninsured rate, however, increased by 0.3 percentage points between 2016 and 2017. Moreover, the small group markets (2-50 full-time employees) are expected to experience up to a 12 percent increase in premiums in the state. Puerto Rico finally receives a mobile dialysis unit for patients on the island of Vieques– After more than one year since Hurricane Maria, hundreds of Puerto Ricans are still suffering from various health issues due to a dire lack of access to proper healthcare. Last week, the island received a $3 million unit from the US government. Before this, patients were being flown to the main island for dialysis treatment three times a week. The trips have put a strain on those with kidney failure, and five dialysis patients passed away as a result. Office of the Inspector General finds nearly $590,000 worth of erroneous payments in Wisconsin Medicaid program– The state’s Medicaid program paid managed care organizations nearly $590,000 in monthly capitation payments on behalf of patients who had already passed away between 2010 and 2015. The state was advised to ask the organizations to return the funds. Utah lawmakers and Mormon church strike deal to gain control of a medical marijuana ballot initiative– The governor plans to call a special session to legalize medical marijuana in the state after the November elections. This bill will have limitations in place to curb the ballot initiative if it passes. It would also ensure the legalization of medical marijuana if the initiative does not pass. Two flu-related deaths have already occurred in North Carolina as flu season commences– The CDC issued a recommendation to receive flu vaccinations by the end of October for all people above the age of 6 months.

25% Percentage of patients who utilized virtual health services. This number was based on 2,301 individuals surveyed for the 2018 Consumer Survey on Digital Health Report. 74% reported experience satisfaction.

Oral Health

Hunger as a Health

Issue

Mental/Behavioral

Health

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Newsbytes Relevant to Our Strategic Priorities

An international organization is uncovering alternative food sources in efforts toend food insecurity– The organization Crop Trust has invested in millions of seeds for various edible plant species, and some of the crops are drought-tolerant. The organization is pushing for the use of these edible plants into everyday cooking through partnerships with local restaurant chains.

Healthcare-related Survey Data

To bring focus to our work, the Institute for Health Policy and Leadership has identified three strategic priorities: oral health, mental health and hunger as a health issue. This segment highlights news articles relevant to these priorities.

CDC According to a CDC survey of nearly 10,000 individuals between 2013-2016, 1 in 3 adults (85 million people) in the US eats fast food on any given day.

KFF

According to a Kaiser Family Foundation 2018 survey, tele-medicine adoption rates for enrollees in large employer health plans are low (0.52 percent in urban areas and 0.41 percent in rural areas) despite a 47 percentage point increase in the proportion of employers offering plans that cover it.

ACEP According to a marketing General Incorporated poll that was presented at the American College of Emergency Physicians annual meeting, 47 percent of emergency room physicians reported that they had been physically assaulted during their job.

Harsh conditions at immigration detention facility in California are detrimental for the mental health of those placed in them– After five suicide attempts in eight months, the Department of Homeland Security investigated the Adelanto facility and determined that the facility had violated the national detention standards. Detainees created nooses out of bedsheets and were being subjected to using the string from their socks in place of floss. Some detainees are falling into depression because they are poor and unable to afford phone calls to family members.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded New York University’s College of Nursing with a $3.47 million grant to address oral health care for people with dementia– The five-year grant will be used to fund a randomized control trial to determine whether an intervention that brings awareness to family caregivers and dementia patients who live at home will improve oral health outcomes for these patients.