A new Commonwealth Fund scorecard comparing state health system performance on women’s health and reproductive care reveals significant disparities across the U.S. In particular, researchers, Sara Collins, David Radley, Shreya Roy, PhD, Laurie Zephyrin, and Arnav Shah, find wide gaps between geographic regions and between racial and ethnic groups in deaths among women of reproductive age and in access to essential health services. The 2024 State Scorecard on Women’s Health and Reproductive Care is the Fund’s first comprehensive examination of women’s health care in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, based on the latest available data. Among the key findings: 📉 States with abortion restrictions have fewer maternity care providers. 📈 Rates of maternal deaths are highest in the Mississippi Delta region, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. 📊 Regional disparities in deaths of women of reproductive age are pronounced, with the highest death rates seen in the Southeast. The report raises concerns over the state of women’s health care and the ripple effects of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Its findings suggest that disparities could widen, with impacts experienced most acutely by women of color and women with low income who live in states that have restricted access to comprehensive reproductive care.
The Commonwealth Fund
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Affordable, quality health care. For everyone.
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The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation dedicated to affordable, quality health care--for all.
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http://www.commonwealthfund.org/
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Vice President, International Health Policy & Practice Innovations, The Commonwealth Fund | Co-Lead, Behavioral Health, The Commonwealth Fund | Driving Organization Transformation | Leading Health Care Innovations
It's been two years since the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision. The latest state scorecard by The Commonwealth Fund offers a baseline for evaluating the impacts of policy changes resulting from the ruling. Surveying data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the scorecard delves into the status of women's health and reproductive care in the U.S. The study uncovers concerning trends: States with restrictions tend to have fewer maternity care providers, with the highest maternal death rates observed in states with full bans. The research highlights that the gaps in women's health and reproductive care may widen in post-Roe America, particularly affecting Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native women, along with those with low incomes in states with limited care access. Learn more about these findings and their implications: https://buff.ly/3WswPsU #WomenHealth #WomensHealthCare #HealthPolicy
2024 State Scorecard on Women’s Health and Reproductive Care
commonwealthfund.org
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🤖 How Government Should Regulate AI in Health Care The regulation of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) devices in medical care poses unique challenges to policymakers, software developers, clinicians, and society at large. In their opinion piece for NEJM AI, former Commonwealth Fund President David Blumenthal, M.D., and Google’s Bakul Patel propose treating these tools — whose knowledge base dwarfs that of any human — more like clinicians, who must complete degree programs, pass licensing exams, and participate in continuing education. A similar system of training, testing, licensing, and supervision, the authors say, could be created for clinical GAI tools to ensure their quality and safety. Read the article to learn about potential approaches to regulating AI in “one of its most promising, critical, and sensitive applications: its use by clinicians in the direct care of patients.”
The Regulation of Clinical Artificial Intelligence
ai.nejm.org
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🌱 How Health Plans Can Help Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions While Advancing Health Equity Because of their enormous financial and policy influence, U.S. health insurers have a major role to play in reducing the health care sector’s substantial greenhouse gas emissions. On To the Point, Bryan O. Buckley, DrPH, MPH, MBA of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and colleagues discuss opportunities health plans have to: 💰 create financial incentives that reward providers for reducing their carbon footprint 💊 develop coverage policies that favor medications or procedures with low environmental impact 🏡 design environmentally friendly investment strategies 🖥️ promote primary care and prevention and leverage telehealth. The experts say the shift to more sustainable health care delivery will require investment and significant effort. Doing nothing, however, will lower the quality of care in already underresourced areas and “exacerbate inequities in the health of patients, the workforce, and communities.”
The Time Is Now: How U.S. Health Plans Can Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions to Save the Planet and Better Serve Patients
commonwealthfund.org
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On The Dose podcast, Dr. Joseph Betancourt discusses some of the biggest challenges facing U.S. health care, like rising costs, the dwindling primary care workforce, and the importance of remaining grounded in health equity.
Dr. Betancourt’s Blueprint for an Equitable Health Care System
commonwealthfund.org
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⚖️ Courts Delay New Regulations Targeting Discrimination in Health Care New federal regulations expanding provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that ban discrimination in health coverage and care are currently in limbo, pending the outcome of litigation. On To the Point, MaryBeth Musumeci of The George Washington University explains that the new regulations are intended to restore or expand: 🔘 gender identity protections that were reversed during the Trump administration 🔘 prohibitions that prevent health insurers from discriminating — for instance, canceling or refusing to renew coverage based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability 🔘 the definition of sex discrimination to include sexual orientation 🔘 access for people with limited English proficiency. It’s unclear when — or even whether — these new regulations will take effect. Just before the regulations’ effective date, three federal courts put various provisions on hold, with one order applying nationwide.
New Regulations Counter Discrimination in Health Coverage and Care but Are Delayed by Courts
commonwealthfund.org
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Nearly two-thirds of #primarycare physicians screen patients for social needs, yet only a third screen for financial security — a key worry for many low-income Americans.
How U.S. Health Care Providers Are Addressing the Drivers of Health
commonwealthfund.org
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While private equity firms have long had a foothold in the health care sector, recently there’s been a dramatic rise in acquisitions of physician practices, especially in specialties like dermatology, urology, gastroenterology, and cardiology. In many metropolitan areas, a single private equity firm owns more than half of the market for certain specialties. In this explainer, David Blumenthal, M.D., breaks down the changing role of #privateequity in #healthcare, and what it means for patients, providers, and purchasers. You’ll learn: ❓ Why private equity firms are investing in health care 📊 How private equity compares to other forms of ownership 🧾 How private equity affects health care costs, quality, and access 🔑 How policymakers and regulators are addressing key challenges.
Private Equity’s Role in Health Care
commonwealthfund.org
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As the U.S. grapples with rising caregiver demands and inadequate support systems, Bogotá’s innovative CARE System offers a successful model that integrates services to support unpaid caregivers. In this installment of International Insights, Munira Z. Gunja explores how targeted government action in Bogotá has improved caregiver support, and what lessons U.S. policymakers could draw from the CARE System.
Bogotá Takes Care of People Who Take Care of Others
The Commonwealth Fund on LinkedIn
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📉 Reducing Medicaid Churn and Keeping People Continuously Enrolled During the COVID public health emergency, Congress suspended Medicaid coverage renewals so people didn’t have to worry about losing their coverage. But since states resumed processing renewals, “churn” has rebounded, with many eligible adults losing their coverage only to later regain it. On To the Point, The George Washington University’s MaryBeth Musumeci reports on new federal regulations that seek to reduce #Medicaid churn. One of the changes will streamline renewal policies across enrollee populations, including people who qualify based on old age or disability. Another will provide safeguards against wrongful termination of coverage, such as allowing enrollees 30 days to dispute changes. While these reforms will help people stay enrolled, ensuring continuous eligibility for a year or more would further reduce churn and the administrative costs that come with it, Musumeci says.
Taking Action to Reduce Medicaid Churn and Keep People Continuously Enrolled in Coverage
commonwealthfund.org