Children with asthma are substantially less likely to see an outpatient specialist if they have Medicaid rather than private health insurance, according to a new study. The study analyzed child-year observations in the Massachusetts All Payer Claims Database from 2014 to 2020. Researchers found that specialty care use was reported in 11.9% of publicly insured observations, compared to 20.6% of privately insured observations (P < 0.001). Despite children with Medicaid having higher rates of persistent asthma, disparities in specialist care by insurance type were even more striking in this group. Dr. Kimberley Geissler, lead author from the University of Massachusetts…
Author: Disparity Matters
Nearly half of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in Texas are foregoing routine healthcare due to cost concerns, according to a new survey by the Episcopal Health Foundation. The report highlights significant health disparities and barriers to care faced by this growing population in the Lone Star State. The survey found that one in five AAPI Texans struggle to pay medical bills when they do receive treatment. High costs, lack of affordable housing, and unreliable transportation were identified as key factors negatively impacting their health and access to care. Brian Sasser, chief communications officer for Episcopal Health Foundation, emphasized…
A large genetic study has uncovered new genes linked to breast cancer risk in women of African descent, potentially improving early detection and treatment for this underserved population. Researchers analyzed genetic data from over 40,000 women of African ancestry, including 18,000 breast cancer patients, in what is believed to be the largest such study to date. The findings were published May 13 in Nature Genetics. The study identified 12 genetic regions associated with breast cancer risk, including three linked to aggressive triple-negative breast cancer, which disproportionately affects Black women. Women carrying two copies of risk variants in all three regions were 4.2…
Conducting community health needs assessments to tailor health plans to better serve uninsured and underinsured individuals
Access to health care is severely limited in rural and reservation areas of South Dakota, exposing the fragility of the medical system in these regions. Recent disruptions in Sisseton, including the cessation of baby deliveries at the local public hospital and temporary unavailability of mammogram services at the Indian Health Service facility, highlight the precarious state of health care access. Sara DeCoteau, tribal health coordinator for the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate tribe, described the situation as a “maternity care desert.” The challenges extend beyond Sisseton, with similar issues reported in other rural areas like Bison. Significant health disparities persist between Native American and non-Native…
Black patients are significantly less likely to use telehealth services compared to white patients, exacerbating existing racial disparities in healthcare access, according to recent studies. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telehealth, but this digital solution has not benefited all communities equally. A study from JCO Oncology Practice found that while Black patients made up 43% of total patient visits at East Carolina University Health System, they accounted for only 29% of telehealth visits. Another study revealed that Black patients in New York City were 60% more likely to use emergency rooms for COVID-related care than telehealth, compared to 47%…
The federal Teaching Health Center (THC) Graduate Medical Education (GME) program, which trains primary care doctors in outpatient clinics rather than hospitals, is facing financial uncertainty. The program, established under the 2010 Affordable Care Act, relies on congressional appropriations for funding and will run out of funds at the end of December unless lawmakers vote to replenish its coffers. Dr. Diana Perez, a medical resident at the Family Health Center of Harlem, is one of the doctors being trained through this program. She has been based at this New York City health center for most of the past 3 years,…
Demand for and use of mental healthcare services increased slightly across adults in all demographics in the last decade, according to the American Psychiatric Association. But in the past three years, 50% of white adults reported receiving mental health services compared with 39% of Black adults and 36% of Hispanic adults. There are many reasons why people of color are less likely to seek and receive mental healthcare, from cultural stigma and a lack of diverse providers to high costs and geographical barriers, said Dawn Tyus, director and principal investigator of the African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence at Morehouse…
Helping youth in Chicago with mental health struggles
Individuals of Hispanic/Latino or African descent vs White individuals are at a higher risk for developing Alzheimer disease and related dementias. However, they are routinely underrepresented in clinical trials. In 2021, the FDA fast-tracked aducanumab (Aduhelm®) for approval as a treatment for Alzheimer’s, the first new FDA-approved treatment for the disease in over 20 years of research and development. The multinational clinical trials were designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of aducanumab, however, the population included extraordinarily low proportions of patients with African (0.6%) or Hispanic/Latino (3.2%) ancestry. Researchers published a systematic review of the literature in 2022 and included 101…