Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Arizona largest pediatric health system, quietly discontinued part of its gender-affirming care program for patients under 19, following an executive order signed last week by President Donald Trump. Previous announcements focused on LGBTQ+ health equity and inclusion have vanished from the websites of both...
At the direction of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Department of Health and Human Services was asked to scrub its website of all references to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and gender identity.
The OPM memo said it was implementing two of President Donald Trump's executive orders, "Defending Women from Gender...
"U.S. children are not well." A new report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine argues America faces "grave economic, social and health-related risks" as child health and well-being scores lag behind other industrialized countries. The report identified five goals and four key levers of change to set America...
Accountable care organizations (ACOs) and their practices have taken on the full focus of Medicare's value-based care initiatives through the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and the ACO Realizing Equity, Access and Community Health (ACO REACH) programs.
A new study published in the JAMA Health Forum looks at survey results from...National News
Last week, the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published an issue brief on the changes over time in the demographics of Marketplace insurance coverage.
The brief, Marketplace Enrollee Demographics, Plan Generosity, and Plan Premiums in HealthCare.gov...
From neonatal and primary care to emergency medicine and surgery, the quality of healthcare received by racial and minority ethnic children in the U.S. is almost universally worse compared to their white peers, according to new findings from scientists at Northwestern University, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago...
In November, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) Model.
The AHEAD Model is intended to cut costs for states and improve overall patient health while advancing health equity, according to...National News
More than 12.5 million Medicare Advantage dual-eligibles are in the market; two-thirds are seniors age 65 and older (6 out of 10 are women) whose incomes and assets qualify them for Medicaid. The remaining duals are adults under age 65 with disabilities.
The guidance published in December 2023 is designed to equip advocates and...National News
The joint commitment among the five founding members aims to leverage learned lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic response into actionable strategies that will strengthen the partnership between healthcare and public health systems.
In March 2023, the Common Health Coalition (CHC) was formed by AHIP, the American Medical Association...
The LGBTQ community disproportionately experiences barriers to health care services, which lead to worse outcomes in both mental and physical health overall. This year, an Arizona conference on LGBTQ health and human services will focus on the promotion of best practices within health care in order to eliminate disparities for this...
On Wednesday, the Urban Institute published a report on federal anti-discrimination protections for people with disabilities in healthcare settings, workplaces and when applying for public benefits. Disabled people face greater barriers to access, service and equity than their able-bodied counterparts in many aspects of their...National News
A slew of changes will impact REACH ACOs including reduced beneficiary alignment minimums from 5,000 to 4,000 for new entrants along with a 10% beneficiary alignment buffer for all participants to provide more wiggle room for temporary enrollment fluctuations. The agency also announced changes this week to protect against inappropriate...
The first Medicaid redeterminations since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic have been underway in at least five states since the beginning of the month. Health advocacy groups are pressuring U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra to ensure that a "health equity and civil rights disaster" does not...
A crisis of mental health continues to grip the U.S. and Arizona, with a special focus on young people struggling with mental and behavioral health issues.
In Arizona, the patients with serious mental illness (SMI) at the Arizona State Hospital (ASH) may fall under the care of new management if a bill passes Arizona's legislature this...
Navajo County, Arizona is one of the least insured regions in the country, has poorly maintained infrastructure and a shockingly low-level of healthcare professionals to meet the needs of residents. Also, the private sector attempts to address health equity concerns.
According to data compiled by Modern Healthcare, Navajo County ranks...
The Arizona Senate's new Committee on Director Nominations rejected Governor Katie Hobbs's appointee for director of Arizona Department of Health Services, Dr. Theresa Cullen.
Dr. Cullen headed the Pima County Department of Public Health throughout the pandemic. Senator Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek), who leads the panel and the...
Last weel, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) announced the formation of the Rise to Health coalition with the American Medical Association (AMA) which intends to bring together healthcare organizations, health systems, and organizations to develop a cohesive approach to health equity in patient care.
Dr. Kedar Mate,...National News
When the largest payer defines health equity, people listen, but convincing clinical and policy leaders to develop strategies and make changes requires data, lots of it.
The Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) plan focuses on addressing inadequate sociodemographic and social determinants of health (SDOH) data because...
Last Friday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published the Roadmap for Behavioral Health Integration, which aims to boost pay parity and support for mental health care and substance abuse prevention services.
The HHS Roadmap was developed by the HHS Behavioral Health Coordinating Council and incorporated...
