MeetCaregivers

A new international report from The Commonwealth Fund highlights that the U.S. health system continues to lag other countries significantly. Key findings: ?? People in the U.S. have the shortest life expectancy and the most avoidable deaths, among the 10 nations studied. ?? Americans face the most barriers to receiving quality health care and are more likely to report not having a regular doctor compared to other countries. ??? The U.S. and New Zealand rank lowest on health equity, with many lower-income people unable to afford care and experiencing unfair treatment and discrimination. Authors, David Blumenthal, Evan D. Gumas, Arnav Shah, Munira Z. Gunja, and Reginald D. Williams II, note that America's high marks in preventive care and patient safety show that with the right focus and investments, the U.S. can close the gaps in the health care system. Read the full report ??

I am posting an article from the RISE editorial desk that was written by the Kaiser Family Foundation regarding the unforeseen consequences of the unwinding of the Covid-era relaxation of Medicaid eligibility provisions. Unfortunately, there are serious consequences for thousands of people caught up in this process, and notably in this case, many of them are people with disabilities.

The Commonwealth Fund recently published a data-driven report on the healthcare disparities along racial lines in the U.S. that I highly recommend. It is entitled "Advancing Racial Equity in U.S. Health Care". Well worth the read. It comes with a boat-load of downloadable data, presentation slides, and more. Here is a leading paragraph describing their findings: Profound racial and ethnic disparities in health, well-being, and life expectancy have long been the norm in the United States. These disparities are especially stark for Black and AIAN people, who live fewer years, on average, than white and Hispanic people?and are more likely to die from treatable conditions, more likely to die during or after pregnancy and suffer serious pregnancy-related complications, more likely to lose children in infancy,?and are at higher risk for many chronic health conditions, from diabetes to hypertension. The COVID-19 pandemic only made things worse. Its disproportionate impact on Black, Hispanic, and AIAN people caused a sharper decline in average life expectancy since 2020 for these groups compared to white people.