The rising cost of health care has become one of the largest sources of stress on American household budgets in the 21st century. More than one-quarter of Americans report problems paying medical bills in the past year, and many are sacrificing spending on basic necessities like food and clothing to pay medical bills. It’s no wonder that nearly 70% of Americans want lawmakers to make reducing health care costs a top priority.
But there’s a hidden piece of the cost conundrum. Not only are health care costs robbing families, they’re also robbing states of the ability to invest in the suite of vital community conditions which together have a powerful effect on health. Just as American household budgets are being squeezed, rising health care costs are forcing states to tighten their belts and spend less on conditions that should be necessities, such as stable incomes, good education, clean air and water, stable and affordable housing, and safe neighborhoods — all of which contribute to health.
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This analysis of California’s state budget from 2007 to 2018 finds that to ensure the long-term health of the state, California needs to eliminate health care waste and direct the savings toward increased funding for programs that improve community conditions—like public education, public health, housing assistance, food assistance, and income support.
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Half of the Indian Health Service budget is now managed by Indian tribes to various degrees. But while full control has worked out well for tribes with resources like the Eastern Cherokee, they are one of just a few bright spots in an otherwise dire medical landscape. It remains to be seen how widely this model can be applied.
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In a disturbing paradox, increased state spending on medical treatment may actually be leading to worse health conditions for Californians. Analysis of California’s state budget from 2007 to 2018 finds that health care spending has skyrocketed, leaving fewer dollars to fund programs and services that support health and prevent illness at the community level. As […]
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Precision medicine is the field of dreams for human health. Drugs and treatments that would take into account a person's individual DNA configurations, as well as lifestyle and environment, would presumably be better tailored to each person's needs. Still, while the goal of precision medicine is to help everybody, the current research available has a major flaw. It's largely based on the genes of people who are predominantly of white and European descent.
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How health care institutions can address social determinants of health, beyond just screening and referral.
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Is our health care system prepared to treat more behavioral health problems in younger people? So far, the answer is no.
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Much of the political discourse around health focuses on expanding access to health insurance. But how much does health care really matter for health?
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Solutions for increasing racial and gender equity in health care, from the Atlantic Pulse conference.
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Clinicians and public health experts are calling attention to the health risks and financial implications of widespread loneliness.
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At the Atlantic Pulse conference, health care experts proposed several "fixes" for the medical education system.
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A new study finds that trauma care is less accessible to residents of black-majority census tracts in certain cities, demonstrating another consequence of structural violence.
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Every state in America has at least one county in which there is no doctor. What's driving the shortage of physicians and what can we do about it?
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How can we increase access to primary care in underserved areas? How about meeting patients where they are?
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