Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Health Rankings Find Positive Trend Even As Sicker States Slip
Increases in drug deaths, obesity and diabetes offset national declines in smoking, deaths from heart disease and infant mortality, a new report shows, but some states' dramatic improvement brightened the overall picture. The 2015 version of America’s Health Rankings showed there was little progress among many of the poorest, sickest states, with some of the southern states – Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas – remaining at the bottom of the list. (O'Donnell and Ungar, 12/10)
More states improved than worsened over time on most measures examined in new health rankings out Wednesday — the first since the Affordable Care Act’s coverage expansions took effect. The Commonwealth Fund Scorecard on State Health System Performance looks at access to medical care, prevention and treatment of disease, avoidable hospital use and cost, healthy lives and health equity. (Ungar, 12/9)
Minnesota is the fourth-healthiest state, according to a new analysis of the nation's health. Minnesota moved up two spots from last year's America's Health Rankings report, in part because of decreases in smoking, cardiovascular deaths and physical inactivity. (Benson, 12/10)
Georgia’s ranking on a health system score card has slipped to 46th in the nation. The Commonwealth Fund’s 2015 score card, which ranked the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, was released Wednesday. It noted that Georgia had improved on 11 measures, including having more children and adults with insurance, and more children up to date on vaccines. Still, the state slipped from its ranking of 45th in 2014. (Miller, 12/9)
Though both showed improvements, Kansas and Missouri continue to rank in the bottom half of states on measures of health care access, quality, costs and outcomes, according to a new report by the Commonwealth Fund. Overall, Kansas tied for 28th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, and Missouri ranked 36th. Kansas improved on 10 indicators and worsened on one while Missouri improved on nine and worsened on one. (Margolies, 12/9)
Physicians’ efforts to make Texans more healthy lost steam this year as the state continued to score near the back of the pack on measures such as obesity and lack of activity, according to an annual study released Thursday. (Robinson-Jacobs, 12/10)
Meanwhile, physicians report that they are unequipped to treat the sickest Americans -
As America continues to age, many U.S. primary care physicians swamped by older patients fear that their practices are inadequate to fully treat and counsel the sickest and frailest patents, according to a new survey by the Commonwealth Fund. Nearly one in four primary care doctors – internists, family physicians, geriatric specialists and others – said their practices are not equipped to manage care for patients with multiple chronic conditions, such as heart and lung disease and diabetes, according to the study by the philanthropic and research organization. (Pianin, 12/9)
And another report examines risks faced by people with severe mental illness -
About one in four fatal police encounters involves someone with mental illness, according to the report, released Thursday by the Virginia-based Treatment Advocacy Center, which focuses on the needs of people with serious mental illness. The problem stems from a lack of police training, as well as a lack of treatment for those with serious mental illness, the report's co-author says. (Szabo, 12/10)
