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Cardiovascular health disparities persist in puzzling ways, studies find
Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, Nov. 11
Four research papers published this week make the case that people in different socioeconomic groups have differing health outcomes of concern. Among the findings: Cardiac care before delivery helped white but not Black mothers with preeclampsia – a finding that surprised researchers. Black veterans were less likely than white veterans to be prescribed weight loss drugs, and the gap was greatest for those with diabetes, the condition the drugs were originally approved to treat. Social needs kept heart failure patients from benefiting from all four types of therapy recommended by guidelines. Cardiology fellows gave mixed reviews to their programs’ efforts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Homicide found to be top cause of maternal death
Adriel Bettelheim, Axios, Nov. 13
Pregnant women or those who’ve given birth in the past year are likelier to be murdered than die from medical causes like preeclampsia or hemorrhaging, a new study in JAMA Network Open concludes. The findings show how maternal mortality can be influenced by state divorce laws and access to reproductive care, with individuals younger than 25 years and Black women at highest risk.
Yale study explores cultural challenges faced by CT breast cancer survivors who are women of color
Cris Villalonga-Vivoni, CT Insider, Nov. 9
A Yale study aims to highlight the stories of local women of color who have undergone a mastectomy for breast cancer, but didn’t undergo breast reconstruction. Barriers to post-mastectomy reconstruction can include cost, recovery time, and health conditions that can complicate reconstruction. Breast cancer diagnoses are rising, and Black women are more likely than white women to present with late-stage cancer, have higher recurrence rates and higher mortality rates nationally.
How health care could change in Connecticut under Trump presidency
Cris Villalonga-Vivoni, CT Insider, Nov. 11
A Trump presidency could dramatically shake up the world of health care locally and across the country, although much remains to be determined. Among the topics local experts are watching: who will hold key positions in the federal government, vaccine policy, reproductive health care, fertility care, the future of the Affordable Care Act, prescription drug prices, and health care for immigrants.
With ACA subsidies set to expire in 2025, millions of Americans stand to lose health insurance
Megan Cerullo, CBS News, Nov. 11
Millions of Americans may be at risk of losing enhanced subsidies that underwrite the cost of health insurance bought through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces, according to industry experts and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The 2021 American Rescue Plan Act increased financial assistance for people buying insurance and made that aid available to more people, but those changes will expire at the end of 2025 unless federal lawmakers take action. Experts say that is unlikely under President-elect Donald Trump and a Republican Congress. The CBO estimates that if the enhanced subsidies expire, 3.9 million fewer people will enroll in coverage through Affordable Care Act marketplaces in 2026. For now, the subsidy enhancements will remain in place through the end of 2025.