Health equity
Sickle cell patients suffer discrimination, poor care — and shorter lives
Jenny Gold, Kaiser Health News, November 6
Sickle cell disease is “a microcosm of how issues of race, ethnicity and identity come into conflict with issues of health care,” said Keith Wailoo, a professor at Princeton University who writes about the history of the disease. It is also an example of the broader discrimination experienced by African-Americans in the medical system. Nearly a third report that they have experienced discrimination when going to the doctor.
Health care system
Paving the way to a patient-centered approach in health care
Marc Boutin, STAT, November 2
We once thought of disease and its treatments with a one-size-fits-all mindset. That’s changing, and not just because “personalized medicine” has become the buzz phrase of modern health care. A new era of research delivering truly patient-centered results is also providing individuals with the information they need to select the treatment that most closely meets their specific needs.
state budget
CT budget cuts program that helps low-income and disabled Medicare patients
Ana Radelat, The Connecticut Mirror, November 2
The two-year, bipartisan state budget signed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy this week will cut Medicaid help for at least 68,000 Connecticut seniors and disabled individuals, a change decried by doctors and health care advocates in the state.
Connecticut budget kicks low-Income families off Medicaid
Harriet Jones, WNPR, November 8
As a result of the budget about 9,500 people in Connecticut will no longer be eligible to receive their health care through HUSKY A, the state’s Medicaid program for low-income families, a move that saved some $11 million.
Survey: Health should be top priority for state spending
John Stearns, Hartford Business Journal, November 8
An overwhelming majority of Connecticut residents view residents’ health as the No. 1 priority for the allocation of state funds, with 52 percent describing health as very important and another 29 percent indicating it is important, according to newly released findings of an online survey.