Policy and Regulation

How Has 20th Century Health Policy Affected Racial Health Disparities?

June 16, 2022 - Landmark civil rights legislation that instituted Medicare and Medicaid was instrumental in closing racial health disparities in care utilization, according to new data in JAMA Network Open. But those improvements only lasted for a few years before gaps in care widened to historical levels, calling into question current health policy debates around...


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Black Maternal Health Disparities Bill Gets Renewed Push in 2021

by Sara Heath

Senators Michael Bennet and Cory Booker have introduced the Black Maternal Momnibus Act of 2021 into the Senate. The bicameral legislation would address black maternal health disparities by driving...

Bill Zeros in on Health Equity, Racism as Public Health Crisis

by Sara Heath

New legislation introduced by Elizabeth Warren, Ayanna Pressley, and Barbara Lee, sets out to assert racism a public health crisis and establish an anti-racism center within the Centers for Disease...

Mass. Law Expands Nurse Scope of Practice, Patient Access to Care

by Sara Heath

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker rang in the new year by signing state legislation that he said will improve patient access to care. An Act Promoting a Resilient Health Care System That Puts...

Gag Clause Bills Signed into Law, Improves Healthcare Transparency

by Sara Heath

President Trump has signed into law two bills that prohibit pharmacy gag clauses, or the practice of prohibiting pharmacy and healthcare transparency. The laws – one targeted at Medicare plans...

Nurse Staffing Ratios Tied to High Costs, Patient Safety Savings

by Sara Heath

A Massachusetts ballot question considering mandated nurse staffing ratios will cost the Commonwealth, hospitals, and other healthcare organizations because of increased staffing needs, according to an...

How Nurse Staffing Ratios Impact Patient Safety, Access to Care

by Sara Heath

A Massachusetts ballot question has the healthcare industry debating nurse staff ratios and how they can impact patient safety and patient access to care. The ballot question at hand involves An Act...