Access to Care

Showing Predicted Patient Wait Time Estimates Can Trim ED Delays

by Sarai Rodriguez

Nationwide, emergency departments (EDs) are grappling with extensive patient wait times, soaring patient visits, and significant overcrowding. However, new research reveals that predictive estimates of...

Trans Patient Experience Marked by Healthcare Access Woes

by Sara Heath

Nearly one in five trans adults said they’ve been refused care by a healthcare provider, according to a new KFF report, a sign of the everyday discrimination and healthcare access challenges...

Food Subsidies Key to Food Security Programs, Access to Nutritious Food

by Sara Heath

If your food security program doesn’t offer subsidies, you’re doing it wrong, one new study in Marketing Science found. When faced with the choice to buy healthier foods or cheaper foods,...

$2M HHS Grant Targets Black Maternal Health Disparities in Florida  

by Sarai Rodriguez

Evara Health is among the recipients of a $65 million HHS funding initiative, supporting underserved communities in creating innovative approaches to reduce Black maternal health...

LGBTQ-Specific Youth Mental Healthcare Access Still Elusive

by Sara Heath

Only about a quarter of youth mental health providers offer specialized mental healthcare for young members of the LGBTQ community, according to a research letter in JAMA Pediatrics. This was...

DOs as Good as MDs in Clinical Outcomes, Patient Experience

by Sara Heath

A new study out of the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine found that doctors of osteopathy (DOs) perform just as well as medical doctors (MDs) in various measures of clinical outcomes and patient...

Patients Need More in Digital Patient Experience, Patient Access

by Sara Heath

Healthcare organizations aren’t on the same page as patients when it comes to the digital transformation and patient experience. While patients want more technology enabling patient access to...

Over A Quarter of Americans Say High Costs Bar Patient Care Access

by Sara Heath

A new report from the Federal Reserve paints a devastating picture of how healthcare costs impact patient care access. In 2022, 28 percent of adults went without some kind of medical care because of...

Abortion Bans with Exceptions Still Limit Patient Care Access

by Sara Heath

An abortion ban with exceptions is still essentially a blanket abortion ban, a new KFF report contended, with vaguely written laws tying providers’ hands in many cases and harming patient...

Retail Health Clinics Gain Favor Amid Healthcare Consumerism Trends

by Sara Heath

The scales are tipping in favor of retail health clinics, especially the ones set up in pharmacies, as consumerism in healthcare changes the landscape of care access, according to a new survey report...

ADI and Infant Mortality Link Shed New Light on Maternal Health Crisis

by Sara Heath

A new study in JAMA Network Open uncovered a link between social vulnerability and NICU morbidity and mortality, adding yet another layer to the maternal health crisis facing the United...

Programs for Free Access to COVID-19 Tests Effective, Need Communication

by Sara Heath

A new report from Safely Opening Schools (SOS) showed that programs allowing consumers free access to COVID-19 tests were effective—so long as people knew about them. The program, which...

VA Facilities Parallel Non-VA Sites in Care Access, Safety, and Quality

by Sarai Rodriguez

For many years, the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system has faced criticism for its shortcomings in patient care, including care access, safety, and quality. However, recent studies have shown...

Can Patient Access to Midwife Care Eliminate Maternal Mortality Woes?

by Sara Heath

The US healthcare system, beleaguered by a maternal mortality and health equity crisis, needs to reconsider policies that can empower patient access to midwife care, according to a new policy brief...

24 States Contest Texas Judge’s Ruling Against Title X Family Planning Program

by Sarai Rodriguez

A coalition of 24 states united to appeal a Texas judge’s ruling that could essentially withhold medication abortion pills nationwide and jeopardize reproductive care access under the...

16.8M Black People Face Subpar Specialty Care Access, Cardiology Deserts

by Sara Heath

Some 16.8 million Black people live in a place with suboptimal specialty care access, with a new GoodRx report showing particularly that Black people are more likely to live in cardiology care deserts...

1 in 5 Adults Derailed Care Access Amid Transportation Barriers

by Sarai Rodriguez

Over 20 percent of US adults, mainly low-income individuals, experience transportation barriers that hinder care access, leading to at least one missed medical appointment in the past year, revealed an...

CMS Cracks Down on Appointment Wait Times for Medicaid MCOs

by Sara Heath

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) want state Medicaid plans to improve patient care access, with the proposed Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services and Managed Care Access, Finance,...

MI Repurposes COVID Test Sites for Community Health Worker Care Access

by Sarai Rodriguez

As the United States nears the end of its COVID-19 emergency declarations, Michigan's Health Department has repurposed old COVID-19 testing sites for a pilot program, leveraging community health...

NY Gov. Commits $1.68M to Protect Reproductive Healthcare Access

by Sarai Rodriguez

New York State's Securing Reproductive Health Centers Program, announced by Governor Kathy Hochul, will allocate over $1.68 million in grants to enhance reproductive healthcare access for services...