Poverty and financial insecurity are major drivers of poor health outcomes, but health systems have traditionally lacked the tools to address these economic drivers of health. In recent years, an innovative clinical care model is starting to change that: Medical-Financial Partnerships (MFPs). Medical-Financial Partnerships are collaborations…

Health care reform tops the list of issues that voters consider important going into the 2020 elections. As health professionals, it is imperative that we not only become informed about this issue but also help shape our healthcare future. Based on a review of the health service and health policy literature, we address several myths that add to…

Before COVID-19 entered our lives, colleges and universities were already facing enormous pressures on their bottom lines. Sixty percent of higher education institutions (HEIs) missed their fall 2019 enrollment goals, according to a recent "Chronicle of Higher Education" story. Changing demographics and drops in international enrollments…

Research has shown that student loan borrowers in repayment exhibit physical and mental health problems. These can be exacerbated by and contribute to health-related financial hardship. We use the 2015 U.S. National Financial Capability Study to examine the likelihood of having past due medical bills and of avoiding health care services by not…

Research shows that access to school health services improves health and academic outcomes, particularly for students with chronic health issues. Finding sustainable funding has been an ongoing struggle. This policy brief presents opportunities to expand access to--and resources for--school health services using available Medicaid funds. In…

Barriers to accessing preventive care, and healthcare in general, include lack of language proficiency (Chang, Chan, & Han, 2015; Lebrun, 2012; Ponce et al., 2006; DeRose, Escarce, & Lurie, 2007; Jacobs, Chen, Karliner, Agger-Gupta, & Mutha, 2006), inability to afford health care (Aguilera & Massey, 2003), lack of health insurance…

This study aimed to determine associations of healthcare access problems with services use among US children with autism spectrum disorder. We analyzed 2011-2014 National Health Interview Survey data on 651 children with autism spectrum disorder aged 2-17 years. There were three measures of healthcare access problems: (1) delays accessing…

Health disparities are documented between adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and neurotypical peers. As progress has been slow in improving health outcomes in people with IDD, the aim of this retrospective study was to compare effectiveness of a new Cross-Systems Care Integration (CSCI) model of care coordination to…

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to provide a general review of the health-care needs in Kenya which focuses on the role of community engagement in facilitating access and diminishing barriers to quality care services. Health-care concerns throughout Kenya and the culture of Kenyan's health-care practices care are considered.…

Swiss society is ageing. At the same time, life expectancy is increasing. With most workers retiring around age 65, time in retirement is growing and the ratio of retirees to employees is set to soar. These developments bring a range of opportunities but will likely weigh on growth in GDP per capita and increase public spending. They may also…

Aims: Life expectancy for both sexes in Australia exceeds 80 years, with individuals with intellectual disability also increasingly living into older age. This research aimed to comparatively examine perceptions of staff supporting either older adults or age peers with lifelong intellectual disability. Methods: This project asked 420 medical,…

Youth with autism spectrum disorder often have complex medical needs. Disruptions of healthcare during the transition from pediatric to adult healthcare may put youth with autism spectrum disorder at higher risk of medical emergencies and high medical costs. We conducted a study among transition-age youth (14-25 years old) receiving healthcare at…

Health inequities affect communities through adverse health outcomes, lost productivity, and increased health care costs. They arise from unequal distribution of social determinants of health--the conditions in which people are born and live. Health outcomes, tied to behaviors and health care, also are rooted in location and social status.…

Background: Uptake of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine remains low among adolescents in the United States. We sought to assess barriers to HPV vaccine provision in school health centers to inform subsequent interventions. Methods: We conducted structured interviews in the fall of 2010 with staff from all 33 school health centers in North…

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act attempts to address prevailing deficiencies in long-term care (LTC) financing through the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act, a national voluntary LTC insurance program administered by the Federal government. The CLASS Act is intended to supplement rather than supplant…