JustCare

Category: What’s Buzzing

  • Could you be eating too little salt?

    Could you be eating too little salt?

    The latest research on salt intake leaves unclear whether we should all be eating more salt, at least more than the teaspoon a day—2.3 grams—that has been recommended by the American Heart Association, the American Medical Association and many doctors.

    The common view is that low salt intake controls blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.  But the Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports that there is not enough evidence to support this view.  If your salt intake is less than a teaspoon a day, there is little data on the benefit and some data to suggest it can be harmful to some subpopulations.

    The researchers at the Institute of Medicine do not specify what the appropriate level of salt intake should be, only that two new studies show some adverse health effects from too little salt intake—below the teaspoon a day.   But, the studies are limited in scope.  And, the IOM researchers see a need for more research on this topic.Read more about this from the National Library of Medicine here and in the New York Times here.

  • New survey finds that health reform is helping millions of Americans get needed care

    New survey finds that health reform is helping millions of Americans get needed care

    Health reform is helping millions of Americans. As a result of health care reform, 15 percent of Americans lack health insurance today, down from 20 percent a year ago, according to a new survey by The Commonwealth Fund. Almost six million more young adults between 19 and 34 have insurance.  And, all in, nine and a half million more adults are now insured.

    Consumer satisfaction with their new health insurance coverage is also relatively high, with 78 percent either somewhat or very satisfied with their coverage.  Of those who are somewhat satisfied or very satisfied, 74 percent are Republicans and 85 percent are Democrats.  And, six out of ten people with new coverage have used it already to see a doctor or fill a prescription.

    Close to six out of ten people with new coverage (58 percent) say they are better off with their coverage than they were before.  And, 27 percent report no effect in their situation.  Only nine percent say they are worse off.

    Uninsurance varies by race and ethnicity.  Since last year, the percentage of uninsured White Americans dropped from 16 to 12 percent.  The percentage of uninsured Latinos dropped from 36 to 23 percent.  The percentage of uninsured African Americans dropped from 21 to 20 percent.

  • Medicare costs expected to be less than originally projected

    Medicare costs expected to be less than originally projected

    According to an analysis of new Congressional Budget Office data by the Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicare is expected to spend an average of $1,000 less this year than originally projected on each person with Medicare, $11,328.  That’s a total of $50 billion less in 2014.

    By 2019, projected reductions in Medicare spending are expected to be an average of $2,400 for each person with Medicare, $12,545, down from a projection of $14,319.  That means Medicare’s total costs will be $120 billion less than what the budget folks in Washington expected.

    It’s still hard to know exactly why Medicare is seeing lower costs than originally expected but there are some theories.  For one, unnecessary hospital readmissions are dropping.  Health care reform incentivized hospitals to ensure Medicare patients get appropriate care when they are first hospitalized. If they need to be readmitted because of inappropriate care received on their first visit, hospitals are penalized financially.

  • US health care system performs poorly

    US health care system performs poorly

    In a new report released by the Commonwealth Fund, authors Karen Davis and others find that compared to other developed and wealthy countries, the United States’ health care system performs extremely poorly.  What’s noteworthy is that the United States has the most expensive health care system in the world.

    And, this is not the first year that the Commonwealth Fund has ranked the United States lower than the other 10 countries it studied.In 2010, 2007, 2006, and 2004, The Commonwealth Fund also ranked the United States’ health care system as the poorest performer overall.  Of particular note, the United States is at the bottom of the pack when it comes to health outcomes.  The United States is also at or very near the bottom of the list on access, equity and efficiency.

    The United States health care system ranked third among the 11 countries, its highest score, for “effective care.”Australia, Germany, France and the Netherlands, Canada and the United Kingdom, all of which have national health insurance for their entire population, rank ahead of the United States.  The United Kingdom performs highest, with Switzerland right behind it.

    According to the authors, “Other nations ensure the accessibility of care through universal health systems and through better ties between patients and the physician practices that serve as their medical homes,”The report does not compare any of the individual health care systems in the United States, such as Medicare or Medicaid, with the universal systems in the other countries.  So, there’s no way to know how Medicare or Medicaid perform on health outcomes, access, equity and efficiency based on this study relative to the other countries analyzed.

  • Americans are more satisfied with Medicare than with private insurance

    Americans are more satisfied with Medicare than with private insurance

    According to a new Gallup poll, people with government-provided health insurance, including people with Medicare and VA coverage, are more satisfied with their health care coverage than other Americans.  Almost four out of five people 65 and older are satisfied with their treatment by the health care system (79 percent of people with Medicare, Medicaid and VA coverage) as compared with about three out of five people between 18 and 45 (61-66 percent).
    More specifically, people without health insurance are the least satisfied with the health care system (36 percent). People with military or veterans coverage are the most satisfied (77 percent) and people with Medicare or Medicaid are the next most satisfied (76 percent).

    For this survey, Gallup was not able to separate out satisfaction rates for people newly insured in the health insurance exchanges.  They plan to do so in future polls as soon as practicable.

    The survey also does not speak to the reasons why people over 65 are more satisfied with the health care system than the rest of the population.  Joe Baker, president of the Medicare Rights Center, speculates it’s because Medicare and Medicaid coverage are easier to use than private insurance and in most cases provides better protection against financial risk.  “For sure, Congress can improve Medicare.  But, compared with the hassles of referrals and huge copays and deductibles with private insurance, Medicare is relatively simple.”

     

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