Several more experts have addressed the Supreme Court’s decision to make the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion optional for states.
A special edition of Health Wonk Review collects several different perspectives on the Supreme Court’s Affordable Care Act decision.
Affordable Care Act
Supreme Court decision is great for public health – but fate of 16 million poorest uninsured is still unclear
One of the admirable things about the Affordable Care Act is that its greatest benefits go to those who are most disadvantaged under the current system. The Medicaid portion of the Supreme Court’s decision once again leaves the most impoverished uninsured people with uncertain health-insurance prospects.
Affordable Care Act
Public health reacts to Supreme Court’s ACA ruling: ‘Surprised and then ecstatic’
There were few better places to hear about today’s 5-4 Supreme Court ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act and its individual insurance mandate than at a meeting of the American Public Health Association.
Public Health Practice
As National HIV Testing Day approaches, communities struggle with cuts to HIV prevention, screening services
Just a few years ago in Butte County, Calif., it wasn’t unusual for public health workers to administer more than 1,000 free HIV tests every year. In true public health fashion, they’d bring screening services to the people, setting up in neighborhoods, parks and bars, at special community events and visiting the local drug treatment facility and jail. The goal was prevention and education, and no one got turned away.
As we’re waiting to learn whether the Affordable Care Act will survive the upcoming Supreme Court decision, it’s a good time to remember what’s at stake with the individual mandate. It’s helpful to consider the stories of two states that took different mandate paths in their attempts to make insurance affordable, with very different outcomes.
A Modesto Bee series by Jocelyn Wiener documents the toll of inadequate mental health funding in Stanislaus County, California.
A US poll of those with serious medical conditions finds concerns about the costs and quality of healthcare received in the past year — and research using non-poll data bears out fears about preventable medical errors, one of the major problems with healthcare quality.
Environmental Health
Rick Brown, champion of occupational health, children’s health, will be missed terribly
UCLA Professor Rick Brown was a champion of public health who passed away suddenly last month. His colleagues, former students and friends are remembering and celebrating his tremendous contributions to improve occupational health, children’s health, and families’ access to health care services.
Just as Republican lawmakers have been hyping the virtues of purchasing private health insurance—-versus the evils of “Obamacare”—-my husband Jim and I needed to do just that. I had been writing a check for $659 each month to maintain health insurance coverage under my former employer’s plan, as provided by COBRA. After 18 months, it […]