Healthcare

COVID-19 Policies and Precautions in The United States Prison System

March 4, 2022

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the United States prison system has been dealing with mass outbreaks of COVID-19.  As of January 28, 2022, out of the total number of inmates tested for COVID-19, approximately 539,406 (7.6%) inmates tested positive.[1]  As of February 24, 2022, 192,722 prison staff across the United States have tested positive for COVID-19.  This article considers potential reasons for these outbreaks by examining inmate and staff disease and vaccination statistics, as [...]

North Carolina Medicaid: Caught in the Middle of a Political Stand-off

May 26, 2020

North Carolina’s Medicaid program provides healthcare for 2.2 million low-income seniors, disabled persons, children, and their families.  The state Medicaid program costs over $14 billion annually, with the federal government contributing $2 for every $1 paid by the state.  Currently, the state Medicaid program operates under a fee-for-service model.  For every service that a provider renders to a Medicaid enrollee, the service is billed to the state at a predetermined reimbursement rate. [...]

E-cigs Going Up in Smoke: FDA Cracks Down on Vape Products Marketed towards Minors

April 10, 2020

With e-cigarette use among youth rising to epidemic levels, Juul and other e-cigarette companies are facing greater scrutiny, more attention from regulatory agencies, and private litigation.  On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed into law an amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, raising the federal minimum age for the sale of tobacco products from 18 to 21 years, effective immediately. The amendment follows a statement by the Trump Administration in September 2019, [...]

Back to the drawing board: Why repealing Obamacare piece-by-piece does more harm than good for health care reform

November 29, 2019

Nearly a decade following the passage of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), the American health care delivery system continues to face many of the same problems that the “Obamacare” reforms sought to address.  Prior to the ACA, 50 million Americans were without health insurance—more than 16 percent of the population.  Health care represented 17 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product, and costs were increasing faster than inflation rates. The Act sought [...]

American Bar Association takes a stand for mental health

October 11, 2019

World Mental Health Day has been held annually on October 10 since 1992.  This day, dedicated to mental health education and advocacy, began as an initiative of the World Federation of Mental Health under the leadership of Deputy Secretary General Richard Hunter.  Today, this cause is supported by the World Health Organization and numerous ministries of health and other organizations around the world. World Mental Health Day truly has global influence. World Mental Health Day had humble [...]

The New Hospital Price Transparency Rule Is Clouded With Flaws

April 15, 2019

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published a new rule that, as of January 1, 2019, all hospitals are required to “make public a list of their standard charges [for all items and services] via the Internet . . . and to update this information at least annually, or more often as appropriate.” This so-called “Hospital Price Transparency Rule” is a key part of CMS’s priority to create “a patient-centered healthcare system.”  The overall goal is to give [...]