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Massachusetts Health Insurance Law Has Increased Access To Care, Though Residents' Ability To Obtain Treatment Hampered By Provider Supply, Study Find
Since the implementation of the Massachusetts health insurance law in 2006, more residents have health coverage and increased access to care, but rising health care costs combined with the current economic recession could undermine some of the law"s successes, according to the third annual "Update on Health Reform in Massachusetts" report by the Urban Institute, the Boston Globe reports. The study was funded by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Commonwealth Fund, and published in the journal Health Affairs.For the report, Sharon Long of the Urban Institute and colleagues surveyed about 4,000 Massachusetts adults in 2007 and 2008 and compared their health care habits with those of residents surveyed in 2006 -- just after the law went into effect. Researchers found that although there were initial gains in health care affordability, there are now some signs that an increasing number of state residents are reporting problems paying for medical bills, and an increasing number of people -- especially lower-income residents -- not seeking care because of costs (Lazar, Boston Globe, 5/28). One in five adults reported being told in the past 12 months that a physician or clinic was not accepting new patients or would not see patients with their type of insurance (Sack, New York Times, 5/28). Lower-income residents had more difficulties finding a physician than higher-income residents, with 24% of residents enrolled in state-subsidized health plans, saying they were told that a physician did not accept their insurance, compared with 7% of residents with private coverage (Boston Globe, 5/28). Additional Findings

Radiant Research, Inc. Prepares For Upcoming H1N1 Vaccine Trials
Radiant Research, Inc. announced that it is actively recruiting subjects and establishing operational plans for upcoming H1N1 vaccine trials. The World Health Organization declared the H1N1 influenza outbreak a pandemic, and the CDC has shipped virus samples to several manufacturers with the hope of having vaccine available to the general public by the fall. Manufacturers will need to complete clinical trials prior to release of vaccine to the public.
News of the day
Use Of Acid-Suppressive Medications Associated With Increased Risk Of Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia
Hospitalized patients who receive acid-suppressive medications such as a proton-pump inhibitor have a 30 percent increased odds of developing pneumonia while in the hospital, according to a study in the May 27 issue of JAMA.
Public Health

New Hunger Platform Launched To Enlighten Youth

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced the first interactive web platform devoted to informing and educating students and teachers on hunger issues using a wealth of materials to encourage critical thinking. "Today"s youth are hungry to know more about the problems which are causing food shortages across the globe -- like conflict in Pakistan, high food prices, climate change and the global financial crisis," said Nancy Roman, WFP"s Director of Communications and Public Policy. She said that global hunger is on the rise, with 115 million people having joined the ranks of the hungry in the last two years alone. "Our web platform provides a gateway to enlighten and engage today"s youth who, in a few short years, will be responsible for making critical decisions about the many global challenges which will persist." The Students and Teachers section of WFP"s recently revamped website http://www.wfp.org) is designed to increase awareness and understanding of hunger-related problems among teachers, and allow them to easily integrate topics such as the Millennium Development Goals, of which the reduction of hunger is No.1, into the mainstream academic curriculum. The site provides creative lesson plans and activities for teachers in addition to links to user-friendly educational sites, educational res, blogs and interactive games for students. "This is a one-stop re shop for those who want to know everything they can about hunger - and what it will take to curb it," said Roman, adding that more than 25,000 people around the world die each day from hunger and related causes, 14,000 of them children. A number of educators around the world have contributed to the array of content - including Cape Breton University, Auburn University and 4-H Alabama. Students are encouraged to take action in their local communities through awareness-raising activities, and ideas on how to do this are offered. Among other youth outreach tools already developed by WFP are: FreeRice.com - the popular online word game where players help feed the world through click-based game, while improving their vocabulary. Food-force.com, now in 16 languages, continues to be a popular, fun video game which teaches children about the multitude of challenges of delivering life-saving food in a major humanitarian crisis. Through these initiatives, WFP aims to engage and motivate young people around the world to take action in the fight against hunger at a grassroots level. A prime example of this engagement is the WFP-supported "Universities Fighting World Hunger" - a coalition of 87 universities across the United States, which encourages students to get involved in hunger awareness-raising activities and on-the-ground activism. In the UK, WFP recently teamed up with the UK School Food Trust to launch The Really Good School Dinner campaign, raising over GBP 11,000 for WFP School Feeding Programmes. Over 550 schools participated resulting in more than 400,000 school children pledging to empty their plate to fill the plate of a child in the developing world. United Nations World Food Programme


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