ASAHP NEWSWIRE ARCHIVES

Generation Gap In American Politics

A report from the Pew Research Center examines the attitudes and political values of four living adult generations in the United States. Given that many individuals who are in these different generations may express their opinions by voting in elections, issues such as health care policy can be influenced.

The report can be obtained at file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/03-01-18-Generations-release.pdf.

NASEM Workshop on A Systems Approach to Alleviating Work-Induced Stress and Improving Health

A workshop through the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, " A Systems Approach to Alleviating Work-induced Stress and Improving Health, Well-being, and Resilience of Health Professionals Within and Beyond Education"  will take place on April 26-27, 2018.  The workshop will explore how a design thinking-systems approach could be used for tailoring interventions that address the unique needs of each care and health professions educational organization by drawing upon the assets of the organization and the individuals that make up their community. Registration for the workshop is now open. 

Further details and the link for in person or online registration may be accessed here

Consumer Views On The Affordable Care Act

An Issue Brief from The Commonwealth Fund discusses the result of a survey of beneficiaries who have health coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to obtain their views on the marketplaces, Medicaid, and other health insurance matters. The findings are compared to prior previous ACA surveys.

The Issue Brief can be obtained at http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/files/publications/issue-brief/2018/mar/collins_views_hlt_insurance_turbulent_year_aca_tracking_survey.pdf.

Electronic Access To Health Information

Hospitals and health systems continue to enhance their ability to share essential patient information electronically with health care providers and engage patients in their health care, according to two reports released today by the American Hospital Association (AHA). Nearly all hospital patients (93%) can views their health record information online, up from 27% in 2012, although larger hospitals continue to be able to offer greater access and functionality than smaller hospitals. Also, 74% of hospitals and health systems can share clinical or summary of care records electronically with hospitals outside their system.

The reports can be obtained at https://www.aha.org/system/files/2018-03/expanding-electronic-engagement.pdf and https://www.aha.org/system/files/2018-03/sharing-health-information.pdf.

 

Digest Of Education Statistics, 2016

A report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) that was issued in the past week provides a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field of education from prekindergarten through graduate school. The Digest contains data on a variety of topics, including the number of schools and colleges, teachers, enrollments, and graduates, in addition to educational attainment, finances, and federal funds for education, libraries, and international comparisons.

The report can be obtained at https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2017/2017094.pdf.

Women Need More Degrees Than Men To Obtain Similar Earnings

Although women have surpassed men in educational attainment, the wage gap persists. Women need one more degree than men in the same field in order to attain similar earnings, according to a new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.  Women on average earn just 81 cents for every dollar earned by a man. Even when comparing men and women who have equal educational attainment and work in the same occupation, women still earn only 92 cents for every dollar earned by men.

The report can be obtained at https://cew-7632.kxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/Women_FR_Web.pdf.

Overconfident Students And Doubtful Prospective Employers

According to a study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, college students may believe they’re ready to be employed, but there are significant differences between their perceptions and those of prospective employers. A high percentage of students indicated in almost every category they thought they were proficient, while employers disagreed.

More information can be obtained at http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/02/23/study-students-believe-they-are-prepared-workplace-employers-disagree.

Policy Roadmap For Individuals With Complex Care Needs

A report from the Bipartisan Policy Center draws from six previous reports to identify a roadmap of policy solutions that can begin to tackle the barriers to financing and delivering high-quality, person- and family-centered, coordinated health and social services and supports to individuals with complex care needs. In 2010, 37% of Medicare beneficiaries had four or more chronic conditions and they accounted for 90% of Medicare hospital readmissions in 2010. Medicare beneficiaries with four or more chronic conditions also comprised 74% of Medicare program spending in 2010.

The report can be obtained at https://bipartisanpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/BPC-Health-Policy-Roadmap-For-Individuals-With-Complex-Care-Needs.pdf.

Student Loans And Bankruptcy Filing

The February 21, 2018 issue of the Federal Register indicates that the U.S. Department of Education seeks to ensure that the congressional mandate to except student loans from bankruptcy discharge except in cases of undue hardship is appropriately implemented while also ensuring that borrowers for whom repayment of their student loans would be an undue hardship are not inadvertently discouraged from filing an adversary proceeding in their bankruptcy case. Accordingly, the Department is requesting public comment on factors to be considered. The deadline for responding is May 22, 2018.

The announcement can be obtained at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/02/21/2018-03537/request-for-information-on-evaluating-undue-hardship-claims-in-adversary-actions-seeking-student.

How Students Fare In The Labor Market After Graduate And Professional School

A new brief from the Urban Institute explores employment and earnings outcomes among advanced degree recipients. Examining these outcomes across degree, occupational, and demographic categories paints a nuanced picture of the payoffs of graduate and professional education.

The brief can be obtained at https://www.urban.org/research/publication/after-graduate-and-professional-school/view/full_report.

Comments Sought On Reauthorization Of The Higher Education Act

Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) are seeking comments and suggestions from education stakeholders for the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee to consider as they work to draft a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.

Comments are due by February 23, 2018 and should be sent to:  HigherEducation2018@help.senate.gov.

CMS Office Of the Actuary Health Expenditure Projections 2017-2026

Projections from the CMS Office of the Actuary indicate that national health expenditure growth is expected to average 5.5% annually over 2017-2026. That growth is projected to be faster than projected growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 1.0%. As a result, the report projects the health share of GDP to rise from 17.9% in 2016 to 19.7% by 2026.

Projections can be obtained at https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/NationalHealthExpendData/NationalHealthAccountsProjected.html.

Health Sector Employment Growth In 2018

Health care added 20,000 new jobs in January 18, slightly less than the 2017 average of 24,000 new jobs per month. More than half of January growth was in hospitals, which added 12,700 jobs, double the 2017 monthly average of 6,000.

Additional information can be obtained at https://altarum.org/sites/default/files/uploaded-related-files/SHSS-Labor-Brief_February_2018_0.pdf.