The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
An updated study follows trends in commercial health plan participation in Medicaid managed care and includes new analyses on the performance of Medicaid-dominated and commercial plans on measures of effective care and access to care, and on the extent to which plans restrict their Medicaid service areas.
Disparities in Women’s Health
Disparities in health and health care continue to burden women, particularly affecting women of color or those who are poor. To shed more light on the factors contributing to inequalities in health and access to care for women, the Kaiser Family Foundation provided support for the newest issue of the Journal of the American Medical Women’s Association (JAMWA) Disparities in Women’s Health. This special issue features an editorial by Surgeon General David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., as well as articles focusing on the underlying causes of racial and ethnic inequalities in women’s health and sex differences in health care delivery. This issue also explores the impact of social-economic status, age, and disease on health disparities.
A fully downloadable copy of the article is available on the JAMWA website.
Note: This publication is no longer in circulation. However, a few copies may still exist in the Foundation’s internal library that could be xeroxed. Please email order@kff.org if you would like to pursue this option.
An overview of the human papillomavirus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted disease in the U.S. and the cause of most cervical cancer.
Health News Index November/December, 2001
The November/December 2001 edition of the Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health Health News Index includes questions about major health stories covered in the news, including the public s knowledge of bioterrorism threats, anthrax and smallpox. The Health News Index is designed to help news media and people in the health field gain a better understanding of which health stories Americans are following and what they understand about those issues.
A survey by National Public Radio, Kaiser Family Foundation, and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government shows that the vast majority of Americans are willing to forgo some civil liberties to fight terrorism and that they trust the government to do the right thing in carrying out the fight. However, Americans also hold strong beliefs in principle about civil liberties, and public attitudes may change if the threat of terrorism recedes.
Ten focus groups were conducted with voters April through July 2001, prior to the tragedies of September 11th and broad public recognition of an economic slowdown. The report, Effective Language and Themes for Talking About the Uninsured, finds that at that time: voters were still surprised by basic facts about the uninsured; voters seemed ready for messages about the uninsured that focus on the health and financial consequences of being uninsured, especially those centered on personal vulnerability; voters responded strongly when uninsured children were discussed and felt strongly that all of the uninsured are deserving of health coverage. Voters found less persuasive the arguments that linked having health insurance to having equal opportunities such as those provided by the public education system or that suggested that the large numbers of uninsured people hurt the economy because they cannot be as productive at their jobs.
This November 2001 Chartbook updates data from last year’s chartbook, including information about prescription drug coverage, expenditures and prices, utilization, drug promotion, and the pharmaceutical industry.
Direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising, particularly television advertising, has grown rapidly in the last few years. This nationally representative survey examines how consumers who are shown specific television prescription drug ads respond to such ads: what information they retain, what actions they predict they will take, and their views about this type of advertising.
More than half (57%) of the 2.5 million people who identify themselves solely as American Indian and Alaska Native in the 2000 Census live in metropolitan areas. This issue brief describes the large and growing urban Indian population, their health status, and the major federal health programs and federal-state programs that are available to improve Native Americans’ access to needed health services.
New Surveys on Experiences of Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals and the Public’s Views Related to Sexual Orientation
Although more than three quarters (76%) of lesbians, gays and bisexuals believe there is greater acceptance today, roughly equal numbers (74%) report that they have experienced prejudice and discrimination, and about one third (32%) report that they have been the target of physical violence because someone believed they were gay, according to a new survey, Inside-OUT: A Report on the Experiences of Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals in America and the Public’s View on Issues and Policies Related to Sexual Orientation.