Ann & Natalie’s Compliance Corner
Welcome back to Ann & Natalie’s Compliance Corner! This month, we discuss the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report on access to health care. Missed last month’s update on enforcement of Medicare enrollment regulations? Click here.
In the United States, nearly one in five adults report having inadequate access to basic health care services, according to the annual report on the nation’s health released December 7, 2007 by the CDC. Health, United States, 2007 is the thirty-first annual report on the nation’s health status. The report is prepared as a yearly update for the President and Congress and is intended to guide sound health policy and allocation of research and program resources.
“There has been important progress made in many areas of health such as increased life expectancy and decreases in deaths from leading killers such as heart disease and cancer. But this report shows that access to health care is still an issue where we need improvement,” said Julie Gerberding, M.D., M.P.H., CDC Director.
Health, United States, 2007, issued by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, contains a chartbook and 151 tables which provide insight into healthcare utilization, resources, and expenditures. The report also identifies variations in healthcare among citizens by geographic location, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender.
According to the report, nearly 20 percent of adults reported that they needed, but did not obtain, medical care, prescription medicines, mental health care, dental care, eyeglasses or similar healthcare services during the past year because they could not afford them.
Additional CDC findings highlighted by the organization’s press release include:
- Young adults (those between 18-24 years of age) are more likely than children or older adults to lack a usual source of care and to be uninsured
- One in 10 adults ages 45-64 years did not have a usual source of health care, and more than 5 percent of adults in this age group diagnosed with high blood pressure, serious heart conditions, or diabetes reported not having a usual source of medical care
- In 2005, one out of five people under the age of 65 reported being uninsured for at least part of the 12 months prior to being interviewed. The majority of this group reported being uninsured for more than 12 months
- One in 10 women aged 45-64 years with income below the poverty level reported delaying medical care due to lack of transportation
- About one-third of all children living below the poverty level did not have a recent dental visit in 2005, compared with less than one-fifth of children with higher income
The report suggests that while advances in medicine have increased life expectancy, we have yet to address the prevalence of chronic medical conditions that often decrease one’s quality of life. Furthermore, access to these improvements varies sharply depending on race, income-level, education and geography.
Health, United States, 2007, stresses that future health policies and initiatives must adapt to rapidly changing demographics, as the U.S. becomes more racially and ethnically diverse. Policymakers must also focus efforts on addressing an aging population coupled with a longer life expectancy.
“For those entrusted with safeguarding the Nation’s health, monitoring the health of the American people is an essential step in making sound health policy and setting research and program priorities,” the CDC said in its report. “Health measures provide essential information for assessing how the Nation’s resources should be directed to improve the population’s health.”
Disclaimer: The content of Compliance Corner is for general informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as compliance guidance or advice. Consult your compliance advisor or attorney for compliance or legal advice on specific issues related to your practice or compliance program.
