Dear John,

As we bring 2023 to a close, we are revisiting a few of our favorite episodes of A Health Podyssey.

This week, we highlighted an episode from January 2023 featuring Deepak Palakshappa of Wake Forest School of Medicine discussing his paper examining the relationship between food insecurity and health care expenditures in families.

Lessons From Disruptions Of Non-COVID-19 Health Care In Latin America

Pedro Bernal Lara of the American Development Bank and his team of coauthors examine the effects of non-COVID-19-related health service disruption on public health in four Latin American countries: Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru.

The researchers find a 28 percent decline in public hospitalization rates and an increase of 15 percent in mortality rates for conditions amenable to health care (CAH) relative to the prepandemic year.

They determine that 89 percent of the increase in mortality for CAH was attributable to disruptions in care for noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. 

Based on these findings, Bernal Lara and coauthors recommend that going forward countries should develop more resilient systems through preparedness and systematic adaptation. 

Medicaid Unwound: Disenrolled Deserve An Epilogue

J. Craig Wilson and Joseph W. Thompson

Unwinding Should Be A Call To Action To Fix Fragmented System

Jennifer Wagner et al.

TEFCA Live! The Future Of Network Interoperability Is Here

Micky Tripathi and Mariann Yeager

Throughout December, join us for the following events:

• December 13: Lunch and Learn: The Global Impacts of PEPFAR and Consequences of Deprioritization
• December 19: Journal Club: “Substantial Disparities In COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake And Unmet Immunization Demand In Low- And Middle-Income Countries”

ICYMI, we announced the continuation of our Forefront Series "Medicare and Medicaid Integration."

Due to the ongoing support from Arnold Ventures, we are able to reissue our call for submissions for this series. We will accept submissions until October 31, 2024.

With this in mind, let's take a look back at the series, which has featured policy analysis, proposals, and commentary that we hope will elevate the issues for our audience and inform policies on the state and federal levels to advance integrated care for those dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.

• From Natural Disasters To Bureaucratic Ordeals, Dual-Eligible Beneficiaries Face Hurdles In Accessing Durable Medical Equipment (September 2023)
• Advancing Integrated Care For Dual-Eligible Individuals Through Multisector Plans For Aging (August 2023)
• No Choice But To Become Advocates: Fighting For An Integrated Plan For Dually Eligible Adults With Disabilities (July 2023)

Download America's Health Rankings' 2023 Annual Report

A new report from America’s Health Rankings found that rates of eight chronic conditions have reached the highest levels in the report’s history. Learn more about this trend and others revealed by the data. 

Sponsored by United Health Foundation