Health
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Researchers say the most concerning finding indicates a slight increase or the re-emergence of eating disorders, which kill roughly 10,200 people every year – about one person every 52 minutes.
U of M Medical School’s Melissa Simone, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, collaborated with School of Public Health professor and head of the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, PhD, MPH, to learn from study participants in Neumark-Sztainer’s Project EAT between April and May 2020.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the rapid implementation of public health policies to reduce transmission of the virus. While these protections are necessary, the disruptions to daily life associated with the ongoing pandemic may have significant negative consequences for the risk of eating disorders and symptoms,” said Simone, who is the lead author of the study. “Eating disorders have one of the highest mortality rates across all psychiatric health concerns, and therefore, it is important to try to make links between the consequences of the pandemic and disordered eating behaviors.
The study aimed to understand potential associations between stress, psychological distress, financial difficulties and changes in eating behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic through the analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data. Simone’s findings, published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, found six key themes of eating behavior changes:
- Mindless eating and snacking;
- Increased food consumption;
- Generalized decrease in appetite or dietary intake;
- Eating to cope;
- Pandemic-related reductions in dietary intake;
- And, a re-emergence or marked increase in eating disorder symptoms.
Approximately 8% of those studied reported extreme unhealthy weight control behaviors, 53% had less extreme unhealthy weight control behaviors and 14% reported binge eating.
The study revealed that these outcomes were significantly associated with poorer stress management, greater depressive symptoms and moderate or extreme financial difficulties.
“There has been a lot of focus on obesity and its connection with COVID-19. It is also important to focus on the large number of people who have been engaging in disordered eating and are at risk for eating disorders during and following the pandemic,” said Neumark-Sztainer, who is the principal investigator of Project EAT. “The majority of the young adults in our study are from diverse ethnic/racial and lower-income backgrounds, who often do not receive the services they need. To ensure health inequities do not increase, we need to meet the needs of these populations.”
Simone added, “The economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic will likely persist long beyond the dissemination of a vaccine. Because our findings suggest that moderate or severe financial difficulties may be linked with disordered eating behaviors, it is essential that eating disorder preventive interventions and treatment efforts be affordable, easily accessible and widely disseminated to those at heightened risk. As such, online or mobile-based interventions may prove to be effective and accessible modes for targeted intervention efforts.”
This study was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL116892, R35HL139853: Principal Investigator: D. Neumark-Sztainer), the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (TL1R002493, UL1TR002494) and the National Institute of Mental Health (T32MH082761).
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- Written by: Covered California
The new law can help an estimated 2.5 million Californians, including the uninsured and those who enrolled directly through a health insurance carrier, by providing additional financial help to lower the cost of their coverage.
“The new and expanded financial help provided by the American Rescue Plan will help more Californians get covered and stay covered by lowering premiums, and for many, putting money back into their pockets,” said Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California. “The new financial help is only available through Covered California. You owe it to yourself to check if you benefit — and the sooner you sign up, the more you can save.”
Covered California estimates the plan can help Californians — particularly low- and middle-income consumers who have been hit hardest by the pandemic and recession — through $3 billion in new and expanded federal subsidies.
The new money will strengthen the state’s economy by helping eligible consumers save thousands of dollars between now and the end of 2022, when the benefits are currently set to expire.
“For some Californians, it means hundreds or even thousands of dollars back in their pockets to help them afford their housing, keep their business running, or assist with daily living expenses,” Lee said. “For others, it means they will finally be able to afford health care coverage and get the protection and peace of mind they need as we recover from this pandemic and recession.”
Joseph Newhouse, a national expert on economics and consumer spending and professor of Health Policy and Management at Harvard University, said the new subsidies have the potential to change the lives of people across the state.
“Whether you live in a big city or in a rural area, these subsidies will provide significant financial relief for people who sign up for health care coverage through Covered California,” Newhouse said. “These subsidies are big, they matter, and they can have a dramatic impact on people’s lives — if they take action.”
Who will benefit from the American Rescue Plan?
The American Rescue Plan lowers health care premium costs for people who get coverage through Covered California by providing new and expanded subsidies to make health insurance more affordable than ever before. The following types of consumers stand to benefit:
The uninsured: New data shows that an estimated 810,000 Californians are uninsured and eligible for health insurance coverage through Covered California. Under the American Rescue Plan, most of them would be able to get a high-quality plan from a trusted name-brand company for as little as $1 per month, or a plan that offers richer benefits for less than $100 per month.
Consumers insured directly through a health insurance company: Nearly 270,000 Californians are insured directly through a health insurance company in what is referred to as “off-exchange coverage.” They currently do not receive any financial help. The new law ensures that everyone eligible will pay no more than 8.5 percent of their household income on their health care premiums if they are enrolled through an Affordable Care Act marketplace like Covered California (unless they select a plan in a higher metal tier). The new and expanded subsidies mean that many consumers will be able save hundreds of dollars per month — or thousands of dollars between May and the end of 2022 — if they switch and get their insurance through Covered California.
Current Covered California enrollees: The new law will also help about 1.4 million people currently enrolled through Covered California. An analysis shows that these consumers will see their net premiums decrease by an average of $180 per household per month. Existing consumers in California do not need to take any action since Covered California will automatically apply the savings to their accounts. They will see lower bills starting in May.
“The American Rescue Plan provides the most significant consumer cost savings since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, but in order for many Californians to make the most of that savings, they need to act now,” Lee said. “Do not miss out: the sooner you sign up, the sooner you can start saving and be covered.”
In addition, the American Rescue Plan will provide marketplace coverage to anyone who received unemployment insurance benefits in 2021.
Under the new law, anyone who has received unemployment insurance benefits in 2021 will be eligible for the richest possible coverage from brand-name health plans, which will cost only $1 per month — regardless of their actual total income in 2021.
Covered California is currently working to implement this benefit in its enrollment and consumer cost-comparison systems. While those changes are expected to be implemented in July or August, consumers who are enrolled or sign up before that time will receive the lower premium retroactive to when their coverage commenced.
An estimated 10 percent of current Covered California enrollees would be eligible for this benefit, further reducing their costs and putting money back into their pockets. These individuals will see premium reductions in May based on the basic changes under the American Rescue Plan, and additional savings when these changes are implemented this summer.
Covered California is supporting the new special-enrollment period by taking the unprecedented action of treating the months of April through June as if it were its annual open-enrollment period. The exchange plans to spend up to $30 million on television, radio and print ads throughout the state through June. The campaign will reach every community, with an emphasis on Hispanic, Asian, and African American media outlets, which represent the groups hit hardest by the pandemic and recession.
“We know that California’s low-income communities — including Latino, Black and Pacific Islander — are the backbone of our state’s essential workforce,” said Jeffrey Reynoso, executive director of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. “They have suffered the most during the pandemic and recession, and this new law will make health care coverage more affordable and help them save money in the process.”
“We stand ready to do everything we can to make the American Rescue Plan successful for as many Californians as possible,” Lee said. “Time is of the essence, because every month that goes by is a month that someone could be covered or could be saving hundreds of dollars on their health insurance.”
Research has shown that for most consumers, the reason they do not have insurance coverage is that they do not believe they can afford it. Many may have checked their costs months or years ago — they need to check again to see how affordable coverage can be. On www.CoveredCA.com, consumers can easily see exactly how they can benefit from the new law. Consumers just need to enter their ZIP code, household income and the ages of the people in the household to see how low their premiums can be and the health insurance options in their area.
Those interested in learning more about their coverage options can also:
– Visit www.CoveredCA.com.
– Find local insurance agents or individuals in Navigator organizations who provide free and confidential assistance over the phone or in person, in a variety of languages.
– Get a call from a certified enroller. Covered California will have someone reach out to the consumer to help them for free.
– Call Covered California at 800-300-1506.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The goal is to ensure continued excellent care for the communities that Adventist Health serves while also expanding health care career opportunities in both urban and rural communities.
When it comes to health care, rural communities find it difficult to recruit and retain physicians and medical professionals.
This includes medical assistants, who are often the first caregiver that patients see in a clinic or medical office as they check blood pressure, temperature and other key health indicators.
In fact, a recent poll shows one in three Californians believes their community does not have enough caregivers, and in rural areas that number jumps to 50%.
Unchecked, the situation could grow worse as demand for physicians, nurses and other health professionals is expected to outpace supply. Jobs for medical assistants, for example, are expected to increase by 19% by 2029 compared to 4% for all occupations over the same period.
An aging population and aging health care workforce, combined with current graduation rates for medical and health professionals, are leading to predictions of increasing workforce shortages.
“Adventist Health is launching this workforce development program with COPE Health Solutions to support our strategic vision of well-being, which means helping our community members live their best lives,” said John Beaman, Adventist Health chief people and business officer. “This program will provide opportunities for health care education in hopes that local residents will find fulfilling careers and remain in these at-need communities we serve, which also will help address the pressing need to attract more people into health professions.”
New education and training options
Adventist Health’s workforce development programs will provide opportunities to college and high school students, recent graduates and any community members seeking advancement or career changes.
Healthcare consulting and workforce development firm COPE Health Solutions developed the structure and curriculum of the programs in collaboration with Adventist Health and will run the programs on a day-to-day basis.
This year’s plans include:
· Opening the COPE Health Scholars Medical Assistant Program, a seven-month educational program that combines virtual courses with 200 hours of clinic-based learning and training with patients and clinician mentors. Scholarships will be available to make the program more accessible to local students. In the first year, Adventist Health’s hospitals and clinics in Mendocino County (Ukiah and Willits) and Central Valley communities (Kings, Fresno and Tulare counties) will be participating.
· Creating programs for recruiting, training and retaining clinical and allied health professionals such as clinical lab scientists, physical therapists and registered nurses.
· Expanding the experiential COPE Health Scholars program, which provides aspiring health care professionals the opportunity to gain in-person experience and learning while providing valuable support to patients and clinicians.
Graduates of the COPE Health Scholars programs will receive a Certificate of Completion from the UCLA Executive Programs in Health Policy and Management. Students who complete the COPE Health Scholars Medical Assistant program will also be well-positioned to take the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant exam pre-accreditation and the Certified Medical Assistant exam post-accreditation.
“Adventist Health is a leader in developing a skilled workforce that can adapt to new ways of delivering care and meet the changing health needs of Americans. Providing career opportunities, support and mentorships to our communities will grow the healthcare workforce, ensure we have diversity within our workforce and ultimately provide greater access and quality of care to patients, which is a shared priority for both Adventist Health and COPE Health Solutions,” said Elizabeth DuBois, DNP, FNP-BC, AAHIVS, the COPE Health Solutions’ senior vice president who is leading the partnership with Adventist Health and is a practicing provider at Adventist Health.
Since 2013, nearly 3,000 individuals have participated in COPE Health Scholars programs at Adventist Health in communities across California and Hawaii. Many past scholars have gone on to medical or nursing school to return to their community to practice.
For more information on the COPE Health Scholars program and the medical assistant school sponsored by Adventist Health, please visit https://copehealthscholars.org/programs/medical-assistant-school.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
This new update, which adds five new languages, is part of California’s larger initiative to make vaccines easily accessible for all residents, with a focus on those who have been hardest hit by COVID-19.
“California’s remarkable wealth of diversity is always top of mind as we create and perfect the tools that will ensure every resident can easily access life-saving COVID-19 vaccines — regardless of the language they speak,” said Tomás Aragón, CDPH director and State Public Health officer. “The My Turn website and hotline play a key role in alerting Californians when they are vaccine eligible, and helping them schedule an appointment, so we want to ensure it is accessible to everyone.”
Less than two months after launching My Turn, 1.6 million appointments have been scheduled through the platform. The website is now available in Armenian, Japanese, Khmer, Punjabi, and Russian, along with languages already offered: Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese and English.
Individuals who do not have access to the internet can sign up for an appointment by calling My Turn’s toll-free hotline 1-833-422-4255, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and weekends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. My Turn operators can provide on-demand assistance in English and Spanish, translators who speak more than 250 languages are also available as needed.
Following a short pilot in San Diego and Los Angeles, California announced My Turn on Jan. 25 as a statewide tool to notify Californians of their eligibility to schedule an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine. Californians in every county can sign up for My Turn’s vaccine eligibility notification at MyTurn.ca.gov. The My Turn scheduling feature is now widely available in a majority of counties and is expected to expand to all Californians in the coming weeks.
My Turn’s extensive multilingual support is just one way the state is working to vaccinate all Californians.
The state’s Five Point Plan for Equitable Vaccinations includes:
– Allocating 40 percent of the state’s vaccines to the lowest 25 percent of ZIP codes based on the Public Health Alliance of Southern CA’s Healthy Places Index, and reserving appointments for priority populations through My Turn.
– Creating a Statewide Vaccine Network with a Third Party Administrator (TPA) to include appropriate access in disproportionately impacted communities and supplements this access with evening/extended hours, transportation services, translation services, home-bound services, mobile vaccine services, and physical accessibility features at vaccination events, for example.
– Leveraging the work community-based organizations have been doing to provide critical services and information to Californians during the pandemic, the state has partnered with philanthropic organizations to support the work of 337 organizations with $52.7 million in grants.
– Using data analytics to accurately allocate vaccines, My Turn will be the cornerstone of the state’s efforts to understand the demographics of vaccine recipients. The TPA will perform real-time data analytics to understand how the doses administered in certain Zip codes compare to the age and sector prioritization framework that will be reviewed by health equity experts to adjust and intensify targeted efforts and resource allocations.
– The state will provide consistent messaging through a $40 million public education campaign, create content designed for specific languages and cultures and meet Californians where they can to reach California’s diverse populations.
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