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Massachusetts Health Insurance Law Has Increased Access To Care, Though Residents' Ability To Obtain Treatment Hampered By Provider Supply, Study Find
Since the implementation of the Massachusetts health insurance law in 2006, more residents have health coverage and increased access to care, but rising health care costs combined with the current economic recession could undermine some of the law"s successes, according to the third annual "Update on Health Reform in Massachusetts" report by the Urban Institute, the Boston Globe reports. The study was funded by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Commonwealth Fund, and published in the journal Health Affairs.For the report, Sharon Long of the Urban Institute and colleagues surveyed about 4,000 Massachusetts adults in 2007 and 2008 and compared their health care habits with those of residents surveyed in 2006 -- just after the law went into effect. Researchers found that although there were initial gains in health care affordability, there are now some signs that an increasing number of state residents are reporting problems paying for medical bills, and an increasing number of people -- especially lower-income residents -- not seeking care because of costs (Lazar, Boston Globe, 5/28). One in five adults reported being told in the past 12 months that a physician or clinic was not accepting new patients or would not see patients with their type of insurance (Sack, New York Times, 5/28). Lower-income residents had more difficulties finding a physician than higher-income residents, with 24% of residents enrolled in state-subsidized health plans, saying they were told that a physician did not accept their insurance, compared with 7% of residents with private coverage (Boston Globe, 5/28). Additional Findings
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Stanford Study Of Flies Raises Doubts About Fasting Leading To Longer Lives
They"re called "fruit flies" for a reason, and it sure isn"t for lack of appetite. But like most animals, the pests typically lose their appetite when they get infected. We humans go them one better: Even when bug-free and hungry, some of us are tempted to do some serious fasting, in hopes of living longer, healthier lives.
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FDA Taking Steps To Improve Contact Lens Safety
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is taking steps to improve contact lens safety by reminding consumers of the importance of following proper cleaning and storing procedures. Consumers who do not follow instructions for contact lens care and use increase their risk of serious eye infections that can lead to blindness.
Medical Devices

Complaints By The Elderly Valuable Information Or Trivialities?

What is done when the elderly lodge complaints about their services? elderly care? Why is it that staff describe complaints made by the elderly as "trivialities"? In two recent studies, Tove Persson, doctoral student at the School of Health Sciences, shows that staff, as well as social services directors in local administrations often trivialize complaints from the elderly, which in turn makes it difficult for the elderly to influence their everyday lives. "It is valuable for us to receive your thoughts, ideas and complaints positive as well as negative it gives us a chance to improve our work". Statements such as this are used by many Swedish municipalities. In fact, similar rhetoric is used in several EU countries to encourage the elderly to make their voices heard. The "European Social Network" emphasizes that social services wish to listen to the service users and support the personal fulfilment of the elderly. Yet, Tove Persson"s studies expose serious flaws in the practice of listening at least in Sweden. Officially, complaints are "valuable tools for quality improvements", but two recent studies show that complaints by elderly citizens are often trivialized or played-down by the authorities responsible and by staff involved in elderly care. Persson has studied 100 social service directors (responsible for elderly care) and found that the organization of complaints lodged by the elderly is a bit of a haphazard affair in Sweden. Many municipalities, for instance, did not provide the elderly with information about how to complain, and in some municipalities the elderly had to submit their complaints via the Internet. Even though the service directors said they received too few complaints from the elderly, quite paradoxically, they often played down the importance of the few complaints they did receive by describing these as trivial: "It is often trivialities they complain about. You know, if some of the home help staff forget a visit and things like that." Similar rhetoric was exposed in Persson"s second study where nursing home staff described residents" complaints about food, bedtimes and loneliness as petty details. By describing nearly all kinds of complaints as unimportant, the staff could justify their negligence regarding these complaints. Despite official ambition to listen to the elderly, it still seems to be difficult for the elderly to make their voices heard. Vetenskapsrç¥det (The Swedish Research Council)


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