Health Care Blog
New Data and Updated Report Show Medicaid Is Expanding Insurance Coverage, with Major Benefits to States’ Citizens and Economies
Posted by on June 4, 2015 at 8:00 AM EDTThe Affordable Care Act has dramatically expanded access to health insurance coverage. Since the law’s major coverage provisions took effect at the end of 2014, the Nation has seen the sharpest reduction in the uninsured rate since the decade following the creation of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, and the Nation’s uninsured rate is now at its lowest level ever. Combining these recent gains with earlier gains due to the law’s provision allowing young adults to remain on a parent’s plan until age 26, more than 16 million Americans had gained health insurance coverage as of early 2015.
Learn more about Health CareWhite House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship Convenes Government and Private Sector Leaders Committed to Improving Antibiotic Prescribing
Posted by on June 3, 2015 at 7:22 PM EDTFew of us remember the time before antibiotics, when a simple infection could kill. With these miracle drugs, we opened the doors to the world of modern medicine, making surgery and even transplants not just safe, but possible.
And yet, 70 years after discovering penicillin, we face a new reality: The more we use antibiotics, the faster they lose their effectiveness. Some infectious bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to the drugs designed to kill them, making them less and less effective in their ability to fight infection and illness. Overuse and misuse of these drugs in humans and animals, could push us closer to a world where we are challenged to be able to treat and prevent some of even the simplest infections.
That’s why working to improve antibiotic use and combating the threat of antibiotic resistance is so important. The Administration is committed to leading efforts to change how antibiotics are prescribed and used to address this growing health risk.
Learn more about Health CareHealth Datapalooza 2015: Liberating Data and Transforming Health Care
Posted by on June 3, 2015 at 9:19 AM EDTFive years ago, people asked what would happen if we brought together developers, startups, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and industry leaders together around a common goal of open health data. The result was the first Health Datapalooza, which attracted about 45 people. This week, the sixth Health Datapalooza is bringing together more than 2,000 participants for four days of events demonstrating new, diverse health innovations that are made possible by collaboration around open data.
Fireside chat with Esther Dyson and Thomas Goetz at this year's Health Datapalooza. (Photo credit: Health Data Consortium).
We’re on the precipice of a dramatic democratization of health data access. The mission of the U.S. Chief Data Scientist and team is to responsibly unleash the power of data for the benefit of the American public and maximize the nation's return of its investment on data. Data is one of the most effective mechanisms to empower and activate citizens to become true partners in their own care team. This year’s Health Datapalooza highlights many promising stories of patients generating data from non-traditional sources like wearable technologies, environmental sensors, and social media to create a more complete picture of their health.
Learn more about Health Care, , TechnologyThe White House Hosts a Forum on Combating Antibiotic Resistance
Posted by on June 2, 2015 at 4:55 PM EDTToday, the White House hosted a forum on combating drug-resistant bacteria and enhancing good antibiotic stewardship. The gathering today was an effort to engage in a discussion on the dangers of the overuse of antibiotics, and follows the March release of the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.
At the forum, the White House announced a Presidential Memorandum directing the federal government to buy meat from sources that follow responsible antibiotic use. Separately, it was announced that here at the White House, the Presidential Food Service will only serve meats and poultry that have been raised in accordance with the same responsible-use policies.
Learn more about Health CareThe Faces of Health Care: Alison S.
Posted by on May 18, 2015 at 6:09 PM EDT
"I am overcome with gratitude that you have had the courage to make these preventative health services available to all women."
— Alison S.
Alison S., a young woman from Arlington, Virginia, wrote to the President: “Today, for the first time at age 32, I picked up my prescription for oral contraception and was charged a grand total of $0.00.”
Because of the Affordable Care Act, there are birth control options available to women, with no co-pay or cost-sharing. Even with a private health care plan she has through her plan, the ACA is helping her by improving the benefits she receives.
Alison wanted to let President Obama know that she was grateful: “It is reassuring to know that our nation’s leader is advocating for such progressive measures in our modern society.”
For more information about contraception availability through the ACA, click here.
Learn more about , Health CareThe Faces of Health Care: Siobhan F.
Posted by on May 14, 2015 at 2:10 PM EDT
"It is because of ‘Obama Care’ and the revisions to prenatal coverage that we are able to both afford medical coverage for our family and grow our family."
— Siobhan F.
Siobhan is a wife and mother from McKinney, Texas. When she was laid off last year, she lost health care benefits -- and because her husband’s company didn’t offer coverage, her family was left without any access to health care.
She ultimately found another job, but the premiums were still too expensive.
But, with the passage of the Affordable Care Act, all of that changed. Now, under the ACA, Siobhan not only can find coverage at an affordable rate, but knew she had quality maternity and prenatal coverage when she found out she was expecting a baby. As Siobhan said, access to affordable health care is “a blessing that no family should be denied.”
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