The Out-of-Pocket: Your Quick and Easy Health Policy Digest

November 30th, 2021

The Out-of-Pocket Health News Digest

Below you will find briefs about recent health policy news stories. Our hope is for students to have an information outlet at their fingertips to keep up-to-date with the most pressing news stories in health policy.

This compilation is produced by the HPSA Education Committee: Brynna Thigpen, Christopher Whitlock, Easheta Shah, Hannah Lane, Hassan Kourani, Jourdan Clements, and Lizzy Peppercorn

Social Isolation as a Health Risk

by Lizzy Peppercorn

While social isolation has always been a struggle for many Americans, the risks of limited social interaction have gained more intense amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Social isolation has been associated with poor general health and premature mortality along with a 50% increased risk of dementia. A lack of social relationships is also correlated with a 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke.

It may seem that social isolation is not an easily solved problem, especially when people are socially isolating for health reasons. However, a recent study published in Clinical Gerontologist demonstrated that seniors did gain a level of social satisfaction when interacting with robotic pets. More research is needed on both behavioral and technical solutions to social isolation, but the pandemic has finally sparked a wave of mental health research.

Further, health care systems can have a role in identifying loneliness and preventing associated medical conditions. The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends that clinicians assess patients who may be at risk of social isolation (older patients, immigrants, LGBTQ) and connect them to community resources.

Sources: CDC, Public Health Newswire, Health Affairs

Following Passage of Infrastructure Bill, Build Back Better Act Comes into Focus

by Brynna Thigpen

President Biden signed the long-awaited infrastructure bill into law on Monday, November 15th, bringing to a close a long debate over its provisions and price tag. Supported by Congressional Democrats and Republicans alike, the federal government authorized modernizing America’s railways, roads, and bridges, building thousands of electric

vehicle charging stations across the nation, providing universal internet access, and guaranteeing lead-free water.

Next on the agenda is the Build Back Better Act (BBB), passage of which the Biden Administration has hoped would be tied to the infrastructure bill. Unlike the infrastructure bill, however, BBB has no Republican support. Consequently, BBB has undergone many revisions over the past several months, with razor-thin margins in the Senate and House giving the most centrist Democrats vast bargaining power. Originally, the bill included provisions to expand Medicare (for elderly Americans) and Medicaid (for low-income Americans), paid family leave, modernizing Veterans Affairs (VA) health care facilities, 2 years of free community college, housing investments, and negotiation power for drug costs in Medicare. However, as negotiations have continued between centrist and liberal Democrats, the original $3.5T price tag has come down below $2T, and the provisions in the bill have changed. On the health care front, the bill currently contains the following (which may change by the time this newsletter is published):

Medicare drug price negotiation
Penalties for drug companies that increase their prices at rates higher than inflation
Caps out-of-pocket spending on drugs
Covers hearing aids under Medicare
Lowers ACA premiums
Expands Medicaid in the 12 states that have thus far refused to do so

There are also resources for housing, climate, family benefits, and education. BBB is at its core a social spending bill, which, according to experts, will not raise the deficit, and it will primarily be paid for through corporate tax increases.

Overall the bill’s provisions seem popular and the financing plan is supported by a majority of Americans. Whether or not it will pass Congress, however, is a different story.

Sources: White House, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (1) (2), Al Jazeera, Vox, The Guardian, Navigator

One-Liners

Vaccine and Mask Mandates in Schools: Only 2 states (Illinois and California) have mandated vaccines for children, while 17 states have banned vaccine mandates in schools for COVID-19 vaccines. (NASHP)
State Vaccine Mandates and Passport Positions: States have taken a variety of approaches to either encourage or mandate vaccination, or prevent mandates from being enacted. Notably, three states (NY, CA, HI) have instituted a passport system for verifying vaccination status. (NASHP)
U.S. Crisis of Burned-Out Health Care Workers: The pandemic has caused burnout for health care workers to the point where they are demanding systemic reforms in the field. Even before the pandemic, physicians were at twice the risk of burning out compared to the general population.(USNews)
New COVID-19 drug: An anti-viral pill produced by Merck was narrowly authorized in a vote by the FDA. This will be the first oral treatment for COVID-19 and can be taken at home. (NPR)