The United States Congress has proposed cuts to Medicaid, reversing the Affordable Care Act expansion.1 These cuts could increase mortality and financial hardship for enrollees while straining health-care providers, especially in rural and underserved areas. Here, we estimate the potential effect on mortality and catastrophic health-care expenditures, defined as out-of-pocket costs exceeding 30% of household income.
Strategies to improve cardiovascular health are at the heart of Nancy Brown's work as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the American Heart Association (AHA). The AHA funds research, advocates for the public's health, and shares life-saving resources. Under her leadership, it has advanced public policies to create healthier communities across the USA. “The AHA was one of the first organisations to sign on in support of the Affordable Care Act against many headwinds, because of our commitment to...
Our trial provides the first evidence of a demonstrative spatial repellent protective efficacy in reducing risk of malaria infection in an African setting characterised by high malaria transmission, pyrethroid resistant malaria vectors, and high coverage of insecticide treated nets. Results support spatial repellent products as a beneficial component of malaria prevention.
Not since the birth of the National Health Service (NHS) has dentistry received so much attention from politicians. The NHS is mentioned in manifestos and discussed on the doorstep. A recent Comment by Richard G Watt and colleagues1 criticised the English Government's recovery plan as out of scale with the velocity and extent to which the system is failing. The Comment called for “bold and ambitious” reform,1 including replacing the NHS dental contract and increasing funding (estimating that ...
Taiwan is one of the few countries where citizens enjoy universal health care, which is managed by the Taiwan National Healthcare Insurance (NHI) system. The NHI system, established in March, 1995 by the Taiwan Government, has provided high-quality health care with low insurance premiums. The average monthly insurance premium the typical Taiwanese citizen pays is NT$1377, which is approximately US$42.1 Such a low health-care expense ensures equitable access for all 23 million Taiwanese citizens.
The Democratic National Convention begins on Aug 19 in the wake of President Joe Biden's seismic decision to leave the presidential race. The Biden administration—including Kamala Harris—deserves great credit for bringing stability to the country after the attack on the US Capitol instigated by Donald Trump as well as for a health agenda that included reinstating both financing for WHO and the UN Population Fund and the US's role in the Paris Climate Agreement, introducing an expanded child t...
The Lancet Editorial on health equity in Ireland1 presented an unduly rosy perspective on proposed moves towards universal health care coverage, particularly in the hospital and outpatient sector. Public hospitals currently operate a practice of mixed private and public patient care. The new contract for hospital consultants is not, as stated in the Editorial, for public hospitals only: it limits practice in public hospitals to public patients only but permits unlimited off-site practice in t...
Having noted that Arianna Magon and Rosario Caruso erroneously refer to the Italian National Health System (INHS) in the title of their Correspondence,1 we would like to note that in Italy we also have a public National Health Service (NHS) mostly funded by taxpayers,2 which was initiated in 1978 in the wake of the English NHS and should provide universal coverage. A widespread weakness of the INHS throughout the country that is not underlined in the Correspondence is primary care. Although g...
We have read with interest the debate surrounding opioid use in the USA and related deaths. We also welcomed the different perspectives of Gerard A Kalkman and colleagues,1 concluding that universal health care and addiction care in Europe contributes greatly to preventing an opioid epidemic of US proportions. If we agree with many points, we respectfully disagree that this prevention is homogeneously helping to prevent such a crisis development. The authors mentioned only the opioid crisis i...