Eric Moreno is a Content Curator with the Salud America! program at UT Health San Antonio. He specializes in covering the topics of health equity and family and social support. He holds a BA from the University of Texas at San Antonio and an MA from Gonzaga University.
While hopes have long been high that digital technology would help improve the healthcare for America’s seniors; however, a new study suggests that fewer elderly have made strides online. The study, which surveyed thousands of Medicare patients, determined that only 5%-8% were going online to fill prescriptions, handle health insurance, or communicate with doctors. Also, only 16% were searching for health information online. “There's been this general belief that digital health technology will 'rescue' seniors, and improve their health care quality,” said Dr. David Levine, lead researcher on the study and an internist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Researchers were surprised by the findings and did acknowledged that some seniors can be tech-wary or unable to afford ...
The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) has committed nearly $31 million over the next five years toward launching a new program for “Transdisciplinary Collaborative Centers (TCCs)” that will research health disparities and explore the potential for precision medicine to promote health equity for minorities. “Ultimately, the TCCs will generate new knowledge about precision medicine that resonates from the community level to the national population level,” said Dr. Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, Director of the NIMHD. Although many scientific and technological advances have improved the overall health of the U.S., several racial/ethnic minority, socioeconomically disadvantaged, and rural populations continue to experience a disproportionate share of ...
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have released a new set of resources and tools through their Coverage to Care (C2C) initiative that are designed to help people understand their health coverage and connect their primary care and preventive services. Studies have shown that utilizing healthcare services and preventive care can extend an individual’s lifespan. C2C resources are available in several languages and are designed to help people understand how to better used their coverage to care for their health. Some of the available resources include Navigating Health Coverage. Covered in this area is a step-by-step guide to explain what health coverage is and how to use it to get primary and preventative care services. There are also downloadable .pdf bilingual ...
Educational attainment for U.S. Latinos has rapidly changed in recent years as it has begun reflecting the population’s growth. Latinos have experienced growth in the nation’s public K-12 schools and in its colleges and universities. In the past 10 years, the high school dropout rate for Latinos has declined while college enrollment has increased. Latinos still trail other ethnic and racial groups in terms of bachelor’s degrees earned. In a recent poll, roughly 83% cited education as being very important in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, ranking alongside the economy, health care, and terrorism as the top issues for Latinos. Despite the emphasis on education and the gains Latinos have made, there are still obstacles to college enrollment for many. In a 2014 National ...
Several barriers affect Latinos when it comes to accessing quality health care. Finances, communication, and transportation are three of the most prevalent issues. In North Carolina, these issues, especially communication, are especially acute. Latinos who do not speak English often have to pay extra in rural areas of North Carolina to have a translator with them at their doctor’ “Probably one of the biggest problems [at the Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry (GHCCM)] is communication,” said Sue Troutman, a registered nurse at GHCCM. “If they don’t speak good English, they miss things. Sometimes they don’t know what’s available and that’s partially to the translation barrier.” Even when translators are on staff, the possibility exists that something is ...
The Orange County Convention Center was host to the annual National Latino Family Expo in July. Located in Orlando, Fla. (27% Latino population), the event runs in tandem with the National Council of La Raza’s (NCLR) annual conference. The event included more than 125 exhibitors and drew upward of 20,000 attendees. The free expo connects Latino families with local service providers and included a health fair, job fair, and financial services geared toward Latinos. “We like to partner with local organizations in the cities that we're in,” said Enrique Chaurand, deputy vice president of NCLR. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, and policies. Join our site, connect with others, and get involved. The ...
Since 2001, due to larger socioeconomic forces, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of children benefiting indirectly from Social Security. Economic inequality, income stagnation, immigration, and the recession have all contributed to the rise of extended, multi-generation families with shared living arrangements. In 2014, 3.2 million children under the age of 18 received Social Security. Certain families receive benefits through the survivor insurance program that provides income to the dependents of covered workers how have passed away. Children under the age of 18 also qualify for benefits if they are dependents of a parent or guardian who is disabled or retired. According to the Social Security Administration, with longer life expectancies, elderly Latinos will live ...
The U.S. Department of Education recently announced new federal guidelines for states and school districts across the country to better serve students that do not have a permanent home. The new guidelines were mandated by federal legislation and will become effective on October 1. According to federal data gathered during the 2013-2014 school year, there are 1.3 million homeless students in the U.S. This population is also among the country’s most vulnerable. “Struggling to survive was a constant battle, but having your entire support system, your entire family, stripped from you so quickly and completely – it's an experience I will never be able to fully and accurately articulate,” said Levi Bohanan, special projects manager in the Office of the Secretary of Education and ...
New research released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has determined that if the 19 states that have not yet currently expanded Medicaid benefits were to do so in 2017, up to over 5 million fewer people would go uninsured. The research RWJF utilized for the report is based on Medicaid and Healthcare Marketplace data. The states where the largest drops would occur are Texas, Georgia, and Florida. Groups that would see the largest drops in uninsured rates are adults without kids (over 3.5 million), people with only a high school education (over 2 million), and Hispanics/Latinos (1.2 million). In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, and policies. Join our site, connect with others, and get ...
