skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina s congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Myorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Report: Addressing Non-Medical Factors a Game-Changer for Texans

play audio
Play

Monday, December 12, 2022   

Investing in factors outside the doctor's office could improve Texans' health and save the state money, according to a report from a group appointed to advise the Texas Legislature.

The "Value-Based Payment and Quality Improvement Advisory Committee" looked at how to treat the health impacts around asthma, food insecurity and housing.

Brian Sasser, chief communications officer with the Episcopal Health Foundation, said it's an important lens to view the big picture - because access to medical care is only about 20% of a person's overall health.

"The rest of the 80% that contributes to their health is all outside the doctor's office," said Sasser. "It's where you live, where you work, the neighborhood you live in. Do you have access to healthy foods? Can you exercise? Do you have money to pay for all this kind of stuff?"

The report was prepared by the Episcopal Health Foundation and the Center for Health Care Strategies. It outlines how non-medical programs now used in some other states could be supported by Medicaid in Texas.

That would include using what's called "in lieu of services" authority to pay for programs that cover non-medical drivers of health, instead of covering only traditional medical care.

Sasser said childhood asthma is one of the best examples of how doctors can only do so much.

"If you're a child with asthma, Medicaid and other payers will continue to cover and pay for breathing treatments, ER visits, doctor's visits," said Sasser. "But what they won't pay for right now is for someone to go to your house, determine what's causing your asthma inside your house and taking care of it."

According to the study authors, reviews by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show for every dollar invested, projects returned anywhere from $5 to $14 in overall savings.

Sasser said that would require a twofold shift in Texas.

"So, if we can just shift a little bit of that mindset and a little bit of the money," said Sasser, "from only covering medical care and sick care - and shift that 'upstream,' it'll improve health and it'll save money."

Another successful non-medical program cited in the report includes "food as medicine" projects, such as medically-tailored meals for people with diabetes and other chronic illnesses.



Disclosure: Episcopal Health Foundation contributes to our fund for reporting on Health Issues, Mental Health, Philanthropy, Poverty Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …


Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …


More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social media platform X temporarily shutdown searches of "Taylor Swift" following the release of explicit deepfake images in early 2024. (Mdv Edwards/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Social Issues

play sound

A 2023 study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center concluded the number of Nebraskans with a mental health or substance abuse disorder has pr…

Environment

play sound

A farm group is helping Iowa agriculture producers find ways to reduce the amount of nitrogen they use on their crops. Excess nitrates can wind up …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021