Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are poised to help fill the gap created by the shortage of primary care physicians in Nebraska as more people gain access to health care through the Affordable Care Act. But just like with primary care physicians, there is a shortage of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in the state. Two recent studies released by the University of Nebraska Medical Center reveal that the state will need 21 more primary care nurse practitioners and 23 more physician assistants by 2014 to meet… Continue Reading
Health Policy
A new study conducted in the Center for Health Policy at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health has determined that racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to be screened for colorectal cancer in the United States. The study, which analyzed data from across the country between 2000 and 2005, was conducted by Jim Stimpson, Ph.D., director of the Center for Health Policy at UNMC. Results were published in the December issue of the public health journal, Health Affairs. View article
A UNMC study found that Nebraska woefully lacks primary care physicians across the state and the shortage is even more dramatic in rural parts of the state. View article
Expansion of Nebraska’s Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would bring in at least $2.9 billion in revenue from the federal government by 2020, potentially finance more than 10,000 on-going jobs, and reduce charity care by $650 million from 2014-2019, a report released by a UNMC center indicates. View article
A UNMC study has found that the number of uninsured people under the age of 65 in Nebraska increased by 67.4 percent between 2000 and 2010. The study determined that the number of uninsured’s has increased from 8.9 percent (156,300 people) in 2000 to 14.9 percent (217,100 people) in 2010.
Public Health in the National News – On June 28, 2012, the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act, with the majority opinion that Congress has the authority to use the taxing power endowed by the Constitution to impose the individual mandate. Another key ruling from the Court was that a provision of the ACA to expand the Medicaid program for individuals from 100% of the federal poverty level to 133% of the federal poverty level is optional, rather than required of state governments. You… Continue Reading
In March, the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health established a new Center for Health Policy. The center will focus on policy solutions that improve the health of Nebraskans, and it will analyze policies ranging from healthcare reform to distracted and impaired driving laws.