Employers Are Doing a Terrible Job of Covering the Cost of Pregnancy

Employers Are Doing a Terrible Job of Covering the Cost of Pregnancy

If you get insurance through your employer, you don’t have to worry about whether insurance will cover maternity care. The company is required to do so by law. But that doesn’t mean the insurer will be very generous. Because in the United States, having coverage doesn’t mean you’re well-covered. Employers are increasingly corralling their employees into high…

American Physicians Lack Diversity— Here’s One Way to Change That
|

American Physicians Lack Diversity— Here’s One Way to Change That

African Americans make up 13% of the country’s population, but only 4% of American physicians are black. This lack of racial diversity in the profession is tragic, denying this prestigious career to many worthy people and undermining the health of many African Americans, who are more likely to receive important medical services when they’re cared for by black…

Pandemics and Overdoses: COVID-19 May Worsen Our Opioid Epidemic
| |

Pandemics and Overdoses: COVID-19 May Worsen Our Opioid Epidemic

The novel coronavirus has decimated our economy at the same time as it has directly threatened our health. As if that weren’t bad enough, the economic damage Covid-19 is causing could have an indirect impact on our health. Consider what we already know about economic downturns and opioid overdoses. A research team led by Atheendar…

A Matter of Life-or-Death: The Type of Nurses Your Hospital Employs

A Matter of Life-or-Death: The Type of Nurses Your Hospital Employs

Good medical outcomes often depends on good nursing care. When hospitals cut back on nursing care, patient mortality rates climb. If you want a good hospital, pick one that doesn’t skimp on the nurse-to-patient ratio. You should also look at the education level of nurses a hospital employs. Because not all nurses are equally skilled….

Income Inequality is Killing Us

Income Inequality is Killing Us

It’s easy to think of good healthcare as being the key to a long, healthy life. But socioeconomic circumstances often play a far bigger role in life expectancy than access to high-quality healthcare. Consider the strong relationship between socioeconomic circumstances and life expectancy in Norway, a place where healthcare access is universal. Let’s start with money. People…