Tag Archives: health coverage

Report card shows erosion of health insurance coverage in the states

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About Joseph Burns

Joseph Burns (@jburns18), a Massachusetts-based independent journalist, is AHCJ’s topic leader on health insurance. He welcomes questions and suggestions on insurance resources and tip sheets at joseph@healthjournalism.org.

Chart: Commonwealth Fund

In four of the states that have not expanded Medicaid eligibility have among the highest rates of uninsured residents, according to a Commonwealth Fund report.Source: “2020 Scorecard on State Health System Performance,” The Commonwealth Fund, September 2020.

The coronavirus has certainly pushed the health care system into a crisis. Still, even before the pandemic began earlier this year, health insurance coverage in the states already was being eroded and health care costs were rising sharply along with the number of preventable deaths, according to a new report by the Commonwealth Fund.

In addition to those sad statistics, the fund’s researchers show in the 2020 Scorecard on State Health System Performance that racial and ethnic disparities were getting worse as well. Continue reading →

Blogger’s open letter criticizes Snyderman

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About Pia Christensen

Pia Christensen (@AHCJ_Pia) is the managing editor/online services for AHCJ. She manages the content and development of healthjournalism.org, coordinates AHCJ's social media efforts and edits and manages production of association guides, programs and newsletters.

Daily Kos contributor JDWolverton posts  his critical open letter to Dr. Nancy Snyderman, the host of MSNBC’s new midday health show, and pleads for her to cover health care reform from the perspective of the average consumer.

Wolverton also says she does not “quote peer reviewed sources,” has not revealed to viewers that the frequently quoted Lewin Group is owned by United HealthCare, and has issues with how she describes the current U.S. health care system and the options for reform.

The 1,000-plus word letter ends with the request that Snyderman “Do a real health care oriented show that does more than fluff pieces” and has four specific ideas for improving the show.

Snyderman previously worked for ABC, which suspended her for a week after she made a radio commercial for Tylenol. She later left ABC to become vice president of medical affairs for Johnson & Johnson – maker of Tylenol.