Today, the Biden-Harris Administration awarded $50 million to launch the Persistent Poverty Initiative, an initiative to alleviate the cumulative effects of persistent poverty on cancer outcomes by building research capacity, fostering cancer prevention research, and promoting the implementation of community-based programs. The Persistent Poverty Initiative is the first major program to address the structural and institutional factors of persistent poverty in the context of cancer. It is coordinated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These awards create five new Centers for Cancer Control Research in Persistent Poverty Areas that will advance key priorities of the Administration’s Cancer Moonshot — to reduce inequities in the structural drivers of cancer and prevent more cancers before they start by reducing tobacco use and making sure everyone has access to healthy food. [NIH]

Persistent poverty areas are defined as those where, for the past 30 years, 20% or more of the population has lived below the federal poverty line. People who live in such areas have a higher incidence of cancer, experience delays in cancer diagnosis and treatment, and are more likely to die from cancer than people who do not live in poverty. However, there has been limited research on how to improve cancer outcomes in persistent poverty areas.

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New estimates predict more than 1.3 billion people worldwide will have diabetes by 2050, up from about 529 million in 2021, according to research published in The Lancet.  [Beckers Clinical Leadership & Infection Control}

"Diabetes will be a defining disease of this century," journal editors wrote in an accompanying editorial on the findings. "How the health community deals with diabetes in the next two decades will shape population health and life expectancy for the next 80 years."

The surge is expected to be driven by type 2 diabetes, which is largely driven by the prevalence of obesity. In the editorial, researchers pointed to structural racism and geographical inequity as drivers of diabetes, underscoring the importance of social determinants of health. 

"Addressing structural racism must become a core component of preventive strategies and health promotion — areas that invariably receive too little investment," the editorial said. 

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The Department of Healthcare and Family Services released proposed rules last week intended to address the rising costs of a program that provides Medicaid-like coverage for certain undocumented individuals. [Health News Illinois]

That includes a pause for new enrollees between 42 and 64 on July 1. Seniors can still join, unless their enrollment reaches 16,500. The department said it will reopen enrollment “as soon as fiscally possible.”

Additionally, the department may implement copays for hospital services not eligible for a federal match, such as $250 for inpatient hospitalizations and $100 for emergency room visits.

The program offers coverage to undocumented immigrants 42 years and older who do not qualify for other medical assistance and have an income at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level.

Officials have estimated the program will cost the state $1.1 billion without restrictions. Advocates of the program have pushed back on those figures.

The agency said it has already taken steps to enhance revenue for the program, including maximizing “federal reimbursement for emergency medical expenses” and pursuing supplemental prescription drug rebates for the covered undocumented population.

It will also transition enrollees to Medicaid managed care next year, which HFS said will generate additional funds through taxes it collects on managed care organizations.

The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus said in a statement that the proposal “is disappointing but is also a call to action.”

“We will continue to fight for healthcare for all Illinoisans,” they said. “Latino Caucus members have not given up — and will pursue closing the gap in coverage until we achieve healthcare for all residents. The often-disenfranchised communities we represent sent us to Springfield to be their voice; we will never turn our backs on them.”

The Healthy Illinois Campaign condemned the agency’s proposal, calling on the Pritzker administration to work with lawmakers and advocates to ensure healthcare access.

“By slashing live-saving health coverage for Illinois immigrants, Gov. Pritzker is turning his back on the communities he claims Illinois welcomes and aligning himself with anti-immigrant Republicans around the country,” they said in a statement.

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Since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in the summer of 2022, almost half of states have banned abortion or placed gestational limits on the procedure. These restrictions disproportionately impact individuals who live in the South and Midwest—and much has been written about the dire consequences for women who face reproductive emergencies and physicians who face potential prosecution (or license forfeiture) for exercising their professional judgment in providing care. The consequences for training in lifesaving procedures is another area of great and growing concern.

There is another consequence to restricting abortion that many policy makers may not have considered: banning abortion is likely to deter physicians from practicing in those states altogether.

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Gov. JB Pritzker joined stakeholders Wednesday to launch the next step in an initiative aimed at addressing homelessness in the state.

Officials said the summit aimed to bring potential solutions and strategies to the state’s multi-year approach to expand affordable housing options; assist individuals in high-risk situations, specifically those who need medical care; and provide additional support for those experiencing homelessness. [Health News Illinois]

“The summit is an opportunity to come together and hear from the lived experiences of those who have experienced homelessness," Deputy Gov. Sol Flores said in a statement. "That perspective and the equity it centers is invaluable in this work."

Additionally, Pritzker’s office said the initiative aims to support the safety net and address the mortality gap through a racial equity lens.

“This is a first-of-its-kind, multi-agency endeavor — bringing together state agencies, nonprofit organizations, advocates and people with lived experience to take an intergovernmental approach to preventing and ending homelessness,” Pritzker said in a statement.

 The governor’s office noted the recently approved state budget allocates nearly $360 million for the effort, including $118 million to support unhoused populations seeking shelter and services and $35 million for services like medical respite.

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Black Chicagoans continue to face significant health disparities, including a 10-year life expectancy gap compared to white residents, according to a recent report  from the Chicago Urban League. [Health News Illinois]

The report, which was prepared by both the league and the Institute for Racial Justice at Loyola University Chicago, also found 45 percent of residents of the city’s 27 predominately Black neighborhoods have low food accessibility, compared to 27 percent of residents living in the 11 predominately white neighborhoods.

Hypertension and obesity are twice as high in Black neighborhoods compared to others. Lead poisoning in children ages five and under was nearly seven times more likely in Black neighborhoods than white ones.

The data represents the continued impact of social determinants of health on Black Chicagoans.

“In assessing the health of Black Chicagoans, it must be understood that the lack of health is a consequence of historical systems of oppression that created significant barriers to healthcare,” the report says. “There are numerous social, economic and environmental determinants of health, including access to education, fresh and healthy food, economic stability, safe homes and neighborhoods as well as a responsive healthcare system.”

 About 29 percent of Chicagoans are Black, down 3 percent over the past decade.

Download report here.

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CMS Announces Multi-State Initiative to Strengthen Primary Care

New Model Aims to Enhance Access and Quality of Primary Care, Improve Health System

Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new primary care model – the Making Care Primary (MCP) Model – that will be tested under the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation in eight states. Access to high-quality primary care is associated with better health outcomes and equity for people and communities. MCP is an important step in strengthening the primary care infrastructure in the country, especially for safety net and smaller or independent primary care organizations. The model seeks to improve care for patients by expanding and enhancing care management and care coordination, equipping primary care clinicians with tools to form partnerships with health care specialists, and leveraging community-based connections to address patients’ health needs as well as their health-related social needs.

More> https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-announces-multi-state-initiative-strengthen-primary-care

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