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Riba and Adams op-ed: Four ways Michigan providers can prepare to serve aging veterans

MI Provided serving a veteran

MI Provided serving a veteran

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised awareness of the need for aging veterans’ healthcare. The situation has become more serious as many aging veterans have put off getting medical and mental health treatment because of the pandemic. A recent assessment was conducted to determine the number of health and mental healthcare specialists in Michigan who are qualified to offer the veterans of the state high-quality, competent care.

In a Lansing State Journal op-ed, CHRT Research and Evaluation Director Melissa Riba, and VA Ann Arbor health physician Dr. Megan Adams, share findings from a recent analysis of the readiness and capacity of Michigan’s primary and specialty care providers to serve and provide high-quality care to, the state’s aging veterans. 

Based on the assessment, Riba and Adams also offer four recommendations for Michigan health and mental health care providers, payers, and systems–recommendations that may be of interest to other states–that wish to improve community-based health care for aging veterans:

  1. Screen all patients for veteran status,
  2. Learn about the specific health needs of veterans,
  3. Explore veteran and military culture, and 
  4. A better understanding of the resources and services covered and offered by the Veterans Health Administration.

By following these recommendations, healthcare organizations and systems can contribute to aging veterans’ quality of life improvements and give them the care and assistance they require to age with respect and dignity.

READ THE FULL OP-ED

Iovan in Lansing State Journal: Lost health insurance during the coronavirus pandemic? Here are your options

Lost health insurance image

The words "insured" and "uninsured", with "uninsured" circled in red.“You’re living during an unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, and you just lost your employer-sponsored health insurance. What do you do?” writes Kristan Obeng in today’s Lansing State Journal. Obeng quotes Samantha Iovan, a senior analyst at CHRT, in her guidance for Michiganders.

“We are fortunate we have expanded Medicaid coverage in our state,” says Iovan, who believes many Michiganders who lose their jobs will be eligible. After a job loss, Michiganders have 60 days to apply for Medicaid health insurance coverage through Healthcare.gov. If they miss that window, they may have to wait until open enrollment begins on November 1, 2020.

READ THE STORY

Riba in “Michigan is facing a shortage of primary care doctors. Where does that leave patients?”

Waiting room with lots of patients

In many communities, the shortage of primary care doctors is becoming an increasingly serious concern. Among these areas is Lansing, Michigan, where a shortage of primary care physicians has resulted in long wait times and difficulty accessing healthcare.

Melissa Riba on shortage of primary doctors“… the length of time it takes people to get into primary care. I think that’s a real issue.”

Melissa Riba

Carol Thompson of the Lansing State Journal notes that according to CHRT Research and Evaluation Director Melissa Riba, “over 80 percent of Michigan’s primary care doctors indicated they could take new patients” and 87 percent of patients “said they could get primary care fairly easily.” However, Thompson notes “Physicians might say they can accept new patients, but that doesn’t mean they can accept them soon.”

Riba has heard similar anecdotes of patients who say they struggle to find a doctor to suit their healthcare needs, and “[W]hatever shortage patients feel now likely will get worse within the decade.,” writes Thompson. The article goes on to point out “In CHRT’s Michigan Physician Survey, about 45 percent of the physicians surveyed indicated they would retire and close their practices within 10 years.”

It is evident that the shortage of primary care doctors in Lansing, Michigan presents a significant challenge to residents seeking health care. Long wait times and difficulty accessing health services can delay diagnoses and give poorer health outcomes. It is encouraging to see that efforts are being made to address the shortage. Primary care doctors play a major role in providing preventive care, managing chronic conditions, and coordinating medical care. To improve healthcare outcomes for all residents, we must address the shortage of these healthcare professionals. 

READ THE LANSING STATE JOURNAL ARTICLE HERE

 

Can Michigan win the battle against obesity?

CHRT Director Marianne Udow-Phillips weighs in on the cost of obesity, explaining to the Lansing State Journal how reducing obesity—a preventable condition—could free money for other things.