In Brief: Kaiser Survey Uncovers Factual Disconnects on ACA; UCSF Study Questions Treatment For Anorexia
Kaiser Family Foundation Says Californians Have Factual Disconnects On ACA
Despite a large number of uninsured Californians believe they need healthcare coverage, a new poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) concluded few of moderate means believe they would qualify for tax subsidies when purchasing coverage through the state's health insurance exchange.
Eighty percent of the 2,000 uninsured Californians surveyed by the KFF between July 11 and Aug. 29 said they needed health insurance coverage, and 72% of those between the ages of 19 and 25 also believe they needed coverage. And 57% believed health insurance is worth the money. A large majority, 64%, reported they had to forego medical care due to their personal finances.
However, 75% of those surveyed who would qualify for subsidies do not believe they're eligible for assistance, or have no idea if they qualify.
Among those undocumented immigrants surveyed, 49% believe they will qualify for coverage through the Medi-Cal program, even though federal law bars their enrollment in virtually every instance.
“The uninsured face a steep learning curve,” said Mollyann Brodie, a KFF senior vice president who heads its public opinion and survey research team. “The outreach and enrollment campaigns have intensified since we completed this first wave survey, and this group really needs that information and assistance to understand their options under the ACA.”
The survey of Californians is the first of several planned by the KFF, officials said.
UCSF Study Questions Traditional Treatment For Anorexic Teens
A new study by UC San Francisco researchers suggests that plying anorexia inpatients with higher calorie diets during their treatments leads to quicker weight gain and potential recovery.
Traditional guidelines recommend that patients of the disease – a psychological affliction that leads to self-starvation – be started on diets of around 1,100 to 1,200 calories per day, with 200-calorie increases every other day.
UCSF researchers studied 56 anorexia patients who were started with 1,800 calories daily and had their diets boosted by 120 calories every day. The weight gain was nearly double compared to the control group, who was started on an 1,100-calorie diet that was boosted by 100 calories daily. Hospital stays were also reduced by an average of seven days.
“This higher calorie approach is a major shift in treatment that looks really promising – not only from a clinical perspective of better weight gain, but from the perspective of these young people who want to get better quickly and get back to their ‘real’ lives,” said Andrea Garber, an associate professor of pediatrics in UCSF's adolescent medicine division. “This is the first study to follow patients in the hospital on a more aggressive feeding protocol, and it’s clear that we’re seeing better results as compared to the traditional approach.”
The findings of the study will be published in the November edition of the Journal of Adolescent Health.
