HEALTH DISPARITIES BLOG

December 17, 2008

links for 2008-12-17

• Insurers Seek Presence at Health Care Sessions
  When supporters of President-elect Barack Obama hold house parties to discuss ways of fixing the health care system over the next two weeks, they may find some unexpected guests. The health insurance industry is encouraging its employees and satisfied customers to attend.
• Colon Cancer Rates Higher in Blacks Than Whites
  The incidence of colorectal cancer is declining in the United States, but blacks are developing the disease and dying of it at higher rates than whites, and the racial gap is widening, the American Cancer Society has reported.
• Economics May Play Role in Crowding, Boarding in Emergency Departments
  According to researchers discussing the issue during a session on emergency department crowding at the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Scientific Assembly held here in October, the current system of offering hospital beds on a first-come, first-served basis favors patients undergoing elective procedures that are scheduled sometimes days or weeks in advance. These patients also are more profitable to a hospital than patients admitted through the emergency department.