COVID-19 AND THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC

The Opioid Crisis in the Pandemic Era

A new SHADAC issue brief examines recent trends in the United States’ opioid crisis and patterns in drug overdose death rates in 2021, the most recent year of complete national data on overdose death rates, and represents the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the brief, SHADAC researchers Andrea Stewart and Colin Planalp provide an in-depth background on the crisis, including the explosive rise of fentanyl and how it has become the drug most often associated with overdose deaths, and an analysis of drug overdose death rates overall, across all 50 states, by demographic categories, and by drug type. 

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RECENT WEBINAR

Webinar: COVID-19 Vaccination Disparities

Health inequities are nothing new in the U.S., but the COVID pandemic has placed them in a new light. Numerous studies have reported disparities in how COVID-19 affects many vulnerable groups, often placing them at higher risk of infection, hospitalization, and death. And the inequitable effects of the disease itself are not the only cause for alarm. Once COVID-19 vaccines received authorization, equitable vaccination initiatives became a concern, especially as surveys indicated widespread hesitancy and lagging uptake.

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Webinar: COVID-19 Vaccination Disparities

Health inequities are nothing new in the U.S., but the COVID pandemic has placed them in a new light. Numerous studies have reported disparities in how COVID-19 affects many vulnerable groups, often placing them at higher risk of infection, hospitalization, and death. And the inequitable effects of the disease itself are not the only cause for alarm. Once COVID-19 vaccines received authorization, equitable vaccination initiatives became a concern, especially as surveys indicated widespread hesitancy and lagging uptake.

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MONITORING THE UNWINDING

Tracking Health Insurance Coverage During the Unwinding: Monthly Data from the Household Pulse Survey

This data dashboard and blog use estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey (HPS) to track trends in adult health insurance coverage rates as states “unwind” the Medicaid continuous coverage requirements and restart standard redetermination procedures.

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CALIFORNIA LOWEST UNINSURANCE RATE IN HISTORY

California Achieves Lowest Uninsured Rate Ever in 2022 (Cross-Post)

The share of Californians under age 65 (“nonelderly”) without health insurance reached a historic low in 2022. Based on the most recent California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the percentage of nonelderly Californians without health insurance dropped to 6.2% in 2022, a statistically significant decline from 2021 (7.4%). The rate of nonelderly people without coverage for a year or more also reached a historic low in 2022. Commonly called the “long-term uninsured,” their rate dropped from 5.7% in 2021 to 4.5% in 2022, another statistically significant decline.

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California Achieves Lowest Uninsured Rate Ever in 2022 (Cross-Post)

The share of Californians under age 65 (“nonelderly”) without health insurance reached a historic low in 2022. Based on the most recent California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the percentage of nonelderly Californians without health insurance dropped to 6.2% in 2022, a statistically significant decline from 2021 (7.4%). The rate of nonelderly people without coverage for a year or more also reached a historic low in 2022. Commonly called the “long-term uninsured,” their rate dropped from 5.7% in 2021 to 4.5% in 2022, another statistically significant decline.

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MEASURING HEALTH EQUITY

Health Equity Measurement: Considerations for Selecting a Benchmark (SHVS Brief)

Benchmarking can be used to identify health disparities and establish a standard for evaluating efforts to address health inequities. There is no single ideal benchmark for health equity measurement and it is important to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each before selecting an approach. This brief summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of four common approaches to health equity benchmarking.

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