Health Care Access and Use
How does the U.S. measure child vaccinations? This blog explains the development and data collection methods of the National Immunization Survey (NIS), how users can access the data, and provides a brief overview of the latest NIS data.
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of telehealth services and the crucial role of broadband internet subscriptions in making those services possible. In this blog, we look at variation in states’ progress on improving the share of households with home broadband internet services… Read more
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth use has exploded. But what is telehealth? And what is telehealth vs telemedicine vs telecare? We explain the differences in this blog, along with discussion of the history of telehealth and the impact of COVID-19.
Increasingly high and unaffordable health care costs can lead to forgoing medical care, which can impact overall health. This blog explores rates of forgone care due to cost over time, by state, and by subgroup using SHADAC’s State Health Compare.
In this blog, we use MNHA data to better understand access to mental health care and health care affordability in Minnesota. Our study's results suggest that individuals with unmet needs for mental health care in Minnesota may also have difficulty accessing it due to cost barriers.
What are MOUD? In this blog, we explore Medications for Opioid Use Disorder, reviewing a definition for OUD, a list of currently approved MOUD, how these medications work, and current barriers for their access and use.
This issue of gaps in care for teen health and young adults was the focus of a recent research study by SHADAC Research Fellow Robert Hest and SHADAC co-founder Kathleen Call published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
In May 2025, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) partnered with SHADAC on a survey to assess how Minnesotans perceive the Minnesota Medicaid program (known as Medical Assistance in Minnesota). You can read the details of the survey and our findings in this blog.
What Is a “Countercyclical” Policy or Program? How Medicaid Protects People When the Economy Falters
Countercyclical policy or programs (like Medicaid) have government spending increase during economic downturns and decrease during economic growth. This protects access to health care coverage - learn how in this blog.
State Health Compare uses data from the 2023 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to update various measures. Learn about this NHIS data and measures in this blog.