Health Care Week in Review: Childhood Obesity on the Rise, ACA Repeal, Weekend Warriors, ACO Hospitals

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Here's The Latest in Health Care:
• In a recent analysis released this week by the nonprofit Fair Health, studies have shown a sharp rise in obesity-linked diagnosis among kids and teens. These findings come amidst a rise in obesity-related insurance claims for youth under the age of 22. Whatever the underlying cause of the increase, one thing remains certain: the longer children remain obese, the more likely they are to get diabetes. The challenge is providing the resources that will be necessary to address this emerging situation. Read More
• The ongoing Affordable Care Act (ACA) debate continues as Republicans push forward with a repeal. Lawmakers have cautioned about moving too quickly and some even Republicans have asked to delay repeal of the ACA until a replacement plan is in place. However, after seven hours of voting this Thursday and objections from Democrats, a budget that could possibly dismantle the ACA received the needed simple majority, 51-48, to pass the Senate. Read More
• Recent observational studies have found that "weekend warriors", or individuals who pack in their workouts into one or two sessions over the weekend, are equally less likely to die prematurely as individuals who meet the recommended guidelines of five moderate 30-minute sessions each week. But don't get too comfy on the weekdays. There are still a lot more health benefits to spreading out your exercise throughout the week! Read More
• A new study recently published by Health Affairs has found that hospitals affiliated with accountable care organizations (ACOs) were able to reduce readmission rates of nursing home patients in contrast to other hospitals. What exactly are ACOs doing differently to improve readmission rates? Researchers are calling for additional studies to examine the discharge behaviors and care coordination of ACO-affiliated hospitals to determine their impact on these statistics. Read More
Each Friday, Signor Goat reports the latest from the week in health care. Check back next Friday for your dose of our little medical corner of health care news. Brought to you by pMD, innovators in charge capture software.