American journal of public health
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We investigated how access to and continuity of care might be affected by transitions between health insurance coverage sources, including the Marketplace (also called the Exchange), Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). ⋯ Transitions from the Marketplace to Medicaid or CHIP may result in different degrees of physician disruption for consumers depending on where they live and what type of Marketplace product they purchase.
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In 2012, the New York City Board of Health passed a regulation prohibiting the sale of sugar-sweetened beverages in containers above 16 ounces in the city's food service establishments. The beverage industry and various retailers sued the city to prevent enforcement of the law, arguing that the board had overstepped its authority. ⋯ We identified major arguments in support of and against the sugar-sweetened beverage portion limit policy. We offer legal and scientific arguments that challenge the major anti-policy arguments and contend that, although this policy was not implemented in New York City, it can be legally pursued by other legislatures.
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We used "hot spotting" to characterize the persons most frequently admitted to the New York City jail system in 2013. ⋯ Frequently incarcerated persons have chronic mental health and substance use problems, their charges are generally minor, and incarceration is costly. Tailored supportive housing is likely to be less costly and improve outcomes.
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Prescription monitoring programs (PMPs), state-level databases that collect patient-specific prescription information at the time medications are dispensed, have been suggested as tools to address the overdose epidemic. We reviewed all laws in the United States (n = 25) that articulated the purposes PMPs are intended to serve. ⋯ Only 5 purpose statements mentioned the promotion of public health as goals of the PMP, and only 3 listed improving health care. None listed overdose prevention as a goal of the PMP.
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US state and local governments are debating sugar-sweetened beverage excise taxes to support public health. A related issue is whether such taxes would apply to beverage purchases made by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants. Federal law proscribes states from collecting excise taxes on SNAP purchases, but the law is confined to taxes at the point of sale. I provide legal analysis and recommendations for policymakers to enact taxes that are not subject to the SNAP tax exemption to potentially deter consumption by all consumers.