Health
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Enduring Damage: The Effects of Childhood Poverty on Adult Health
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This piece, first published on November 27, 2013, is being republished as part of the Chicago Policy Review‘s 20th Anniversary Series. Please visit us here to learn more about the series from our Executive Editors. Many of the costs of poverty are self-evident. Lack of reliable access to basic needs such as food, housing, and medicine…
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Is Patient Activation the Answer? Engaged Patients Could Yield Lower Costs for Hospitals
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Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are growing rapidly in the United States because of new pay-for-performance incentives under the Affordable Care Act. These provider networks currently cover more than 28 million patients across the country, whereby they agree to cover a set number of patients for a fixed cost per year.…
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Getting Older and Getting Around: Transportation Options for Senior Citizens
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A new study reviews the transportation preferences of senior citizens.
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Taking a Closer Look at Elderly Medicaid Recipients
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Understanding how elderly individuals ultimately rely on Medicaid could be key to implementing changes that protect the fiscal longevity of both Medicaid and Medicare.
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Hidden Costs of High-Deductible Plans
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A very large firm switched from completely subsidized insurance plans to high-deductible insurance plans, resulting in a reduction of 13 percent in total health spending. Evidence suggests that consumers are potentially reducing both wasteful and needed medical care, thus behaving counter to their financial and medical interests.
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The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games: Spillover Effects on Air Quality and Health
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A study links special government controls on pollution enacted during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing to significant increases in air quality and significant decreases in mortality rates associated with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
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The Role of Drought and Climate Change in Syrian Conflict
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A recent study shows how climate change contributed to the 2007-2010 drought and how this affected conflict in Syria.
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Paving the Way towards Healthier Consumption Habits to Tackle Obesity: The Mexican Soda Tax Case
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New evidence on the effects of the Mexican soda tax suggests successful intermediate effects of raising the real prices of sodas and avoiding shifts in consumption towards other caloric beverages.
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Show Me the Calories? Calorie Counts on Menu Boards May Not Impact Consumer Choice in Restaurants
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A new study finds that posting calorie counts on menu boards in fast food restaurants increases awareness of information but does not impact long-term purchasing decisions.
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Using Value-Added Measures to Assess Healthcare
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At the core of healthcare reform is the goal to maximize value for patients at the lowest cost possible. As is shown in this study, value-added measures can give valuable insight into the effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare providers.

