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Background This study (NCT01915888) assessed public health impact of Rotarix , GSK [RV1] vaccination. Methods Children born between 2007–2011 were identified from Truven Commercial Claims and Encounters Databases and observed until earlier of plan disenrollment or five years old. Children receiving one or two doses of RV1 during the vaccination window were assigned to incomplete and complete vaccination cohorts, respectively. Children without rotavirus (RV) vaccination (RV1 OR RotaTeq, Merck & Co., Inc. [RV5]) were assigned to the unvaccinated cohort. Claims with International Classification of Disease 9th edition (ICD-9) codes for diarrhea and RV infections were identified. First RV episode incidence, RV-related and diarrhea-related healthcare resource utilization were compared. Multivariate Poisson regression with generalized estimating equations was used to generate 95% confidence intervals (CIs) around incidence rate ratios (IRR) between cohorts while adjusting for gender, age and calendar year. Mean costs for first RV and diarrhea episodes were calculated with adjustment for gender and birth year; bootstrapping was used to determine statistically significant differences between cohorts. Results Incidence of first RV episodes was significantly reduced in complete and incomplete vaccination cohorts compared to the unvaccinated cohort (IRR = 0.17 [95%CI: 0.09–0.30] and IRR = 0.19 [95%CI: 0.06–0.58], respectively). RV-related inpatient, outpatient and emergency room (ER) visits were significantly lower for complete vaccination versus unvaccinated cohort. Diarrhea-related inpatient and ER visit rates were significantly lower for complete vaccination versus unvaccinated cohorts; outpatient rates were similar. RV-related and diarrhea-related resource utilization rates were significantly lower or no different for incomplete vaccination versus unvaccinated cohort. Compared with unvaccinated children, adjusted mean cost for first RV episode and first diarrhea episode per 1000 persons was $11,511 (95%CI: $9855-$12,024) and $46,772 (95%CI: $26,268-$66,604) lower, respectively, for completely vaccinated children. Conclusions RV1 vaccination confers benefits in reduction of RV incidence, RV- and diarrhea-related healthcare resource utilization, and RV- and diarrhea-related healthcare costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declaring a public health emergency in Hawaiʻi due to deadly wildfires, providing resources and flexibilities to address the situation, including healthcare support for Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries.

The article stressing early literacy to new parents in the liabrary. Topics include many people today rely on the internet for quick information, new parents are still highly reliant on family and friends; chance to introduce them to songs, fingerplays, games, and books, and offer early literacy tips and suggestions; and Bookleggers come from all walks of life and are able to spread the word to family and friends who may not be library users.

The article talks about the State of the Union Address delivered by U.S. President Donald Trump before a joint session of Congress highlighting additional funds for neonatal research. Topics discussed include plans of Trump of submitting the Administration's Fiscal Year 2021 budget proposal, funding for Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Services; and the Supporting Maternal Health Innovation (Supporting MHI) Program.

Medical News in Brief New recommendations from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) could simplify the ability of schools to provide health care, particularly mental health services, to students. New Mexico and Oregon join 12 other states that have expanded Medicaid payment for school-based health care services. Graph The CMS guide outlines ways to make it easier for schools to be reimbursed for health care delivered to students enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, which together cover more than 41 million children. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: For a quarter century, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has provided essential health care coverage for children and pregnant women in working families. Established as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, CHIP provides critical coverage for children living in families with incomes falling between eligibility for Medicaid and employment-based coverage. Since its enactment, CHIP has markedly reduced the number of children who were uninsured in 2020 to approximately 3.7 million children (5.0%), an extraordinary 67% reduction. This article traces the history of the federal CHIP legislation based in large part upon the success of Pennsylvania’s innovative efforts.Review of the literature. Personal Communications.Since its enactment, CHIP has markedly reduced the number of children who were uninsured in 2020 to approximately 3.7 million children (5.0%), an extraordinary 67% reduction.This article traces the history of the federal CHIP legislation based in large part upon the success of Pennsylvania’s innovative efforts. The authors certify that the material presented in this article was prepared in accord with prevailing ethical principles.Methods: For a quarter century, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has provided essential health care coverage for children and pregnant women in working families. Established as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, CHIP provides critical coverage for children living in families with incomes falling between eligibility for Medicaid and employment-based coverage. Since its enactment, CHIP has markedly reduced the number of children who were uninsured in 2020 to approximately 3.7 million children (5.0%), an extraordinary 67% reduction. This article traces the history of the federal CHIP legislation based in large part upon the success of Pennsylvania’s innovative efforts.Review of the literature. Personal Communications.Since its enactment, CHIP has markedly reduced the number of children who were uninsured in 2020 to approximately 3.7 million children (5.0%), an extraordinary 67% reduction.This article traces the history of the federal CHIP legislation based in large part upon the success of Pennsylvania’s innovative efforts. The authors certify that the material presented in this article was prepared in accord with prevailing ethical principles.Results: For a quarter century, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has provided essential health care coverage for children and pregnant women in working families. Established as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, CHIP provides critical coverage for children living in families with incomes falling between eligibility for Medicaid and employment-based coverage. Since its enactment, CHIP has markedly reduced the number of children who were uninsured in 2020 to approximately 3.7 million children (5.0%), an extraordinary 67% reduction. This article traces the history of the federal CHIP legislation based in large part upon the success of Pennsylvania’s innovative efforts.Review of the literature. Personal Communications.Since its enactment, CHIP has markedly reduced the number of children who were uninsured in 2020 to approximately 3.7 million children (5.0%), an extraordinary 67% reduction.This article traces the history of the federal CHIP legislation based in large part upon the success of Pennsylvania’s innovative efforts. The authors certify that the material presented in this article was prepared in accord with prevailing ethical principles.Discussion: For a quarter century, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has provided essential health care coverage for children and pregnant women in working families. Established as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, CHIP provides critical coverage for children living in families with incomes falling between eligibility for Medicaid and employment-based coverage. Since its enactment, CHIP has markedly reduced the number of children who were uninsured in 2020 to approximately 3.7 million children (5.0%), an extraordinary 67% reduction. This article traces the history of the federal CHIP legislation based in large part upon the success of Pennsylvania’s innovative efforts.Review of the literature. Personal Communications.Since its enactment, CHIP has markedly reduced the number of children who were uninsured in 2020 to approximately 3.7 million children (5.0%), an extraordinary 67% reduction.This article traces the history of the federal CHIP legislation based in large part upon the success of Pennsylvania’s innovative efforts. The authors certify that the material presented in this article was prepared in accord with prevailing ethical principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HPV vaccination rates remain suboptimal in the United States. While the current literature focuses on expressly hesitant parents, few studies have examined parents with "high intent", or those indicating they definitely will vaccinate and have had the opportunity but not yet vaccinated their adolescents. Our objective was to differentiate characteristics of mothers with high intent from those who already vaccinated their adolescents using various socioeconomic, previous vaccine decision-making, and healthcare provider relationship-related variables. English-speaking mothers or female guardians of adolescents ages 11–14 years living in low HPV vaccine uptake states within the U.S. in September 2018 were recruited from a national survey panel as part of a larger study. We assessed HPV vaccine status of their adolescents and categorized respondents into two categories: Already Vaccinated and High Intent. We assessed differences using a multivariable logistic regression model. Among 2406 mothers, 18% reported high intent vs. 82% already having vaccinated. Mothers with high intent were more likely to identify as non-Hispanic White (p = 0.01), to have a younger adolescent (p < 0.001), and to report not receiving a provider HPV vaccination recommendation (p < 0.001). Mothers who estimated that half/more (vs. less) of their child's friends have received/will receive the vaccine had higher odds of already vaccinating (p < 0.001). Our findings suggest that clinicians may be able to improve HPV vaccination uptake within their practices by giving repeated, high-quality recommendations to parents of children who are not yet vaccinated. Additionally, these findings indicate perceived social norms may play a large role in on-time vaccine uptake. Reassuring hesitant parents that most parents accept the vaccine may also improve uptake in clinical practice. • The strength and quality of a provider HPV vaccine recommendation matters for vaccine acceptance. • Providers should give mothers a strong HPV vaccine recommendation starting at the age 9 well visit. • Social norms (child's friends being vaccinated) influence maternal HPV vaccine decisions. • Lack of health insurance for their child is a barrier for maternal HPV vaccine acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Question prompt lists (QPLs) have been effective at increasing patient involvement and question asking in medical appointments, which is critical for shared decision making. We investigated whether pre-visit preparation (PVP), including a QPL, would increase question asking among caregivers of pediatric patients with undiagnosed, suspected genetic conditions. Caregivers were randomized to receive the PVP before their appointment (n = 59) or not (control, n = 53). Appointments were audio-recorded. Transcripts were analyzed to determine questions asked. Caregivers in the PVP group asked more questions (Mean PVP = 4.36, SD PVP = 4.66 vs. Mean control = 2.83, SD control = 3.03 , p = 0.045), including QPL questions (Mean PVP = 1.05, SD PVP = 1.39 vs. Mean control = 0.36, SD control = 0.81, p = 0.002). Caregivers whose child had insurance other than Medicaid in the PVP group asked more total and QPL questions than their counterparts in the control group (ps = 0.005 and 0.002); there was no intervention effect among caregivers of children with Medicaid or no insurance (p s = 0.775 and 0.166). The PVP increased question asking but worked less effectively among traditionally underserved groups. Additional interventions, including provider-focused efforts, may be needed to promote engagement of underserved patients. Patient/family-focused interventions may not be beneficial for all populations. Providers should be aware of potential implicit and explicit biases and encourage question asking to promote patient/family engagement. • A question prompt list increased question asking among pediatric patient caregivers. • But the question prompt list worked less effectively among underserved groups. • Additional interventions are needed to ensure research benefits diverse populations. • Improving engagement of underserved patients also requires changes by providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We examined the association between utilization of care for a dental problem (utilization-DP) and parent-reported dental problem (DP) urgency among children with DP by type of health care insurance coverage.Methods: We used weighted 2008 National Health Interview Survey data from 2,834 children, aged 2-17 years with at least one DP within the 6 months preceding survey. Explanatory variables were selected based on Andersen's model of healthcare utilization. Need was considered urgent if DP included toothache, bleeding gums, broken or missing teeth, broken or missing filling, or decayed teeth and otherwise as non-urgent. The primary enabling variable, insurance, had four categories: none, private health no dental coverage (PHND), private health and dental (PHD), or Medicaid/State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Predisposing variables included sociodemographic characteristics. We used bivariate and multivariate analyses to identify explanatory variables' association with utilization-DP. Using logistic regression, we obtained adjusted estimates of utilization-DP by urgency for each insurance category.Results: In bivariate analyses, utilization-DP was associated with both insurance and urgency. In multivariate analyses, the difference in percent utilizing care for an urgent versus non-urgent DP among children covered by Medicaid/SCHIP was 32 percentage points; PHD, 25 percentage points; PHND, 12 percentage points; and no insurance, 14 percentage points. The difference in utilization by DP urgency was higher for children with Medicaid/SCHIP compared with either PHND or uninsured children.Conclusion: Expansion of Medicaid/SCHIP may permit children to receive care for urgent DPs who otherwise may not, due to lack of dental insurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To help close the children's health insurance coverage gap in the United States, the Atlantic Philanthropies created the KidsWell Campaign, a nearly $29 million, six-year initiative to promote universal children's coverage through coordinated state and federal advocacy efforts. This article presents the major results of the KidsWell evaluation, which found substantial progress in achieving interim policy changes and coverage outcomes. While other funders may not be able to make investments as big or as long as Atlantic's was in KidsWell, the amount required may be lower. Children's-advocacy networks and capacities have already been built, and valuable knowledge and experience have been gained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the impact of children's health insurance programs on health care utilization and health care expenditures of children from 6 to 14 years old in Vietnam using four rounds of the Vietnam Household Living Standard Surveys from 2006 to 2012. We find a positive effect of both student and free health insurance programs on the number of health care visits. This positive impact tends to increase over time, and the impact of the free health insurance program is larger than the impact of the student health insurance program. Regarding out-of-pocket health expenditures per visit, we find a reducing effect on this outcome of the free health insurance program but not the student health insurance program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although a sizable literature analyzes the effects of public health insurance programs on short-run health outcomes, little prior work has examined their long-term effects. We examine the effects of public insurance expansions among children in the 1980s and 1990s on their future educational attainment. We find that expanding health insurance coverage for low-income children increases the rate of high school and college completion. These estimates are robust to only using federal Medicaid expansions and mostly are due to expansions that occur when the children are not newborns. Our results indicate that the long-run benefits of public health insurance are substantial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the immediate and longer-term mortality effects of public health insurance eligibility during childhood. Our identification exploits expansions in Medicaid eligibility that applied only to children born after September 30, 1983. This feature resulted in a large discontinuity in the cumulative years of eligibility of children at this birth date cutoff. Under the expansions, black children gained twice the years of Medicaid eligibility as white children. We find a later-life decline in the rate of disease-related mortality for black cohorts born after the cutoff. We find no evidence of a similar mortality improvement for white children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The children's legislation was followed in 2022 by the Maryland General Assembly adding diagnostic, preventive, restorative, and periodontal oral health care benefits for adults enrolled in Medicaid [7]. Thanks to the vision of the Maryland Governor, the Maryland General Assembly, and many stakeholders, the recommendations were enacted into Maryland law with significant new funding [3]. In February 2007, a dental infection led to the needless tragic death of Deamonte Driver, a 12-year-old Maryland boy. [Extracted from the article]