Latest news with #healthcareaccess
CTV News
16-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Sask. NDP says rural residents not well informed of nearby ER closures
WATCH: The Saskatchewan NDP is calling on the provincial government to improve how people are notified when an emergency room closes in rural areas.
Forbes
15-07-2025
- Health
- Forbes
How The Healthcare Industry Can Address Delays In Psychiatric Care
Amanda Marlar, founder of My Psych Match, improving psychiatric care access by connecting people with complex needs to the right providers. In healthcare, when someone breaks a bone, experiences chest pain or shows signs of a stroke, we don't tell them to come back in a few months. We treat them immediately. But when the crisis is psychiatric—whether it be escalating panic attacks, a severe depressive episode or a behavioral collapse from unmanaged co-occurring conditions such as autism and anxiety—patients are often being forced to wait. Across the United States, the average wait time is 48 days between when a patient initially contacts a provider for mental healthcare and their first appointment. A variety of factors are at play: rising levels of unmet behavioral health needs, a shrinking pool of psychiatric providers, uneven access and narrowly defined roles that limit a provider's scope. The result is a system where an estimated 21.5 million adults navigating complex diagnoses struggle to connect with the right expertise and secure proper care. If leaders in the healthcare system want to decrease costs and improve outcomes, I believe we must first redesign intake processes to support complexity, then address provider shortages, because, as I see it, the biggest cost driver isn't access. It's misalignment. The Individual Risks Of System Failure For individuals navigating severe psychiatric conditions, delays in care pose significant, potentially life-threatening risks. Without timely access to a provider equipped to diagnose and manage complex conditions, patients risk missed school years, job loss, hospitalization or long-term functional decline. The right level of care can help prevent patients from cycling through emergency rooms and temporary solutions. However, with the current system structured around generalized access and generalist providers who often lack the diagnostic specialization needed to treat complex cases, those most in need are the ones least likely to get proper support. A study published in General Hospital Psychiatry found that only 18.5% of psychiatrists in the U.S. were available to accept new patients with non-urgent needs. Even individuals with private insurance didn't fare better, showing that this is a systemic issue consistent across all payer types. The Business Implications Of Inaction The cost of psychiatric care delays extends far beyond the individual. It's also a business problem and a growing liability for healthcare systems, employers, insurers and the broader economy. When patients are mismatched with the wrong provider, they end up needing more tests, referrals and emergency room (ER) visits as their condition progresses. Each step adds friction, time delays and resource costs, resulting in a system of provider networks clogged with inappropriate visits. This isn't good for patients, and it isn't good for business. For employers, these inefficiencies can increase absenteeism, presenteeism, decreased productivity and long-term disability claims. According to the World Health Organization, depression and anxiety alone cost the global economy over $1 trillion annually in lost productivity. And as employers invest heavily in mental health benefits, poorly matched care undermines both outcomes and the return on that investment. The same stress is felt across healthcare systems and insurers. Public systems absorb these costs as patients cycle through crises, often ending up in costly emergency interventions or long-term disability programs that could have been avoided with timely, appropriate care. The Roots Of The Problem (And A Way Forward) Several key factors contribute to psychiatric access delays: workforce shortages, low insurance reimbursement rates and fragmented systems that isolate mental health from the broader healthcare infrastructure. But at a deeper level, I believe the problem stems from how psychiatric care has been commercialized, rewarding rapid growth and serving the general population. Over the past decade, the rise of telehealth has created new opportunities to remove geography as a barrier to care. In many ways, it delivered on that promise. Some platforms' standardized intake processes work reasonably well for patients with short-term anxiety or mild depressive symptoms. But these models can fall short for patients who require clinical diagnosis, medication management and long-term psychiatric care. I believe that the next phase of psychiatric care innovation must come from redesigning intake systems that identify complexity up front. That includes deeper diagnostic assessments, referral networks built around provider specialization and treatment models that go beyond algorithmic matching. These assessments should identify co-occurring conditions and route patients to qualified specialists. In practice, this means asking who the patient is being seen by and whether that provider is equipped to treat the root issue, then quickly getting them into treatment. As we rethink this system, we must also consider that bigger provider lists mean nothing if patients are still being routed to generalists unprepared to manage their needs. Instead, networks should be centered around clinical specialization to create a system with better care and fewer costly crisis interventions that strain the broader healthcare system. Some newer models are addressing this problem differently by developing condition-specific matching systems designed to connect patients with providers who have expertise in diagnosing and managing overlapping conditions. In closing, there is no shortcut to solving psychiatric access. To close the care gap, we must design a system that addresses availability concerns while simultaneously matching patients with the expertise they need. This, in turn, can create a specialized system that serves both patients and businesses. That means redesigning intake processes, expanding networks of specialized providers and building infrastructure that recognizes the complexity of psychiatric care. The longer we rely on generalized models that fail to serve those with complex needs, the longer we allow patients to fall through the cracks. Precision-driven psychiatric care isn't a luxury—it's the next necessary evolution of mental health care delivery. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Rural hospitals brace for painful program eliminations after Trump's megabill signed into law
Toniann Richard, the CEO of the HCC network that works in partnership with many small rural hospitals in Missouri, is sounding the alarm about Medicaid cuts, now that President Trump has signed his so-called big, beautiful bill into law. Richard tells Weekend Primetime anchors, Antonia Hylton, Ayman Mohyeldin and Catherine Rampell that she is concerned about rural hospitals closing, and is worried about what happens to people's access to healthcare.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The hidden tax for those living outside Australian capital cities: 'A big strain'
An Australian business owner who was recently diagnosed with an aggressive type of throat cancer is calling for better accessibility to healthcare for those living outside the nation's major cities, and greater awareness when it comes to treatment plans and insurance. Phil Leahy, from Port Douglas in Queensland's far north, was diagnosed with p16-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) earlier this year. It's a type of throat cancer that typically starts in the tonsils or base of the tongue and is commonly linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV). The Queenslander was forced to leave his home and relocate to Brisbane to embark on an eight-week treatment plan that involves both radiation and chemotherapy. Phil founded his own business MedCart five years ago — a marketplace for medical, healthcare and pharmacy supplies — but was forced to take a major step back when he received his diagnosis. His wife Annabel has taken over the reins from Phil as CEO while he's out of action, and, since falling ill, has also become the primary caretaker of the home. Speaking to Yahoo News, Phil said that because their property is located within a rainforest, it requires regular maintenance, meaning Annabel isn't able to join him in Brisbane for treatment. He said between the cost of travelling back and forth, paying for everyday expenses — including food and transport — and the emotional toll of being separated from your partner, Australians living regionally face a much tougher challenge when it comes to accessing life-saving healthcare. "Because Cairns doesn't offer dual treatment of chemo and radiation, I was forced to go to Brisbane," he said. "So in Far North Queensland, we're at a disadvantage there. And then you've got to think about all those extra costs of going interstate. "There's the accommodation challenge. We were lucky to get an Airbnb that was quite cheap — I think it was $70 a night. But it can be anywhere from $200 a night to $335 or $400 a night for a 49-night stay. My wife is acting as CEO, she's got to manage the house and also the business without me there, so it's a big strain." Phil said he initially opted for private care, thinking it would offer better flexibility and access. But he was surprised to learn that public hospital admission could have covered nearly all his treatment and support, something he only discovered after experiencing substantial out-of-pocket expenses. "I'm 60 years old, and I've been paying for private healthcare from the age of 18 — and I've been thinking twice about that now, if I could roll that back — it's very expensive." Australia records highest rates of 'aggressive' cancer in the world Risky activity Gen Z admit they love despite dire warning Aussie family's remarkable bravery after baby girl's tragic diagnosis With private health insurance in Australia, patients can choose their own hospital and specialist and may avoid long public waitlists. But many costs still aren't fully covered. As an outpatient staying nearby during treatment, Phil had to cover expenses like accommodation, meals, transport, and medications out of pocket, despite having paid for private health insurance for decades. In contrast, the public healthcare system offers broader coverage if you're admitted as a public patient in a public hospital. Under Medicare, most hospital-based treatments — including accommodation, chemotherapy, radiation, and medications — are fully covered. Phil later realised that had he gone through the public system and been admitted to a hospital, the majority of his expenses may have been taken care of. He believes many regional Australians aren't fully informed about how public and private care differ in practice, especially when it comes to serious illnesses like cancer. According to data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), people living in rural and remote areas have higher rates of hospitalisations, deaths, and injury compared to those in major cities. These Australians often need to travel long distances or relocate to access health services or receive specialised treatment. Phil's now calling for clearer guidance, better support systems, and improved access to life-saving treatment for those living outside metropolitan areas. "I'm meant to be at the end of treatment — they said after seven to 10 days, things should start to get better. But at the moment, they're getting worse. So I'm hoping I don't have to go back, but I might have to," Phil said. "[People should] have a good think about whether they want to declare that they're going private. They might want to just go with public and get everything covered. "I'll tell you that the doctors and nurses going down the private road were fantastic, and I wouldn't change that. But I didn't know what the other side was like either." A fundraiser to assist Phil and his family with costs has been established and can be viewed here. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
New York Times
06-07-2025
- Health
- New York Times
‘Tears My Heart to Pieces': North Carolina Braces for Medicaid Cuts
The only hospital in Martin County, N.C., closed in 2023, but the electricity is still on inside. Air conditioning continues to keep its empty patient rooms cool. And the county still pays the bills for the building's medical gas system. That is because the people of Martin County, in rural eastern North Carolina, have been determined to keep the beige brick building from deteriorating — and to somehow reopen their hospital, which had been struggling financially for years. When North Carolina expanded Medicaid later in 2023, after the hospital shuttered, offering government health insurance to the state's low-income adults, Martin County saw an opportunity. Plans materialized to partly reopen the hospital, largely because federal dollars were pouring into the state to cover patients' care under Medicaid. But those plans are now in jeopardy, as is Medicaid coverage for hundreds of thousands of North Carolina residents, after Congress passed President Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill. To help pay for tax cuts, the bill slashes federal spending on Medicaid, leaving states that expanded the program under Obamacare in a particularly difficult spot. If Medicaid expansion is eliminated in North Carolina, Martin General Hospital almost surely will not reopen — 'a catastrophic and deadly consequence,' said Paul Roberson, a real estate agent and community leader in Williamston, where a sign in front of the hospital reads, 'CLOSED. If you need immediate assistance, dial 911.' 'Not having the hospital here is costing lives,' Mr. Roberson said, noting that the nearest hospital was about a 30-minute drive away. 'This is the most important thing for us.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
