In a story published online Sunday, June 2, Talk Business & Politics reports on our analyses of teen births and teen birth spacing in Arkansas and discusses the findings with ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson. The analyses are part of our …
As state agencies, hospitals, community groups, and other organizations across Arkansas work to address the state’s maternal health crisis, a key focus of these efforts is expanding support for mothers throughout the birthing journey. To improve maternal …
A new class of prescription weight-loss medication is transforming the U.S. healthcare system. In his column for the May-June 2024 issue of the Healthcare Journal of Arkansas, ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson discusses how drugs such as Ozempic and …
Commercial insurers’ payments to hospitals in 2022 were closer to Medicare’s payment rates in Arkansas than in any other state, according to a new research report by the RAND Corporation. Commercial Insurance Payments vs. Medicare The report examines …
Women ages 40 to 74 should be screened for breast cancer every two years, according to an updated recommendation released by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) on Tuesday, April 30. Previously, the USPSTF recommended that screening begin no …
A new federal rule will phase in limits on added sugars and sodium in school meals, aiming to provide students access to healthier and more balanced dietary options. The final rule, issued by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of …
Newly announced updates to the food packages of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, aim to provide more options and flexibility for nearly 7 million moms, babies, and children across the United States — over …
Digital health companies such as BetterHelp and Calmerry will be subject to more scrutiny regarding the use of personal health information under a final rule issued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Friday, April 26. Following multiple enforcement …
New weight-loss drugs have become wildly popular in recent years, but Americans have been seeking to control weight through medication for well over a century. This post, the final installment in our series on weight-loss drugs, continues a historical …
In observance of Black Maternal Health Week, which runs April 11-17, Jonesboro-based K8 News interviews ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson for a story on the health disparities experienced by Black mothers in Arkansas and efforts to close the gaps. …
As Mississippi House and Senate leaders prepare to begin negotiations on a compromise bill to expand Medicaid, some Mississippians are looking to Arkansas’s unique form of Medicaid expansion as a possible model to emulate. The nonprofit news organization …
Americans have turned to a variety of drugs over the past century in the pursuit of weight loss. From late-19th-century thyroid extracts to modern-day medications, the landscape of weight-loss drugs has been marked by scientific breakthroughs, …
Dental benefits could become available for adults who purchase coverage through the health insurance marketplace, including Arkansans enrolled in the state’s Medicaid expansion program, under a rule finalized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid …
Arkansas needs to make considerable investments in interventions all along the birthing journey to improve maternal health outcomes in the state, ACHI Health Policy Director Craig Wilson writes in a column for Talk Business & Politics. Arkansas moms …
(Original post published September 8, 2022) On March 27, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a final rule to streamline the application and renewal processes for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). As of November …
(Original post published July 12, 2023) In what it called an effort to realign short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI) with its traditional purpose to fill temporary gaps in coverage, the Biden administration issued a final rule on Thursday, March …
The 2024 edition of an annual report ranking U.S. counties based on health outcomes and health factors reveals ongoing gaps between urban and rural regions in Arkansas. Released Wednesday, March 20, the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps report rates …
Medicare Advantage plans are heavily advertised, but the ads don’t always make a clear distinction between Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare. In a guest column for Talk Business & Politics, ACHI Health Policy Director Craig Wilson discusses …
It has been 10 years since coverage began under Arkansas’s innovative Medicaid expansion program. In his column for the Healthcare Journal of Arkansas’s March-April 2024 issue, ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson assesses the program’s impacts on …
Drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound have the potential to improve the health of millions of people with obesity and obesity-related diseases, but there are multiple factors to consider in deciding whether to use these drugs, including their …
