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Health, United States, 2020-2021: Annual Perspective; Focus of This Issue is On Health Disparities by Sex, Race, Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status
Topics in the 2020-2021 Report:
Heart disease by race and ethnicity;
Cancer by race and ethnicity;
HIV and STDs by race and ethnicity;
Health insurance and access by race and ethnicity;
Hospital use by health insurance coverage;
Oral health by poverty level;
Substance use by education level;
Risk factors and mortality by sex. more »
Kaiser Health News: Feds Move to Rein In Prior Authorization, a System That Harms and Frustrates Patients
"Waiting for health insurers to authorize care comes with consequences for patients, various studies show. It has led to delays in cancer care in Pennsylvania, meant sick children in Colorado were more likely to be hospitalized, and blocked low-income patients across the country from getting treatment for opioid addiction. In some cases, care has been denied and never obtained. In others, prior authorization proved a potent but indirect deterrent, as few patients have the fortitude, time, or resources to navigate what can be a labyrinthine process of denials and appeals. They simply gave up, because fighting denials often requires patients to spend hours on the phone and computer to submit multiple forms." more »
Merriam Webster Dictionary*: Synonyms of Woke, Chiefly US Slang: Aware of and Actively Attentive to Important Societal Facts and Issues (especially issues of racial and social justice)
"No retreat into cynicism and hopelessness. … We have a moral obligation to "stay woke," take a stand and be active; challenging injustices and racism in our communities and fighting hatred and discrimination wherever it rises—Barbara Lee … argued that … Brad Pitt is not only woke, but the wokest man in Hollywood … because he uses his status—and his production company Plan B—to create space for artists of color, with such films as 12 Years a Slave, Selma, and the upcoming film Moonlight.— Giselle Defares. Being woke to gender discrimination is difficult; it ruins things you love. Entire canons of art are rotten to the core with it.— Rachel Edelstein' more »
Rebecca Louise Law: Awakening on View at Honolulu Museum of Art
‘A dried flower holds time. A fresh flower holds a moment, and both are equally special. The beauty of a dried flower is being able to revisit it and observe it as a preserved object of the earth, a perfect form of nature that holds onto its fragility.’ Since 2003 Law has been collecting every flower and every remnant of dust left by flowers. She now has a collection of over 1 million preserved flowers exhibiting in the USA, 250,000 flowers exhibiting in Asia and Australia and a collection of over 500,000 flowers exhibiting in Europe. This body of material keeps growing and with each new exhibition an extra layer of flowers is added to the existing material. Any recent installations have utilised the artist's vast collection of materials, amassed since the start of this pioneering practice, alongside locally sourced materials." Editor's Note: Pua: What is Pua in Hawaii? The federal government's CARES Act provides a separate program for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) that extends eligibility to individuals who normally do not qualify for traditional unemployment benefits. more »