HealthDay (12/11, Maher) reports “ableism, or prejudice against people with disabilities, is an established problem in general healthcare,” but “now, a small study shows those same issues persist in mental healthcare.” In some cases, “the barriers to care are physical, such as inaccessible entrances or a lack of reliable transit.” In other instances, “the hurdles are informational, such as hard-to-use online patient portals.” The findings were published in SSM – Qualitative Research in Health.

Related Links:

— “‘Ableism’ Prevents Many Americans From Getting Mental Health Care,” Denise Maher, HealthDay, December 11, 2024

CBS News (12/11, Breen) says, “Drug overdose deaths in the United States fell 17% between July 2023 and July 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a new report released Wednesday.” It marks “the largest decrease in deaths ever seen in the United States, White House Domestic Policy Council Advisor Neera Tanden said Wednesday.”

Related Links:

— “Overdose deaths in the U.S. fell 17% in 1-year period, CDC says,” Kerry Breen, CBS News, December 11, 2024

HCPlive (12/11, Smith ) reports, “Individuals with alcohol-associated cirrhosis who have anxiety/depression and are younger are more likely to implement alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment, new findings suggest.” The research also suggests “that implementing targeted outreach and the integration of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and AUD may be necessary.” The findings were published in Alcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research.

Related Links:

— “Study Highlights Traits of Patients with Alcohol-Associated Cirrhosis Seeking Treatment,” Tim Smith, HCPlive, December 11, 2024

NBC News (12/10, Lovelace ) reports a US District Court judge on Monday “blocked a Biden administration rule that allowed DACA recipients to sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.” The judge “sided with a group of 19 Republican state attorneys general who filed a lawsuit in August to prevent the rule from taking effect, saying it violates a law that prohibits giving public benefits to people without legal immigration status.” DACA recipients “began signing up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, at the start of open enrollment on Nov. 1.”

The AP (12/10, Hanna , Dura ) reports that the ruling will block DACA recipients in 19 states from obtaining coverage, calling the ruling “a setback to a Biden administration rule that was estimated to allow 147,000 immigrants to enroll for coverage.”

Related Links:

— “Federal judge blocks Obamacare coverage for DACA recipients in 19 states/a>,” Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, December 10, 2024

HCPlive (12/10, Derman) reports, “Patients with suicidal ideation, Black or Asian ethnicity, or older age face a greater risk of undertreatment for depression, a new study discovered.” The researchers said, “We found that 38% of patients received [United States Preventive Services Task Force]-recommended initial treatment (antidepressant, referral) at the screening visit.” The findings were published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Study Identifies Depression Treatment Gaps by Ethnicity, Age, Suicidal Risk,” Chelsie Derman, HCPLive, December 10, 2024