MorningRX: August 16, 2023

Organizations Call to Improve Mental Health Care for Children, Adolescents

Improved emergency care access for younger patients is severely needed to deal with surging numbers of mental health crises, according to a joint policy statement issued Wednesday. The statement, authored by 3 leading national organizations, is calling for systemic changes, more resources, and more focus on inequities. The Emergency Nurses Association, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Academy of Pediatrics recommend that strategies are needed in prehospital settings, at the emergency department, and at the community level to deal with the increase in mental health emergencies in children and adolescents.

“The time has come to address the mental health crisis of our youth,” Mohsen Saidinejad, MD, an author on the statement, said in a release. “Mental health emergencies are just that—emergencies. Children and families deserve timely, affordable, and equitable access to care and treatment, just as they would if they present with a broken arm, a seizure or a serious infection.”

Wednesday Marks First Anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act

One year has passed since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, which lowered health care costs for millions of Americans. The historic legislation sought to extended marketplace affordability by lowering prescription drugs costs and improving access to them for the 65 million Americans enrolled in Medicare. In a report released by HHS Wednesday, the department highlights how provisions in the act will help individuals save costs in the years to come.

“The historic Inflation Reduction Act builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to make health care more affordable and accessible that are life changing for millions of Americans,” Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator, said in a release. “On this first anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, Americans are seeing the benefits—such as free recommended vaccines, lower insulin costs, and the enhanced tax credits that help more people afford their premiums in the Marketplaces.”

Study Finds Possible Link Between Fracking and Lymphoma in Children

A study conducted by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh has found that gas industry activity is associated with lymphoma in people who live near natural gas wells in Pennsylvania, according to the Associated Press. The study, which was commissioned by former Governor Tom Wolf and the state’s Department of Health, adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests links between the gas industry and health issues. The study found that children who live within 1 mile of a gas well had 5 to 7 times the chance of developing lymphoma compared to children who lived 5 miles or farther from a well.