- Center on Health Equity & Access
- Clinical
- Health Care Cost
- Health Care Delivery
- Insurance
- Policy
- Technology
- Value-Based Care
What We're Reading: Starting School Later; Taking Action Against Fentanyl; Benzene in Antiperspirants
Later school start times are being considered to address youth mental health crises; states are taking action to enact legislation on opioid addiction and fentanyl-related deaths; Unilever recalls 2 Suave aerosol antiperspirant products due to a potential carcinogen.
Later School Start Times Considered to Address the Youth Mental Health Crisis
ABC News is reporting that several states are considering later school start times as a way to promote healthy sleep habits among children and teens and to address growing pandemic-related mental health concerns. Experts say that school start times of 8:30 am or later would better align with adolescents’ biological sleep rhythms and would promote optimal sleep. Moreover, prior research has shown that in high schools with start times of 8:30 am or later, student sleep time, academic outcomes, and attendance rates all improved, and car crashes involving teen drivers decreased.
States Grappling With Fentanyl-Related Deaths
State lawmakers are considering the adoption of laws to address the opioid epidemic, specifically fentanyl-related deaths, as drug overdoses linked with synthethic opioids continue to climb nationwide. The Associated Press is reporting that potential laws would work to reduce the risk of overdose to users and increase the penalties for those dealing fentanyl or mixing it with other drugs. Bills to legalize test strips that detect the presence of fentanyl have been passed in New Mexico’s and West Virginia’s legislation, and they now await final approval from the states' governors.
Unilever Recalls Suave Antiperspirants Due to Elevated Levels of Benzene
Unilever announced that it is recalling 2 Suave aerosol antiperspirant products due to the presence of elevated benzene levels found in some samples during an internal review. NPR is reporting that the recalled lots of 2 antiperspirants with expiration dates through September 2023 include Suave 24-Hour Protection Aerosol Antiperspirant Powder in 4 ounce and 6 ounce sizes and Suave 24-Hour Protection Aerosol Antiperspirant Fresh in the 6 ounce size. Exposure to benzene through inhalation, an oral route, and the skin has been associated with an increased risk of leukemia and other blood cancers.
AI in Health Care: Closing the Revenue Cycle Gap
April 1st 2025This commentary explores the current state, challenges, and potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care revenue cycle management, emphasizing collaboration, data standardization, and targeted implementation to enhance adoption.
Read More
Managed Care Reflections: A Q&A With Hoangmai H. Pham, MD, MPH
April 1st 2025To mark the 30th anniversary of The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®), each issue in 2025 will include a special feature: reflections from a thought leader on what has changed—and what has not—over the past 3 decades and what’s next for managed care. The April issue features a conversation with Hoangmai H. Pham, MD, MPH, a member of AJMC’s editorial board and the president and CEO of the Institute for Exceptional Care (IEC).
Read More
Bridging Care Gaps With a Systemwide Value-Based Care Strategy
March 29th 2025Mapping care management needs by defining patient populations and then stratifying them according to risk and their needs can help to spur the transformation of a siloed health care system into an integrated system that is able to better provide holistic, value-based care despite the many transitions that continue among hospital, primary, specialty, and community care environments.
Read More
