We’re in awe of the Cleveland Cavaliers here at the Colorado Health Institute. The Cavs won the NBA championship Sunday night, becoming the first team to rally from a three-one deficit and the first Cleveland team to win a national title in 52 years.
CHI strives to emulate the energy and perseverance of the Cavs this week — and all weeks — as we bring important health policy research to Colorado.
With that in mind, check out our new analysis of data showing that while prescription drug prices are rising, more Coloradans are reporting being able to fill their prescriptions. The reason? So many more Coloradans have health insurance. The report by Research Analyst Nina Roumell is based on data from the 2015 Colorado Health Access Survey (CHAS). It answers these questions: Who is most likely to not fill a prescription because it costs too much? Are there differences by region? What about age and income levels? Read the report on our website.
Later this week, we’ll be publishing another analysis based on CHAS data. Policy Analyst Natalie Triedman reports on the level of health insurance and health care literacy in Colorado. This is becoming an ever more important topic as the newly insured try to navigate systems that are often confusing and filled with acronyms.
We are almost halfway through the alphabet in Mapping Data A to Z. Last week featured “K” on Kids’ Dental Coverage by Director of Community Health Policy Sara Schmitt and “L” on those Likely to Check if a Doctor is In-Network by Nina.
The summer travel schedule continues. CEO Michele Lueck is in Atlanta this week as board members of the National Network of Public Health Institutes meet with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention executives. Next week, Director of Research on Access and Coverage Jeff Bontrager, Senior Data Analyst Rebecca Silvernale and Policy Analyst Emily will attend the Academy Health Research Meeting in Boston.
Jeff will serve on a panel with Amy Rohling McGee of the Health Policy Institute or Ohio, Peter Huckfeldt of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and David Radley of the Commonwealth Fund. Alan Weil, editor of Health Affairs, will moderate. Titled “Choose Your Own Adventure: Harnessing Data to Inform Policy,” it will be an interactive learning lab profiling how investigators are leveraging new data; conducting creative analysis; and developing innovative communication approaches to inform policymaking.
Did you know it is men’s health month? To celebrate the health of the male half of the population, our Data Visualization and Storytelling Intern Chrissy Esposito is creating an interactive infographic on Colorado’s men. Look for it to come out later this week.
The newest data for Healthy Kids Colorado Survey was released Monday, and Joe Hanel wrote a blog titled “Healthy Kids Survey Shows Troubling News About Transgender Students” that highlighted some of the new data.
Finally, happy belated father’s day to all of the fathers out there, including the three in our office — Joe, Manager of Creative Services Brian Clark and Director of Finance and Administration Tim Dunbar.
And, of course, happy summer solstice—today is the longest day of the year so get outside and take advantage of the sunlight!