Holly Grace

Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the United States’ policies on drug importation and to raise awareness of the current process for obtaining treatment and prevention pharmaceuticals from foreign countries. Pharmaceutical importation has been a subject of global health and economic concern for many years, but it has heightened in intensity with the COVID-19 pandemic. There are concerns regarding government approval, quality regulations, and scarcity. The need for rapid mass production in order to meet the global demand while balancing the risks associated with rushing medical advances are highlighted. Resource-scarce nations will require support to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and companies will face pressure to rush safety procedures. This article explores some of the impending issues facing the importation of pharmaceuticals during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it aims to express the need for ethical and compassionate consideration when dealing with a response to a global health crisis.

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Roundtable Journal on Health Policy  |  Volume 3  |  Issue 1

Continue reading “Pharmaceutical Development and Importation during the COVID-19 Pandemic”

Elias H. Kahan

Abstract
As the prospect of a viable COVID-19 vaccine becomes imminent, many are concerned that large swaths of the American public will opt out of being vaccinated. Whether it be due to their anti-vaccination beliefs or their concern regarding the speed and efficacy of its development, steps must be taken to improve Americans’ confidence and likelihood to get vaccinated. If measures are not taken, and many Americans chose not to get vaccinated, the development of a vaccine may be moot.

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Roundtable Journal on Health Policy  |  Volume 3  |  Issue 1

Continue reading “The Erosion of American Faith in Science: Implications for COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts”

Alexandra Schulz

Abstract
Over this past year, systemic racism has proven to be a pertinent problem in our society, revealing itself in forms of police brutality and healthcare inequality in the COVID-19 pandemic. One important step in addressing these issues is confronting implicit racial biases, our unconscious attitudes and stereotypes that may further perpetuate systemic racism. This article underscores the need for strategic and impactful implicit bias training in medical education. Medical students must become aware of their own implicit racial biases, and learn about racial injustice in the medical system in pre-clinical training so that they are prepared to combat systemic racism throughout their careers.

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Roundtable Journal on Health Policy  |  Volume 3  |  Issue 1

Continue reading “Combating Systemic Racism in Medicine Requires Systemic Change: Addressing Implicit Bias in Medical Schools”

Justin Lapow

Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered multiple aspects of healthcare delivery. Both the ubiquitous use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the rise in virtual telemedicine visits have challenged the ability for healthcare providers to communicate effectively, which could in turn impact the patient-physician relationship. That being said, each of these changes to traditional healthcare delivery have been necessary in providing safe and effective health care throughout the pandemic. Likewise, the vast benefits of telemedicine are now recognized more than ever and indicate that virtual healthcare will be here to stay. One challenge for clinicians is understanding how to maintain effective communication, both verbally and nonverbally, as well as a strong patient-physician relationship. This piece assesses some of the strengths and limitations of these changes to healthcare and what clinicians can do to maintain effective communication.

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Roundtable Journal on Health Policy  |  Volume 3  |  Issue 1

Continue reading “Telemedicine, PPE, and COVID-19: A New Paradigm for the Patient-Physician Relationship”

Rajkumar S. Pammal

Dear Readers,

2020 has been marked by simultaneous watershed moments: the COVID-19 pandemic, social unrest related to anti-black racism, and historic participation in this year’s U.S. Presidential Election. Conversations on healthcare, policy, and fundamental human rights have been central to these topics. Clearly, the medical field does not exist in a vacuum, and it is crucial for today’s physicians to understand the social, economic, and political factors that influence the health of their patients and their ability to care for them. The Roundtable Journal on Health Policy (RJHP) aims to provide medical students with a platform to engage with such themes.

Continue reading “Letter from the Editor-In-Chief”

Samuel Dresner

 

Abstract
Using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, the impact of job loss on healthcare utilization is evaluated. Employment is often tied to insurance and the economic theories about how job loss might impact healthcare utilization. The major conclusion from this study is that job loss seems to increase utilization of health care through its intermediate impact on worsening health outcomes.  This is an intriguing finding especially since an initial hypothesis was that job loss leads to negative health outcomes through the mechanism of loss of insurance.

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Roundtable Journal on Health Policy  |  Volume 2  |  Issue 1

Continue reading “How Losing Your Job Might Impact Your Health”

Anurag Saraf, Linda Song, Kate Morant

 

Abstract
The Affordable Care Act was advertised to increase access to healthcare, however almost 27 million people still do not have health insurance. The reason uninsured rates persist is due to a combination of problems both in cost and in access. Approximately half of the uninsured today cannot afford health insurance primarily due to lack of Medicaid expansion; similarly, many do not qualify for financial assistance or are undocumented. The other half of the uninsured, a majority of whom consist of younger adults and minorities, are resulting from lack of access from not understanding the requirements or preferring to pay the fine. These major elements should be addressed in any attempt to repair the ACA.

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Roundtable Journal on Health Policy  |  Volume 2  |  Issue 1

Continue reading “Uninsured Under the ACA: What Went Wrong?”

Beth Bentley

 

Abstract
Malpractice reform in the United States has been a contentious, and largely avoided, topic in health care reform and among policymakers. The Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) provides a precedent by which malpractice reform might be considered. Under this Act, the federal government becomes the primary insurer, and only tries meritorious cases in court. Allowing the federal government to control these aspects of malpractice may save billions of dollars annually by minimizing the cost of malpractice insurance and preventing the practice of defensive medicine.

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Roundtable Journal on Health Policy  |  Volume 2  |  Issue 1

Continue reading “The Federal Tort Claims Act as a Precedent for the Future of Malpractice Reform”

Suhasini Padhi

 

A system that forces you to choose between life-saving medications for your heart, diabetes, or allergies based on affordability, is one that has ample room for change. On analysis of the various cost-saving measures employed by high-income countries around the world, one common thread emerges – controlling pharmaceutical prices and policies (Stabile et al., 2013). The United States found out first-hand what the lack of a price cap means for drug affordability, when pharmaceutical company Mylan raised the price of EpiPen by almost 500 percent over the past seven years. At a price tag of 608 dollars, many parents balked at the prospect of not being able to provide an emergency life-saving treatment to their children, for a medical condition as ubiquitous as anaphylaxis. When patients found out that profit margins of the company went up from 8.8 percent to 60.3 percent, concurrent with 16 price hikes on EpiPen, public outrage was instantaneous, and led to a congressional oversight meeting to demand accountability from Mylan’s leadership (Dorfman, 2016). The resulting investigation revealed some troubling data about how the company was able to monopolize the market and dictate its own pricing.

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Roundtable Journal on Health Policy  |  Volume 2  |  Issue 1

Continue reading “Comment: Cost Containment Areas in the Pharmaceutical Industry”

Sam Grossman

 

The US healthcare system depends on a shared responsibility between private and public organizations to ensure that its citizens are properly cared for. This system has been historically inequitable, even after the institution of progressive legislation, including most notably, the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965 and the Affordable Care Act in 2010. As of 2016, 27.3 million Americans and two thirds of undocumented immigrants remain uninsured (Mossialos, Djordjevic, Osborn, & Sarnek, 2017). At the same time, the country’s per capita healthcare spending is the highest in the world at $9,364 US dollars as of 2014, while life expectancy (31), infant mortality (36), and male and female healthy life expectancy (28 and 29, respectively) rank lower than other developed nations (Berwick, Nolan, & Whittington, 2008; Mossialos et al., 2017). Despite these troublesome statistics, America is still the only industrialized nation without universal health insurance. It may seem that the problems involved in this inequitable and costly healthcare system can be fixed easily with increased access to public health coverage. Unfortunately, the political atmosphere surrounding entitlements spending is one of the most difficult barriers to finding compromise in healthcare reform.

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Roundtable Journal on Health Policy  |  Volume 2  |  Issue 1

Continue reading “Comment: What Makes the US Healthcare System so Difficult to Improve?”