Commentary from RAND Health Care Researchers

Affordable Care Act
What If the Supreme Court Strikes Down the ACA During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Apr 3, 2020
With COVID-19 spreading across the United States, the fate of the Affordable Care Act is once again up in the air, hanging on the outcome of a Supreme Court case. Should the law be overturned, upwards of 20 million people could lose their health insurance during one of the deadliest pandemics in modern history.
Medical Professionals
Amidst a Pandemic, a Mental Health Crisis May Be Looming
Apr 1, 2020
The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care workers' mental health could be significant and could weaken the U.S. health care system's ability to resolve the current crisis and survive over the long term. Interventions to promote their psychological well-being should be implemented now.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Implement Critical Care Surge Strategies Now to Save Lives
Apr 1, 2020
As COVID-19 continues to spread, hospitals are bracing for a surge of patients requiring critical care. To meet the demand, U.S. health care facilities may need to fundamentally change the way they allocate space, staff, and equipment.
Food Supply
Food Access: Challenges and Solutions Brought on by COVID-19
Mar 31, 2020
For the 14.3 million American households already experiencing food insecurity before the pandemic, shutdowns and restrictions have created new layers of hardship. Tremendous efforts are already underway to help. But the weeks to come will surely demand more creative solutions from the public and private sectors.
Adolescent Health
School May Be Suspended, But Sleep Schedules Shouldn't Be
Mar 31, 2020
People sleep better when they follow consistent daily and nightly routines. These days, the school bell isn't ringing for most of our kids, and it's up to parents to ensure that children and teens get the sleep they need during these stressful and uncertain times.
Long-Term Care
Should You Consider Taking a Loved One Out of a Long-Term Care Facility?
Mar 30, 2020
As modern living is changing during this pandemic, so is assisted living. Already, many of us are facing difficult decisions about whether someone we know should stay in an assisted living facility or be taken out due to the coronavirus crisis. If you're in the position to bring someone to hunker down with you, is it even a good idea?
Beyond Bans: How Cannabis Policy Reform Can Reduce Vaping-Related Illnesses
Mar 27, 2020
Policymakers can wield a multitude of tools to address vaping-related illness. Cannabis policy reform is one option. But policymakers may face challenges in balancing comprehensive regulatory design that promotes product safety with its potential to bolster the illegal and unregulated market.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
The Economic Wallop of COVID-19: Q&A with RAND Experts
Mar 26, 2020
As Washington continues to weigh economic responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, here are insights from RAND experts on how aid money might be best allocated, how this crisis compares to the 2008 recession, what business communities can do right now, and more.
Drug Policy and Trends
Want to Know If a New Drug Crisis Is Growing? Check the Wastewater
Mar 26, 2020
Few people foresaw how quickly fentanyl would displace heroin, doubling or tripling opioid overdose deaths in some pockets of the United States from 2013 to 2017. But we could have been warned—if only we'd checked our wastewater.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
U.S. COVID-19 Cases on the Rise: Q&A with RAND Experts
Mar 18, 2020
COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, is now in all 50 states. And more and more U.S. cases and deaths are being reported. As orders to close schools and restaurants take effect across America, RAND researchers answer some questions about the crisis.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Truth Decay in the Coronavirus Moment: Q&A with Jennifer Kavanagh
Mar 17, 2020
Jennifer Kavanagh, who wrote the RAND book Truth Decay about the diminishing role that facts play in making important public policy decisions, calls the unfolding situation with the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 a worst-case scenario.
Sleep
Why Prioritizing Sleep in the Time of Coronavirus Is So Important
Mar 17, 2020
The coronavirus has required many people to drastically alter their daily schedules, which can wreak havoc on sleep. But there are simple strategies that can help support sleep—and well-being—during this trying time.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Coronavirus, Telemedicine, and Dustbusters
Mar 16, 2020
Telemedicine has been with us for decades. And yet it hasn't transformed health care in the way that ATMs have transformed banking or cordless vacuums have transformed household cleaning. But the coronavirus pandemic could forever change how telemedicine is used.
Postsecondary Education
Coronavirus Forces Colleges Online. Will Learning Ever Be the Same?
Mar 16, 2020
Colleges and universities have turned to online courses to help slow the spread of COVID-19. But distance learning may also hold promise as a long-term strategy to help make higher education more accessible and affordable.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
COVID-19: A Stress Test for a U.S. Health Care System Already Under Stress
Mar 12, 2020
There are many things hospitals and health systems could be doing in the coming weeks to best prepare for the advancing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Evaluating their surge response plans will be critical.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Estimates of COVID-19's Fatality Rate Might Change. And Then Change Again.
Mar 11, 2020
With infections of the new coronavirus confirmed in countries around the world, people are following the daily tally of COVID-19 cases, wondering exactly how lethal this new disease is. The truth is, it's hard to know.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
A Coronavirus Election? Look to the Bottom of the Ticket
Mar 9, 2020
As the coronavirus spreads in communities, it will be mayors, county judges, and school superintendents—not federal officials—who make the tough calls about whether to declare a state of emergency or shutter public schools and other institutions.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Coronavirus Outbreak Intensifies: Q&A with RAND Experts
Mar 5, 2020
Cases of the coronavirus have now spread to several dozens of countries, infecting thousands and thousands of people across the globe. With concerns about the disease rising, we asked a group of RAND researchers to answer a wide range of questions about the crisis.
Residential Housing
Supportive Housing Can Help Keep People with Mental Illness Out of Jail
Feb 27, 2020
Hundreds of thousands of people with serious mental illnesses cycle in and out of American jails every year. In Los Angeles, some of them are getting diverted into a supportive housing program where they can get the treatment they need. And the results are promising.
Social Determinants of Health
Civic Engagement and Keeping the Public Engaged in Public Health
Feb 4, 2020
Civic engagement—activities like voting and volunteering—is essential for the health of democracy. A turn at the ballot box might also improve physical and mental health.

Browse all Health and Health Care Commentary

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Promising Strategies for Creating Critical Care Capacity in U.S. Hospitals

Should the Federal Workforce Stay Remote? Planning for After the Crisis

Maximizing Bargaining Leverage with Beijing: Developing Missiles as Bargaining Chips

The Coronavirus Pandemic's Effect on Sleep

The Policy Currents Podcast

Measuring Wellbeing to Help Communities Thrive

Managing Escalation in Crisis and War

Assessing and Articulating the Wider Benefits of Research

Reducing Poverty Among Mexico's Elderly

Commentary from RAND Health Care Researchers

What If the Supreme Court Strikes Down the ACA During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Amidst a Pandemic, a Mental Health Crisis May Be Looming

Implement Critical Care Surge Strategies Now to Save Lives

Food Access: Challenges and Solutions Brought on by COVID-19

School May Be Suspended, But Sleep Schedules Shouldn't Be

Should You Consider Taking a Loved One Out of a Long-Term Care Facility?

Beyond Bans: How Cannabis Policy Reform Can Reduce Vaping-Related Illnesses

The Economic Wallop of COVID-19: Q&A with RAND Experts

Want to Know If a New Drug Crisis Is Growing? Check the Wastewater

U.S. COVID-19 Cases on the Rise: Q&A with RAND Experts

Truth Decay in the Coronavirus Moment: Q&A with Jennifer Kavanagh

Why Prioritizing Sleep in the Time of Coronavirus Is So Important

Coronavirus, Telemedicine, and Dustbusters

Coronavirus Forces Colleges Online. Will Learning Ever Be the Same?

COVID-19: A Stress Test for a U.S. Health Care System Already Under Stress

Estimates of COVID-19's Fatality Rate Might Change. And Then Change Again.

A Coronavirus Election? Look to the Bottom of the Ticket

Coronavirus Outbreak Intensifies: Q&A with RAND Experts

Supportive Housing Can Help Keep People with Mental Illness Out of Jail

Civic Engagement and Keeping the Public Engaged in Public Health

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