Happy holidays from the PAFP! Dec. 19, 2018
The Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians wishes all of its members and supporters a happy, healthy, and prosperous holiday season and New Year! The PAFP will be taking a short break to observe the holidays, and we'll be back in the office on Jan. 2 to ring in 2019 with all the education, advocacy, and news and information you've come to expect. Happy holidays!
Three in 10 Americans delay health care Dec. 18, 2018
Delaying health care due to costs is a strategy for roughly three out of 10 Americans. Gallup reports the 29 percent saying they do this is consistent with findings over the past few years, but is up from an average of 24 percent in 2004 and 22 percent in 1991. More than half of those who put off care said that the delay involved a very or somewhat serious illness or condition.
Federal judge rules ACA unconstitutional Dec. 17, 2018
A federal judge in Texas has ruled the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. According to USA Today, the judge agreed with 20 states with Republican governors or legislatures that the constitutionality of the individual mandate disappeared once tax penalties for the uninsured were removed. For now, the health care law will stand as the case makes its way through the courts.
Pa. a trailblazer in opioid response: AMA Dec. 14, 2018
The largest physicians' group in the nation has called Pennsylvania a trailblazer in its response to the opioid epidemic. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports the American Medical Association (AMA), in a first-of-its-kind report, says the Keystone State can serve as a national model in many ways, including the availability of access to medication-assisted treatments (MAT).
Drug use soars among pregnant women in Pa. Dec. 13, 2018
The rate of opioid and other drug use among pregnant Pennsylvania women is dramatically increasing. According to PennLive, one in 25 women hospitalized for a pregnancy-related reason tested positive for an illegal drug or a drug used to treat addiction in 2016-17. The most prevalent drug among these women was an opioid, including heroin or a prescription painkiller.
Help the PAFP guide its advocacy priorities Dec. 12, 2018
Yesterday, the PAFP released its 2019-20 legislative agenda via a Facebook Live video with PAFP President David O'Gurek, MD. Now, PAFP members have a unique opportunity to help guide the Government and Practice Advocacy Committee (GPAC) in prioritizing this list of action items. Please take this brief survey to rank these legislative priorities in order of importance to you.
AAFP to host Facebook Live on ABFM pilot Dec. 10, 2018
This evening at 7 p.m., the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) will be hosting a Facebook Live seminar on the American Board of Family Medicine's (ABFM) Exam Alternative Pilot Program. The Facebook session will detail the recently announced alternative to the ABFM's controversial one-day exam and what it means for family physicians. View the session here.
41 percent of U.S. adults don't plan to get flu shot Dec. 7, 2018
Despite last year's record-breaking and deadly flu season, more than 40 percent of American adults haven't yet received the flu shot - and say they don't plan to. The Hill reports among those who say they won't receive the vaccine, most were concerned about side effects and getting the flu from the vaccination; worries also abound over the effectiveness of the flu shot.
Last chance to apply for PAFP leadership Dec. 6, 2018
PAFP members, it's your last chance to apply for a leadership position for the 2019-20 year! PAFP Board of Directors and committee members serve as the infrastructure of the Academy, developing policy and making decisions that keep the organization at the forefront of the specialty. If you're interested, apply quickly: the deadline is just weeks away on Dec. 31, 2018!
New, deadly tick species spreading in U.S. Dec. 5, 2018
A new tick species capable of transmitting deadly disease is spreading across the U.S. and is already in Pennsylvania. According to the Washington Post, the Asian longhorned tick, the first invasive tick to arrive in the U.S. in 80 years, carries a virus in Asia that causes hemorrhagic fever and kills up to 30 percent of its victims. That virus has not yet appeared in the United States.
Bloomberg donates $10 million to fight opioids in Pa. Dec. 4, 2018
Former New York mayor and philanthropist Michael Bloomberg's charity has announced $50 million to combat the opioid epidemic in the U.S., with a large chunk - at least $10 million - heading to Pennsylvania. According to the AP, Pennsylvania will be the first state to receive funding; its rate of 44.3 drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents is the highest in the nation.