Under Affordable Care Act, Americans have had more preventive care for heart health
By a
But the research, published in the peer-reviewed
Both before and since the ACA was enacted, baby aspirin was listed as a medication in about 9.5 percent of office visits by women 55 to 79, even though it is recommended for most people in that age range because of the increased risk for heart attack and stroke. At the same time, the number of office visits by men with baby aspirin listed as a medication increased to 13.5 percent from 11.1 percent. Ladapo said the discrepancy could be due to a lingering perception among some doctors that heart disease is more of a "man's disease."
The research found that from 2006 to the fourth quarter of 2013, the percentage of doctor visits during which diabetes screening was performed increased to 7.6 percent from 3.9 percent; during which people talked to their doctors about smoking, to 74.5 percent from 64.4 percent; and during which screening for high blood pressure, or hypertension, was performed to 76.4 percent from 73.2 percent.
The finding that more people are being screened for hypertension is particularly timely. The
"These findings provide people with more information to make a judgment about the value of the ACA," Ladapo said. "All of these preventive cardiovascular services that increased in frequency are recommended by the
Data for the study was drawn from the
Among the study's limitations are that the researchers could not account for grandfathered health insurance plans that were exempt from some ACA provisions or whether patients or physicians were aware of those provisions. In addition, insurance plans with high deductible payments may have prevented some patients from visiting their physicians for cardiovascular care, which could have skewed some of the data.
Keywords for this news article include: Aspirin, Cardiology, Heart Attack, Hemodynamics, Hypertension, Benzoic Acids, Hydroxy Acids, Blood Pressure, Salicylic Acids, Carboxylic Acids, Organic Chemicals, Risk and Prevention, Myocardial Infarction,
Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world. Copyright 2017, NewsRx LLC
Cigna Introduces Prediction and Prevention Services to Reduce Short-Term Disability Absences
Demand Grows for Gradifi’s Educational Employee Benefit Solutions
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News