National: Organizations Emphasize Wellness Initiatives
The Chicago-based insurance company Health Care Services Corp. is stepping up its efforts to encourage wellness with the launch of a variety of initiatives. The company is integrating wellness programs into basic health benefits packages, developing campaigns to educate children and their families about healthy lifestyles, and supporting the development of databases to track the progress of local and statewide obesity prevention efforts.

Click here to access our new publications Workplace Wellness Legislator Policy Brief and Talking Points.

National: About 3.2 Million Teenage Girls Have a Common STD
According to recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates, an estimated 3.2 million U.S. girls ages 14 to 19 have at least one of the four common types of sexually transmitted infections: human papillomavirus, chlamydia, trichomoniasis and herpes . The study found that roughly 50 percent of African-American girls had at least one of the four STDs, compared with 20 percent of white girls.

Click here to access our new publication Confronting Disparities in Sexually Transmitted Diseases Talking Points

Hawaii: Report Underscores Need for Improved Activity and Nutrition Habits
This month the Hawaii Department of Health released a comprehensive report suggesting that more adults and children in the state need to adopt healthier eating and lifestyle habits. The report finds that only 32 percent of adults ate the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables in 2005 and nearly half of adults failed to meet the recommended levels of daily physical activity. The report estimates that if more adults were active, the state would save an estimated $140 million in health care costs related to heart disease, stroke and diabetes. The health department is promoting a walking campaign and will host four Active Living Community Workshops where participants will discuss strategies for improving walkability in Hawaii communities.

Click here to access our new publications Adult Obesity and Community Programs for Wellness Talking Points

Illinois: State Awards Safe Routes to Schools Grants
This month the Illinois Department of Transportation awarded $8.3 million to projects across the state designed to make it safer for children to walk and bike to school. The funds will support projects to repair traffic signals, create walking and cycling clubs, and launch a walking school bus program to eliminate barriers that prevent children from being more active.

Click here to access our new publication Community Design for Healthy Living Talking Points.

National: Vaccine Exemptions as Public Health Risk
In February, 12 children were infected with measles in San Diego; nine of them were not vaccinated against the virus. Public health officials are concerned about a recent trend of parents taking advantage of exemptions to laws requiring vaccination of school-age children. There is concern that communities with clusters of unvaccinated children or individuals can pose a risk of infection for the broader community. Twenty states allow school vaccine exemptions and nearly 3 percent of school children went without vaccines in 2004.

Click here to access our new publications Eliminating Health Disparities in Immunizations and Paying for Vaccines Talking Points

Massachusetts: Insurance Connector Approves 10% Premium Increases
This month the Massachusetts Health Insurance Connector Authority voted to approve a 10 percent increase in premiums for Commonwealth Care, the state's subsidized health insurance program. About 35 percent to 40 percent of beneficiaries with incomes greater than 100 percent of the federal poverty level will face premium increases. In addition, co-payments for visits to primary care physicians and prescription drugs will increase.

California: State Launches Media Campaign to discourage Crystal Meth Use and Risky Sexual Behavior
California drug officials recently launched an $11 million media campaign to discourage men who have sex with men from using crystal methamphetamine to reduce risky sexual behavior and the spread of HIV. A recent statewide survey found that crystal meth use was 11 times more common among men who have sex with men than the general population in the state. In addition, the same survey found that men who have sex with men who used crystal meth were five times more likely to test HIV-positive than those among that population who did not use the drug.

National: Disparities Exist Between the Life Expectancies of Higher- and Lower-Income U.S. Residents
A recent study found that a large disparity exists between the life expectancies of high- and low-income U.S. residents. The study found that from 1998 to 2000, higher-income residents lived an average of 79.2 years, compared with 74.7 years for lower-income residents. The largest disparity in 2000 was between the life expectancies of affluent white women and poor black men.

Maryland: Baltimore to Ban Trans Fats in 2009
This month the Baltimore City Council approved a citywide ban on trans fats. The ban would require all restaurants, delis, fast food chains and other establishments that serve prepared food to eliminate use of trans fats. State legislators introduced a bill that would create a task force to study the trans fat ban in an effort to push lawmakers toward a statewide ban.

2008 Alzheimer'sDisease Facts & Figures
According to this report, the U.S. will have about 500,000 new case cases of Alzheimer's in 2010 and this development will cost the U.S. health care system as much as $160 billion by 2010. According to the report, 70 percent of Alzheimer's and other dementia patients live at home, where family and friends provide care.

Residents Concerned with Health Care and Long-Term Care
According to this AARP Hawaii report, 57 percent of Hawaiian voters believe that the state's health and long-term care services are experiencing a crisis. According to the report, the number of state residents ages 65 and older is expected to increase by 86 percent between 2008 and 2030. The report also notes that long-term care costs about $16,000 annually for two hours of daily in-home care, compared with $107,000 annually for nursing home care.

Language Diversity and English Proficiency by Los Angeles County Service Planning Area
This report by the Asian Pacific American Legal Center indicates that one third of Los Angeles County residents face language barriers in accessing health care services. The report calls for expanded language services to address the problem that can result in delayed care, misdiagnoses and unnecessary procedures.

Trends in Tuberculosis-United States, 2007
According to this Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC report, there were 13,293 tuberculosis cases reported in the U.S. in 2007, a decline of 4.2 percent from the previous year. Of the total tuberculosis cases reported in 2007, 60 percent were among residents born in other nations. The report also found that among U.S. born residents, minorities were more likely than whites to be infected. Asian Americans were 23 times more likely than whites to have tuberculosis, Hispanics were seven times more likely, and blacks were eight times more likely.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in U.S. Health Care: A Chartbook
This Commonwealth Fund report uses 75 charts to examine the causes of racial disparities in health care. The chartbook incorporates an evolving understanding of the nation and etiology of disparities and addresses other racial health disparity issues. The chartbook is designed as an "easily accessible resource" to help policymakers, researchers and others understand disparities in their communities and to formulate solutions.

2007 National Healthcare Disparities Report
This report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality describes the quality and access to care for multiple subgroups across the United States. Overall, disparities in quality and access for minority groups and populations have not been reduced. The report indicates that the problem of persistent uninsurance is a major barrier to reducing disparities.

State Estimates of Substance Use from 2005-2006
This report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides analyses of substance use and mental health patterns occurring in each state. The report indicates wide variations among the states in problems related to underage alcohol use and binge drinking, illicit drug use, tobacco use, substance dependence and abuse, and mental health problems. Click here to access state-specific data.