THIS WEEK

When the PAFP unveiled its 2019-20 State Legislative Agenda, we invited members to help us prioritize our advocacy slate. Among issues like prior authorization and insurer credentialing, which are most important to family physicians in Pennsylvania? Click here to see the results of our survey, which will guide the PAFP's decision-making in Harrisburg through 2020.

As the anti-vaccine movement gains traction, the World Health Organization (WHO) has listed vaccine hesitancy among its top global health threats of 2019, alongside the worldwide influenza pandemic, weak primary health care, climate change, and HIV. According to U.S. News & World Report, the WHO says vaccination prevents 2 to 3 million deaths per year. 

The U.S. health care system is in trouble, according to the majority of Americans. Fortune Magazine reports 70 percent say the health care system either has "major problems" or is in a "state of crisis." Costs of care are a large reason for this: rising insurance premiums are a concern for 61 percent of Americans; nearly half are worry they won't be able to afford their care.  

On behalf of the more-than 5,000 physicians, residents, and student of the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians, the PAFP extends its congratulations and best wishes to Gov. Tom Wolf as he takes the oath of office today to begin his second term. The PAFP looks forward to continuing its work with the governor and his administration.

Americans are now more likely to die of an opioid overdose than on the road. For years, vehicle crashes have been a leading cause of death in the United States, but NPR reports a new report on preventable deaths has found Americans have a 1 in 96 chance of dying from an opioid overdose, compared with a 1 in 103 chance of dying in a motor vehicle accident.

MONTHLY ARCHIVE