Trending News Today: Appalachian Region Faces Significant Healthcare Disparities

The Appalachian region is known to be an economically disadvantaged area with disparities in healthcare. A new study revealed the disparities between Appalachia and the rest of the country are growing, including in terms of infant mortality, smoking, obesity, and premature mortality, according to Kaiser Health News. Between 1990 and 2013, slow gains in life expectancy in Appalachia resulted in a significant gap, with a 2.4-year difference compared with the rest of the country. The authors reported that the link between poverty and life expectancy was higher in Appalachia than the rest of the country, according to the article.

A bipartisan group of health policy experts is urging lawmakers to implement a plan to increase coverage options in the individual marketplace, according to The New York Times. The plan includes continuing subsidies and finding a new way for individuals to purchase insurance if there are no options being sold in their county. The experts also recommend that the Trump administration continue outreach programs set by former President Barack Obama to encourage individuals to enroll and help them through the process, the Times reported.

A new report indicates that there has been a supervised injection site for users of heroin and other injection drugs operating in the United States for the past 3 years. Before disclosure in a report, none were thought to exist in the country, despite several states that were pursuing implementation of these programs, according to The Washington Post. The report indicated that no individuals using the safe injection site died while using drugs, but there were 2 overdoses that were reversed by the staff, according to the article.