In His Own Words: Bret Michaels Tells Diabetes Forecast The Inside Story Of His Health Crisis

Main Category: Diabetes
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Musician and reality-TV star Bret Michaels has been through a lot this year, from an emergency appendectomy to a life-threatening subarachnoid hemorrhage, followed by a mild stroke that led to the discovery of a hole in his heart -- all within six weeks. Michaels, who has lived with type 1 diabetes since he was six years old, took time to open up to Diabetes Forecast, the consumer magazine of the American Diabetes Association, and share the details of his experience. The December issue of Diabetes Forecast also includes an interview with Michaels's brain surgeon, Joseph Zabramski, MD.

Michaels stayed strong through the appendectomy and through the subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding at the base of the brain) -- even when his doctor told him that his chance of survival was about 50-50. It wasn't until the discovery of a hole in his heart that he started to feel down about his health. "Now I'm a guy who fights, fights, fights," Michaels says, "but that one took the wind out of my sails... Normally I deal with pain by laughing at a lot of it, but this one depressed me."

But Zabramski told Michaels that the heart defect could be corrected (surgery has been scheduled for January), and Michaels regained hope about his future. "When I got back from the hospital," says Michaels, "I went out on my property and took a walk and got straight with God and with myself. I said, 'Listen, I'm going to make every effort to get better, just give me a chance.' That was it. I just mentally got myself positive, and that is exactly what helped me get through it."

Several times throughout his hospital stays, Michaels found his blood glucose levels higher than he liked. "I literally wrote down, on a legal form, 'I will take my own injections,' to release the hospital from any liability," he tells Diabetes Forecast. "I just knew I needed to take responsibility for whatever was going on with my blood sugar, and I finally got it down, with enough insulin, to the 140, 150 area."

It wasn't long before Michaels appeared on Oprah and the Celebrity Apprentice, and even performed on American Idol. "I didn't decide to make a comeback," he tells Diabetes Forecast. "It was all already planned; it was just a matter of whether I could make it or not."

From his goal for A1C tests to his musical, TV, and book projects for 2011, this is Bret Michaels, in his own words, and this is the inside story of just what happened in all those hospital rooms, what he did when things hit rock bottom -- and how his diabetes, paradoxically, helped him pull through.

There are many heroes in the world of diabetes, so the December issue of Diabetes Forecast also features "Doing Well and Doing Good," more success stories about people living with diabetes who actively give back to the diabetes community. These heroes range from age 9 to 70, have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, and are making a difference in their own way.

This issue also includes:

- A New Shine on an Old Medication: The story of metformin's past, present, and possible future
- How to Craft a Casserole: A step-by-step guide to updating this retro comfort food
- A Victory to Celebrate: An Atlanta event promotes prevention in the African American community

Diabetes Forecast has been America's leading diabetes magazine for more than 60 years, offering the latest news on diabetes research and treatment to provide information, inspiration, and support to people with diabetes.

Source:
American Diabetes Association

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Diabetes Health Eighth Annual Product Reference Guide is Here!

Diabetes Health Eighth Annual Product Reference Guide is Here! - Diabetes Health My Account ??|??Subscribe??|??Contact Us??|??Donate Search Home Charts Recipes Digital Edition TV Apps Community Kids & Teens Type 2 Issues Type 1 Issues Professional Issues Pre-Diabetes Beginners International Health Events History Camps for Kids Online Resources Dating World Diabetes Day Pets All Sections Products Product Directory Charts Syringes Insulin Pumps Meters Pens Software CGMs Books Medical ID Jewelry Lancing Devices Infusion Sets Carrying Cases Pen Needles All Sections Complications & Care Heart Care & Heart Disease Low Blood Sugar Foot Care Kidney Care (Nephropathy) Nerve Care (Neuropathy) Eye Care (Retinopathy) Hypoglycemia Unawareness Sexual Issues Geriatrics Depression Insulin Resistance Skin Care Lipid Problems Wound Care Reversing Complications All Sections Food Recipes Diets Vitamins Food News Nutrition Advice Low Carb Supplements Glycemic Index & Carb Counting Beverages Low Calorie & Low Fat Sugar & Sweeteners Desserts Herbs Dinner Lunch All Sections Columns Cartoons & eCards Personal Stories Letters to the Editor Inspiration My Own Injection Book Reviews Motivation Heroes Making a Difference CDE of the Month Doctors & Nurses Love and Diabetes After All These Years All Sections Medications Insulin Type 2 Medications Metformin Pharmacy Lantus Byetta Actos Animal Insulin Januvia Victoza Symlin Apidra Onglyza Voglibose All Sections Research Nutrition Research Islet & Pancreas Transplant Medications Research Health Research The Cure Beta Cells Other Lab Tests Artificial Pancreas New Cure Research Case Studies All Sections Fitness Exercise Weight Loss Bariatric Surgery Success Stories Amphetamines All Sections Psychology Adolescent Boys Adolescent Girls Living with Diabetes Support Groups Women's Issues Men's Issues Teenagers Insulin Omission All Sections Monitoring Blood Sugar A1c Test Noninvasive Monitors Urine Test Laboratory Tests All Sections Health Care Health Insurance Hospital Care Endocrinology Complementary Therapies Smoking CDE Physical Therapy All Sections Legal Government & Policy Discrimination Drivers License & Pilot License Politics Driving 504 Plan in School Lobbying All Sections Pregnancy Childbirth Breastfeeding Gestational Diabetes All Sections Celebrities Nick Jonas Jay Hewitt Scott Dunton Elliott Yamin All Sections About UsAbout UsPublisher's LetterAdvertisingContact UsPress RoomSubmission GuidelinesPrivacy Policy Help function fbs_click() {u=location.href;t=document.title;window.open('http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u='+encodeURIComponent(u)+'&t='+encodeURIComponent(t),'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=626,height=436');return false;}

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Your Name:Your Email:Recipient's Name:Recipient's Email:CloseDiabetes Health Eighth Annual Product Reference Guide is Here!Nadia Al-Samarrie, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
Dec 1, 2010

It's that?time of year, when health plan open enrollment gives you the chance to change insurance providers. Perhaps you've been dissatisfied with your old insurer, and you've decided to switch to another insurance company that seems like a better choice. But before making your decision, you call the company to ask about its coverage of durable medical equipment. That's when you learn that the new company covers different devices than your old one. Now what? You want to compare the various brands to make sure they're equivalent, but the prospect seems like an overwhelming chore. That's where the Diabetes Health Product Reference Guide comes in.

Eight years ago, we launched our first Product Reference Guide in response to your needs. ?In this signature issue of our annual Reference Guide, you can expect to find 233 different products. ?You will love seeing all the relevant information already gathered into clear comprehensive charts, saving you hours of research. ?

Diabetes Health does not recommend or rate products because my personal experience selling and training individuals on medical devices has taught me that everyone has different needs. Instead, we lay out every detail about hundreds of devices in eye-appealing and up-to-date charts, making it simple to compare products in minutes and come to your own decisions about what's best for you.

For our December/January 2011 issue, we have selected the most popular medical brands that people use to manage their diabetes. ?If you would like the comprehensive list that includes even more categories of charts and products, you can find the unabridged digital version at?diabeteshealth.com/charts.??

Enjoy the eighth?signature issue of our Annual Product Reference Guide. I hope that it makes your life easier and your diabetes self-care more effective.

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Public Health: Frequency Of Dialysis Treatment Questioned, Chemotherapy Drug Shortages

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Also Included In: Urology / Nephrology;??Diabetes;??Public Health
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News outlets report on a variety of public health issues.

CQ Health Beat: A new study funded by the National Institutes of Health suggests that receiving dialysis six days a week results in better self-reported patient health than the conventional treatment of three times per week. "Since the brunt of dialysis costs is borne by Medicare, a boost in frequency could mean increased spending by the program, however. ... Might the study eventually lead to increased Medicare outlays for dialysis? Washington, D.C. health policy consultant Alec Vachon says the question isn't easy to answer. 'Our kidneys work 24/7, so it should not be a surprise that more frequent dialysis - beyond standard thrice weekly - is better,' he said. 'But the wild cards are what CMS, patients, or dialysis providers think. Dialysis is already the single largest Medicare line item, and many patients are not keen on even three sessions per week. And would dialysis providers - most of which are for profit - find it attractive to sharply expand capacity even if Medicare would pay for added sessions?'" (Reichard, 11/23).

National Journal: Following a new report Tuesday predicting that nearly half the U.S. population could have diabetes by 2020, researchers estimate "that the diabetes problem will continue to grow without aggressive intervention that primarily focuses on weight management and combating obesity. 'Because diabetes follows a progressive course, often starting with obesity and then moving to prediabetes, there are multiple opportunities to intervene early on and prevent this devastating disease before it's too late,' said Deneen Vojta, senior vice president of the UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform & Modernization (Fung, 11/23).

St. Louis Beacon: The St. Louis Diabetes Coalition is "taking its message out of doctors' offices and to the public" through education seminars in collaboration with Saint Louis University's Center for Outcome Research. "The coalition's programs are free and open to everyone, but the group is especially interested in reaching people who are clueless about how best to handle a disease that's claiming more victims as Americans get less or no exercise and eat more unhealthy foods. ... The coalition's work with SLU's Center for Outcome Research is financed by a $99,000 grant from the St. Louis Community/University Health Research Partnership. Set up in 2009, the partnership focuses on research into diabetes and other health problems" (Joiner, 11/23).

The Associated Press/Boston Globe: "[A]lcohol-related problems are sending nearly 1,000 college-age residents to hospital emergency rooms each year," according to an analysis by the Boston Public Health Commission. "[S]ince 2008, 18- to 22-year-olds have made 40,000 visits to city emergency rooms, and of that number, more than 2 percent were alcohol-related. Commission Executive Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer calls the numbers 'a serious problem and a burden on the health care system'" (11/24).

The Wall Street Journal Health Blog: Amid an "ongoing problem of drug shortages," chemotherapy drugs "are among those most in demand. ... Drug shortages occur for a range of reasons that vary by medication: the unavailability of raw ingredients, FDA enforcement actions that halt production, voluntary recalls, poor inventory ordering, a change in product formulation and even rumors of an impending shortage, which can cause hoarding, according to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices" (Hobson, 11/23).

Charleston, S.C. WCBD: "People eat what is convenient and affordable -- and if it's sodium laden fast food, that's what they'll chow down on. A team of Medical University of South Carolina researchers studied the Chicora Cherokee neighborhood for 6 months. They looked at the impact of the environment on the people who live in the community and on the students attending Burns and Chicora elementary schools in North Charleston. They discovered the lack of affordable, healthy food options in urban communities ironic in a country with an abundance of food. 'We determined that there were only 13 stores within a mile of Chicora Cherokee and of those 13 stores there were "zero" grocery stores', says Amy Painter of MUSCs Center for Communities in Health Partnerships" (Murray, 11/24).

This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org.

ⓒ Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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How mom's health may increase risk of kidney disease

ScienceDaily (Nov. 20, 2010) ? Children with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) are more likely to have mothers who were obese or had diabetes during pregnancy, according to a study presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 43rd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition, by Christine W. Hsu, MD (University of Washington, Seattle) and colleagues.

The study included more than 4,000 patients with childhood CKD -- diagnosed at age 21 or younger -- in Washington State. These patients were compared to more than 20,000 healthy children to evaluate possible relationships between a pregnant woman having diabetes, being obese or overweight, and the risk of her child developing CKD anytime during infancy, childhood, or adolescence.

The overall rate of childhood CKD was approximately 0.26 percent -- about 1 case per 400 live births. When investigators adjusted for length of gestation, CKD risk was 69 percent higher for children whose mothers had diabetes before pregnancy. For children whose mothers developed diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes), there was a 28 percent increase in CKD risk. Children of obese mothers demonstrated a 22 percent increase in CKD risk.

When specific causes of kidney disease were analyzed, children whose mothers had diabetes before pregnancy had nearly a 700 percent increase in the risk of kidney-related birth defects (renal aplasia/dysplasia). "Developmental abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tract are the most common cause of childhood CKD," Hsu explains.

The risk of urinary blockage (obstructive uropathy) -- which can lead to CKD -- was increased by 34 percent for children whose mothers had gestational diabetes, 23 percent in those whose mothers were obese, and 21 percent in those whose mothers were overweight but not obese.

In adults, CKD is often related to medical conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. In contrast, according to Hsu, "Development of childhood CKD may be programmed prenatally." Few studies have looked at possible risk factors for CKD development before adulthood.

"Our research shows that childhood CKD is modestly associated with maternal diabetes and maternal overweight or obesity, with the strongest association between abnormal kidney development and maternal diabetes," says Hsu. "Previous studies have demonstrated that maternal diabetes is associated with an increased risk of general congenital abnormalities. However, with strict control of maternal diabetes, the rate of congenital malformations is similar to that of non-diabetic mothers."

The new results raise the possibility that stricter control of diabetes and weight control during pregnancy could decrease children's risk of developing CKD. "However, this would have to be evaluated in future research," says Hsu.

The study had some limitations related to the fact that it used Washington State birth records linked to a hospital discharge database. As a result, it could only identify children with CKD who were hospitalized and had kidney disease listed in their hospital discharge diagnoses. The study definition of CKD was also broad, and the results are being reanalyzed with a stricter CKD definition. Furthermore, conclusions regarding cause and effect are not possible due to the case control design of the study.

Study co-authors include Kalani Yamamoto, MD, Rohan Henry, MD, Jordan Symons, MD, and Anneclaire De Roos, PhD (University of Washington).

Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by American Society of Nephrology, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

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Economic downturn takes toll on health of Americans with heart disease, diabetes or cancer

ScienceDaily (Nov. 18, 2010) ? A new poll from researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Knowledge Networks (KN) shows that many people with heart disease, diabetes or cancer believe the economic downturn is hurting their health and will have further negative impacts in the future. Many Americans with these illnesses face financial problems paying for medical bills in this economy. Most of these people do not believe the new national health care reform law (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 2010) will help them.

This national poll is the first in a collaborative series of polls by HSPH and KN focused on people with heart disease, diabetes, or cancer; it was conducted October 27-31, 2010.

Many With Heart Disease, Diabetes or Cancer Say Economic Downturn Has Negative Impact on Their Health

More than a third of those with heart disease (35%) or diabetes (39%) say that the economic downturn has had a negative impact on their health, while more than a fifth of those with cancer (21%) say the same. An even greater share of people with each disease say the economic downturn will hurt their health in the future (47% of those with heart disease; 48% of those with diabetes; and 27% of those with cancer).

"Many people with heart disease, diabetes or cancer say the problems created by the economic downturn are spilling over into their physical health, not only today but also in the future," said Gillian K. SteelFisher, research scientist in the HSPH Department of Health Policy and Management and assistant director of the Harvard Opinion Research Program.

Economic Downturn Has Led Many with Heart Disease, Diabetes or Cancer into Financial Problems as They Try to Pay Medical Bills

Roughly a third of those with heart disease (35%) or diabetes (34%), and a fifth of those with cancer (22%) say the economic downturn has forced them to use up most or all of their savings in order to deal with medical bills, co-payments and other fees related to their illness. Between a fifth and a quarter of these groups have gone into credit card debt (25% of those with heart disease; 26% of those with diabetes; and 19% of those with cancer). Smaller percentages declared bankruptcy because of the economic downturn's impact on their ability to pay for medical care (4% of those with heart disease; 9% of those with diabetes; and 3% of those with cancer).

"While bankruptcy due to costs of health care has gotten national attention, it is also of serious concern that substantial proportions of people with these chronic conditions are depleting their savings and going into debt to pay for needed care," said Jordon Peugh, vice president of Health Care and Policy Research at Knowledge Networks.

Many Americans with Heart Disease, Diabetes or Cancer Say Economic Downturn Has Made it More Stressful to Manage Illness

Approximately 4 in 10 Americans with heart disease (43%) or diabetes (42%) and a fifth of those with cancer (21%) say the economic downturn has made it more stressful for them to manage their illness. As a result of the economic downturn, many of those with heart disease or diabetes also say they are cutting back on care from providers and regimens they follow at home to help manage their illness. For example, roughly a fifth of those with diabetes (19%) say they have skipped or delayed appointments with their doctor or nurse, and 15% say they have skipped or delayed recommended diagnostics or lab tests. At home, 18% of those with diabetes have not been able to follow the diet their provider recommended, and 23% say they are testing their blood sugar less often than they are supposed to. People with heart disease are cutting back to a similar degree, while those with cancer are less likely to be cutting back as a result of the economic downturn.

Most Americans with Heart Disease, Diabetes or Cancer Believe They Will Not be Better Off Under New National Health Care Reform Law

Less than 15% of people with heart disease, diabetes or cancer believe they will be better off under the new national health care reform law (14% of those with heart disease; 14% of those with diabetes and 11% of those with cancer). By comparison, approximately 4 in 10 believe they will be worse off under the new law (41% of those with heart disease; 38% of those with diabetes and 43% of those with cancer), and the remainder believe the law won't make much difference (34% of those with heart disease; 29% of those with diabetes; 38% of those with cancer) or don't know what the law's impact will be for them (11% of those with heart disease; 19% of those with diabetes; 8% of those with cancer).

"Although experts suggest the health care reform law has provisions that could help people with illnesses like heart disease, diabetes or cancer, many people who have such diseases do not believe it," said Professor Robert J. Blendon, director of the Harvard Opinion Research Program.

Methodology

This poll is part of an on-going series of studies focused on the challenges of people with chronic illness by the Harvard Opinion Research Program (HORP) at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Knowledge Networks (KN). The research team includes Robert J. Blendon, Gillian K. SteelFisher, and Johanna R. Mailhot, of HSPH, and Jordon Peugh of KN. Interviews were conducted online for HORP by KN using KnowledgePanel®, a nationally representative panel of respondents recruited via traditional telephone and addressed-based sampling methods. People without computers or Internet access are given that technology for free when recruited onto the panel. From this panel, a sample of 508 people with heart disease, 506 people with diabetes, and 506 people with cancer participated. The margin of error at the 95% confidence level for respondents with each condition is plus or minus 6 percentage points. Data collection occurred October 27-31, 2010.

Possible sources of non-sampling error include non-response bias, as well as question wording and ordering effects. To compensate for these biases, for non-response, and probability of selection the initial sample is weighted to the US Census Bureau's Current Population Survey statistics benchmarks and the final data are weighted to National Health Interview Survey (2009) population statistics available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for each disease condition. The weights adjust the sample for age, race, ethnicity, education, and region so as to be nationally representative of each of these conditions.

Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Harvard School of Public Health, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

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Press Release - West vs. South: Regional Differences in Views of the Health Reform Law

West vs. South: Regional Differences in Views of the Health Reform Law - Diabetes Health My Account ??|??Subscribe??|??Contact Us??|??Donate Search Home Charts Recipes Digital Edition TV Apps Community Kids & Teens Type 2 Issues Type 1 Issues Professional Issues Pre-Diabetes Beginners International Health Events History Camps for Kids Online Resources Dating World Diabetes Day Pets All Sections Products Product Directory Charts Syringes Insulin Pumps Meters Pens Software CGMs Books Medical ID Jewelry Lancing Devices Infusion Sets Carrying Cases Pen Needles All Sections Complications & Care Heart Care & Heart Disease Low Blood Sugar Foot Care Kidney Care (Nephropathy) Nerve Care (Neuropathy) Eye Care (Retinopathy) Hypoglycemia Unawareness Sexual Issues Geriatrics Depression Insulin Resistance Skin Care Lipid Problems Wound Care Reversing Complications All Sections Food Recipes Diets Vitamins Food News Nutrition Advice Low Carb Supplements Glycemic Index & Carb Counting Beverages Low Calorie & Low Fat Sugar & Sweeteners Desserts Herbs Dinner Lunch All Sections Columns Cartoons & eCards Personal Stories Letters to the Editor Inspiration My Own Injection Book Reviews Motivation Heroes Making a Difference CDE of the Month Doctors & Nurses Love and Diabetes After All These Years All Sections Medications Insulin Type 2 Medications Metformin Pharmacy Lantus Byetta Actos Animal Insulin Januvia Victoza Symlin Apidra Onglyza Voglibose All Sections Research Nutrition Research Islet & Pancreas Transplant Medications Research Health Research The Cure Beta Cells Other Lab Tests Artificial Pancreas New Cure Research Case Studies All Sections Fitness Exercise Weight Loss Bariatric Surgery Success Stories Amphetamines All Sections Psychology Adolescent Boys Adolescent Girls Living with Diabetes Support Groups Women's Issues Men's Issues Teenagers Insulin Omission All Sections Monitoring Blood Sugar A1c Test Noninvasive Monitors Urine Test Laboratory Tests All Sections Health Care Health Insurance Hospital Care Endocrinology Complementary Therapies Smoking CDE Physical Therapy All Sections Legal Government & Policy Discrimination Drivers License & Pilot License Politics Driving 504 Plan in School Lobbying All Sections Pregnancy Childbirth Breastfeeding Gestational Diabetes All Sections Celebrities Nick Jonas Jay Hewitt Scott Dunton Elliott Yamin All Sections About UsAbout UsPublisher's LetterAdvertisingContact UsPress RoomSubmission GuidelinesPrivacy Policy Help function fbs_click() {u=location.href;t=document.title;window.open('http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u='+encodeURIComponent(u)+'&t='+encodeURIComponent(t),'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=626,height=436');return false;}

See What's Inside… Living His Dream of Law Enforcement: Lt. Jose Lopez Diabetes & Alcohol Diabetes and Autoimmunity Insulindependence Precious Pooch

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Finally! A fresh take on the “professional” journal. Each bi-monthly issue cuts through the jargon and presents the most important information you need to enhance your practice and assist your patients.

Each bi-monthly issue of Diabetes Health Professional is a self-contained handbook covering products, educational resources and the latest diabetes research, complimented by balanced editorial focused on medical news, drug prescription information, clinical practice recommendations and changing treatment options.

Each quarter we send you the latest, most updated research guides, product guides and educational resource guides available for you and your patients.

Each week the Diabetes Health E-Newsletter delivers links to the very latest in news, reviews, blogs and videos from Diabetes Health direct to your inbox.

As a subscriber you'll get access to the amazing Diabetes Health Digital Advantage™ so you can read the current issue of Diabetes Health magazine online wherever you are!

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Given the fact that party affiliation has been so closely tied to views of health reform over the past two years, it is perhaps not surprising that these views to a large extent reflect the political profiles of these regions.

West vs. South: Regional Differences in Views of the Health Reform LawNov 19, 2010 This press release is an announcement submitted by Kaiser Family Foundation, and was not written by Diabetes Health.

In the wake of the November midterm election that resulted in a landslide victory for Republicans and a shift in party control of the House of Representatives, the debate about health reform continues to play out in Washington and in many states across the country. Republican lawmakers from many states have made public calls for repeal of or drastic changes to the law, and governors from several states have signed on to a lawsuit filed in Florida that challenges the law on constitutional grounds. The November Kaiser Health Tracking poll finds the public is still largely divided in their opinions of the law and what should happen next. In this Data Note, we examine how those opinions differ by region of the country.

A recent analysis by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured finds that many states in the American South and West stand to see the biggest shares of their residents newly covered by health insurance under the health reform law, as many of these states have larger numbers of residents who are currently uninsured. Many of these newly insured will get their coverage through the Medicaid program, meaning that these states could see large overall increases in Medicaid spending under the new law, with the vast majority of dollars coming from the federal government. But despite the fact that many states in these two regions stand to be disproportionately eligible for federal funds, opinions of the law play out quite differently in the West than in the South.

Looking at the four broad regions of the country overall, those living in the Western and Northeastern United States are more likely to view the law favorably, while those living in the South and Midwest tilt negatively in their views of the law. Given the fact that party affiliation has been so closely tied to views of health reform over the past two years, it is perhaps not surprising that these views to a large extent reflect the political profiles of these regions. The South and Midwest, where views of the law are most negative, have higher shares of self-identified Republicans and political conservatives compared with the Northeast and West. In the 2010 mid-term election, as reported by the national exit polls conducted by a consortium of media organizations, the South and Midwest backed Republican candidates by large margins, while the Northeast voted for Democrats by a 10 point margin and the West was almost evenly divided.

Taking a closer look at the two regions (West and South) with higher numbers of uninsured and states that stand to be disproportionately eligible for federal funds, we find broad differences in how residents are reacting to the law. Overall, while a majority (52 percent) of those living in the West view the law favorably, the South has the highest share expressing an unfavorable view of the law (45 percent unfavorable, 37 percent favorable). Compared with those living in the South, Westerners are 10 percentage points more likely to say both their own family (33 percent vs. 23 percent) and the country as a whole (43 percent vs. 33 percent) will be better off under the new law. And while about half (51 percent) of Westerners want lawmakers to leave the law as is or expand it, an equally large share of Southerners (54 percent) want to repeal the law, either entirely or in part. Health care also played a slightly more prominent role as a voting issue in the South than it did in the West, with 17 percent of Southern voters naming it as one of the top issues in their vote, compared to 11 percent in the West.

Looking at demographics, both regions also stand out from the rest of the country in having a particularly high proportion of racial and ethnic minorities: the South, with 18 percent of its adult residents self-identifying as African American and another 13 percent as Hispanic, and the West with 24 percent identifying as Hispanic according to Census estimates. Given that public opinion data has found both African Americans and Latinos to be more uniformly supportive of health reform overall, this suggests that the contrast between the West and the South in terms of opinion on health reform may be even more concentrated among white residents. And in fact the November tracking survey finds this is the case. While whites in the South oppose health reform by nearly three to one, whites in the West are roughly divided on the law. (Whites in the Northeast are also evenly divided, while Midwestern whites tilt negative in their overall opinion of the law.)

These regional differences suggest that, despite the fact that their states may stand to benefit from federal spending under the health reform law, recent actions by some Southern lawmakers, such as speaking out about changes to and/or repeal of the law, may be consistent with views of the majority of residents in those states.

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This analysis is based on the November Kaiser Health Tracking Poll, designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation and conducted November 3 through November 6, 2010, among a nationally representative random sample of 1,502 adults ages 18 and older, including 1,017 adults who say they voted in the mid-term elections. Telephone interviews conducted by landline (1000) and cell phone (502, including 252 who had no landline telephone) were carried out in English and Spanish by Princeton Survey Research Associates. The margin of sampling error for the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points; for results based on the South it is plus or minus 5 percentage points, and for the West, Midwest and Northeast it is plus or minus 6 percentage points. For results based on other subgroups, the margin of sampling error may be higher. A complete report, chartpack and the full question wording and methodology of the poll can be viewed online at http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/8120.cfm.

To view the complete Data Note with graphics:

http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/upload/8121.pdf

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Categories: Government & Policy, Health Care, Health Insurance

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