It’s common for patients to delay or skip medical care due to high costs in the US—but data shows that fewer adults have done so in recent years.

Between 2019 and 2022, the percentage of adults who reported delaying or skipping care fell to 9.7% (about 19 million people), down from 12.1% (about 24 million people), according to an early July study conducted by think tank the Urban Institute. Researchers found that policies implemented by the federal government during the Covid-19 pandemic reduced cost barriers and made it easier for more people to afford care.

The policies increased the number of insured adults in the US, which “has a really good impact on people’s health,” particularly for those managing chronic conditions, Katherine Hempstead, a senior policy advisor at philanthropic organization the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which funded the study, told Healthcare Brew.

“When people are not motivated to avoid seeking care” because they’re worried they’ll get a bill they can’t afford or they’re uninsured, it’s easier to take care of their health, she said. “They’re much better able to get medicines that are going to keep them healthy so that they can work.”

Keep reading here.—MA

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On Fridays, we schedule our rounds with Healthcare Brew readers. Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click here to introduce yourself.

This week’s Making Rounds spotlights Holly Singh, founder and CEO of fertility consulting startup Wellhatched. At the company, Singh helps clients navigate fertility and family planning while also providing educational courses to companies on topics like egg freezing and surrogacy.

Today the Wellhatched team consists of two people: Singh and business manager Heather Robertson.

Singh talked with Healthcare Brew about what Wellhatched does to support prospective parents and how the evolving fertility and reproductive landscape in the US affects that work.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What is Wellhatched, and why did you start the company?

I found myself, like many other people, with an infertility diagnosis. I had the reaction that most people have: You’re a bit surprised, you’re a bit overwhelmed, you’re a bit lost. There was just no guidance; there were no practical next steps. I just said, “I don’t want to regret not trying to fix this problem. I can’t be alone here.” So I worked nights and weekends to start this up in February 2020.

Keep reading here.—MA

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Real jobs, shared through real communities. CollabWORK brings opportunities directly to Healthcare Brew readers—no mass postings, no clutter, just roles worth seeing. Click here to view the full job board.

• Registered Nurse, Level 1 Trauma OR, at Yale New Haven Health (in person)
• Chief Medical Officer at outpatient therapy clinic (remote)
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• Chief Medical Officer, Community Care Services, at a pharmacy benefits platform (remote)
• Registered Nurse, Skin and Kidney Practice, at Yale New Haven Health (in person)