Aging Population & Societal Shifts - Traditional Indian joint family systems are breaking down into nuclear families due to urbanization and modernization [2] - India will have over 300 million elderly individuals by 2050, with one in five people being 60+ [3] - Elderly individuals face social isolation and segregation, particularly regarding digital literacy [6] Healthcare & Financial Security - India has limited healthcare resources for its aging population, with only two national centers for aging [4] - The adequacy of the pension system is questioned, with concerns about reliance on the younger generation [6] - Healthcare improvements and financial inclusion policies are needed for senior citizens [7] Community & Intergenerational Engagement - Elder care systems within communities can leverage the experience of the elderly to teach younger generations [7] - Volunteering by younger generations can bridge the gap through digital literacy and companionship [8] - Health help programs and health desks in hospitals can provide assistance to elderly individuals [8] Legal & Policy Implementation - The Parents Maintenance Act exists in India, but its implementation at the ground level is inconsistent [7] - Legal processes for elderly individuals seeking compensation can be lengthy and take years [8]

Health Literacy Crisis - Healthcare system faces a crisis of health literacy, impacting vulnerable families who rely on emergency services due to lack of awareness of other options [6][14] - A survey revealed that 53% of 523 families, caregivers, and parents could not correctly differentiate between a healthcare emergency versus a non-emergency [16] - Families from underprivileged and minoritized backgrounds were often unaware that urgent care was an option [16] Overutilization of Emergency Rooms - Annually, 75% to 105% million pediatric emergency visits are non-emergent, suitable for urgent care, primary care, or home care [9] - Hospitals experience $250 to 300 cases of overutilization monthly, resulting in approximately $1,200 out-of-pocket costs per family and $370,000 in wasted healthcare dollars annually [11] - Overutilization leads to 1,500 wasted care hours each month, impacting care for true medical emergencies [12] Proposed Solution: Education and Empowerment - Implementing a traffic light system (red for emergencies, yellow/orange for urgent care, green for primary care) increased understanding of affordable healthcare options by 68% [18][19][20] - Healthcare institutions and policymakers should prioritize health literacy programs in schools, clinics, and discharge protocols [23] - Communities and families should advocate for resources that enable informed healthcare decisions [24]

Industry Problem - US prescription drug prices average nearly three times more than in other countries, leading individuals and employers to seek solutions [1] - A cottage industry has emerged, sourcing drugs overseas at a fraction of the cost, but this practice is illegal and potentially puts American lives at risk [2][3] - Employers, especially small businesses, municipalities, and school boards, are seeking cost savings in healthcare [4] Alternative Funding Programs (AFPs) - AFPs carve out coverage for expensive specialty medicines (e g, cancer, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis) and source medications from overseas [5] - AFPs are paid through a flat fee or a percentage of the savings [5] - Patients may not know if the medicine they receive is safe, effective, or real, despite obtaining it through their insurance plan [6][7] Legal and Safety Concerns - The FDA states that importing drugs available and sold in the US is illegal [3] - There are concerns about the safety, effectiveness, and quality of drugs sourced from overseas [3][6] - A case involves Meritane Health (a division of Aetna, owned by CVS) outsourcing coverage, resulting in a patient receiving HIV medication from a Turkish pharmacy with Turkish packaging and instructions [8] Systemic Issues - Patients often have no choice but to participate in these programs, as opting out means paying for specialty medications out of pocket, which is often prohibitive [10][11] - The situation is born out of a broken healthcare system [11] - Extensive investigation involving over 100 public records requests and review of 10,000 documents revealed the challenges patients face [10]

Women's Health Data & Research - Less than 10% of funding goes towards women's health research and development [5] - 50-75% of women are more likely to experience an adverse drug reaction as medications are still largely designed around a male physiology [9] - Only 4% of pharmaceutical pipelines focus on female-only conditions despite women making up over 50% of the population [9] - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) 'All of Us' study has gathered data from almost 1 million participants [14] Healthcare System & Data Sharing - The healthcare system has never fully accounted for women, leading to a critical lack of women's health data from clinical trials, medical records, and research studies [4][5] - Sharing health data empowers women, providing doctors with a deeper understanding of their health in real-time and potentially leading to treatments designed around a woman's unique biology [7][8][10] - De-identifying health data and combining it with data from other women ensures privacy while creating a powerful resource for tackling challenges in women's health [12][13] Call to Action - Individuals are encouraged to use telemedicine platforms or wearables designed with women in mind, join patient registries, and participate in clinical trials to advance women's health [20][21][23] - Despite the fact that health data is already being used and shared from various sources, there is still not enough high-quality women's health data [22][23]

Healthcare Systems Comparison - Canada operates a publicly funded universal healthcare system, unlike the United States [2] - OECD countries, except the US, generally have universal or near-universal healthcare systems [6] - The US spends significantly more per capita on healthcare compared to other developed nations but often has worse outcomes [7] US Healthcare Programs - The Social Security Amendments of 1965 created Medicaid and Medicare [9] - Over 66 million people are on Medicare and 71 million are on Medicaid [11] - In 2023, the US uninsured rate reached a record low of 79% after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) [13] Impact of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" - The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the bill will add $33 trillion to the national debt over a decade and could increase the number of uninsured people by 118 million [15] - Some estimate that Trump administration policies could push the number of uninsured people up to 17 million [16] - The bill shortens the annual ACA open enrollment period by about a month [17] - The bill includes provisions that require states with expanded Medicaid coverage to charge some enrollees up to $35 for some services [18] - The changes and cuts from the bill could lead to the closure of some of the country's 760 at-risk rural hospitals [18]