All about risk
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The results that we have to date are stark. New first responder data from the National EMS Information System (NEMSIS) shows significant increases in mental distress, overdose rates, and suicides. Mental health and overdose calls to first responders have doubled in 2020 compared to both 2018 and 2019 (Figures 1-2). Suicides have seen an uptick also, but at a lower rate (Figure 3)
Author(s): Carol Graham
Publication Date: 10 February 2021
Publication Site: Brookings
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According to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data, the age-adjusted COVID-19 mortality rate is now higher for AIAN people than for any other group (Figure 1); it is almost two and a half times the death rate for whites and Asians.[2] Figure 1 also shows that the disparities for Blacks and Hispanics/Latinos relative to whites, that we identified in June, remain substantial.[3] (That post also explains why it is important to adjust for age when comparing across groups.)
Author(s): Randall Akee and Sarah Reber
Publication Date: 18 February 2021
Publication Site: Brookings
Link: https://www.ai-cio.com/news/multiemployer-pensions-reach-highest-funding-levels-13-years/?
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Robust investment returns helped boost the aggregate funded percentage of all US multiemployer pension plans to 88% at the end of 2020, from 85% a year earlier—the highest since before the global financial crisis at the end of 2007—according to consulting and actuarial firm Milliman.
The strong performance came despite a turbulent year of market volatility due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The volatility caused those same plans’ funded ratio to plunge to 72% during the first quarter of the year, which was the largest quarterly drop in funded percentage since 2007. That was followed by a rebound to 82% in the second quarter, which was the largest quarterly increase in funded percentage since 2007.
Author(s): Michael Katz
Publication Date: 22 February 2021
Publication Site: ai-CIO
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Gov. Ned Lamont said Monday he is throwing out the state’s current playbook for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout – which had prioritized people with underlying medical conditions and certain types of workers, such as grocery store and agricultural employees – and is shifting to a system that is strictly age-based, with the next round of shots open to people who are 55 to 64 beginning March 1.
The announcement came just as the state was supposed to open up the next round of vaccines to “essential workers” such as teachers and other school staff, grocery store employees and transportation workers, as well as people 16 and older who have underlying health conditions like heart disease and diabetes.
State officials said teachers and others who work in the schools will still be prioritized in the coming weeks, with special clinics devoted just to those employees. Schools staff is expected to become eligible beginning March 1, with a goal of giving all workers who want a shot access to a first dose by late March.
Author(s): JENNA CARLESSO and KEITH M. PHANEUF
Publication Date: 22 February 2021
Publication Site: CT Mirror
Link: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.21.21250266v1.full.pdf
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Certain occupational sectors have been associated with high excess mortality during the pandemic, particularly among racial and ethnic groups also disproportionately affected by COVID-19. In-person essential work is a likely venue of transmission of coronavirus infection and must be addressed through strict enforcement of health orders in workplace settings and protection of in-person workers. Vaccine distribution prioritizing in-person essential workers will be important for reducing excess COVID mortality.
Author(s): Yea-Hung Chen, Maria Glymour, Alicia Riley, John Balmes, Kate Duchowny, Robert Harrison, Ellicott Matthay, Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo
Publication Date: 22 January 2021
Publication Site: MedrXiv
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This Report addresses the widespread underfunding of the retirement systems in the nation’s state and local governments. It begins by summarizing some past, current, and probable future trends of unfunded pension liability at the state and local levels. It describes the scope of unfunded pension debt in various state and local jurisdictions and calculates both their aggregate debt and per capita debt, based on states’ self-assessments; it then incorporates a variety of other measurements of unfunded liability. Results from many of those other measures suggest that the magnitude of unfunded pension liability may be considerably larger than previously indicated.
This Report then describes and analyzes the inherent dynamics of government retirement systems that have produced this underfunding, finding that there are a variety of pressures and processes within these retirement systems that can operate to the disadvantage of employees, beneficiaries, and the public generally. It then summarizes attempts to reform pension systems in several states. Some of those states now have relatively sound retirement systems; others less so. It then contrasts the requirements that govern most private-sector pensions to the relatively relaxed regulatory regimes of state and local government pensions, concluding that adoption of rules similar to those governing private sector requirements would likely have positive consequences if implemented for state and local government pension plans and their beneficiaries.The nation’s experience with unfunded pension liability at the state and local government levels may provide some lessons for policymakers; this Report concludes with several recommendations in this area.
Author(s): Daniel Greenberg: Senior Policy Advisor in the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service; Jay Sirot: Special Assistant in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy
Publication Date: 15 January 2021
Publication Site: Benefits Link
Link: https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-020-09335-8
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COVID-19 had a greater impact in northern Italian cities among subjects aged 75–84 and 85+ years. COVID-19 deaths accounted for half of total excess mortality in both areas, with differences by age: almost all excess deaths were from COVID-19 among adults, while among the elderly only one third of the excess was coded as COVID-19. When taking into account the mortality deficit in the pre-pandemic period, different trends were observed by area: all excess mortality during COVID-19 was explained by deficit mortality in the centre and south, while only a 16% overlap was estimated in northern cities, with quotas decreasing by age, from 67% in the 15–64 years old to 1% only among subjects 85+ years old.
Author(s): Paola Michelozzi, Francesca de’Donato, Matteo Scortichini, Patrizio Pezzotti, Massimo Stafoggia, Manuela De Sario, Giuseppe Costa, Fiammetta Noccioli, Flavia Riccardo, Antonino Bella, Moreno Demaria, Pasqualino Rossi, Silvio Brusaferro, Giovanni Rezza & Marina Davoli
Publication Date: 27 August 2020
Publication Site: BMC Public Health
Link: https://observablehq.com/@asg017/the-racial-wealth-gap
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This is the racial wealth gap: the stark wealth difference between white and Black families in the United States. There are several ways to measure this gap, but in 2016 the median wealth for white households was $149,903, while Black households had $13,024.
There’s a myth in the United States that the racial wealth gap has somehow improved over time. This study shows that: many Americans falsely believe that the gap has improved linearly over time, when in reality, it has barely changed and has even gotten worse in some places in the United States.
Granted, other forms of racial injustive have improved since the 60’s. Black representation in politics, media, and academics have improved. Discrimination based on race in the workplace, schools, and in social life have improved. But the racial wealth gap has not improved.
Author(s): Alex Garcia
Publication Date: 20 February 2021
Publication Site: Observable
Link: https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2021/02/17/third-wave-of-covid-19-continues-to-ease/
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The seven-day moving average number of daily cases is about 100,000.
The seven-day moving average number of daily deaths has been over 2,000 for 10 weeks.
As of Feb. 11, about 35 million U.S. residents had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose.
Author(s): Allison Bell
Publication Date: 17 February 2021
Publication Site: Think Advisor
Link: https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2021/02/22/saving-social-security-is-a-bipartisan-issue-survey/
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Most Americans of both political parties agree there Is a retirement crisis ahead.
A majority of those surveyed say COVID-19 has delayed their retirement plans.
Many stated that pension plans are better than 401(k) plans.
Author(s): Ginger Szala
Publication Date: 22 February 2021
Publication Site: Think Advisor
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Facebook’s efforts to police online ads for vaccine misinformation are unintentionally blocking messages from cities, health care providers and community and faith-based groups promoting Covid shots.
Paid-for messages from at least 110 groups aimed at raising awareness of how the vaccines work or where to get inoculated were flagged and sent to Facebook’s register of political messages, a POLITICO review of barred ads dating from last September shows.
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Facebook acknowledged that it’s misidentified some ads and said it was restoring two — from the Centers for Disease Control and the Forsyth County, N.C. department of public health — to the ad rotation.
Author(s): DARIUS TAHIR
Publication Date: 21 February 2021
Publication Site: Politico
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Lamont abandoned the state’s previous methodology for a vaccination rollout, which had prioritized people with underlying medical conditions and certain types of workers in essential, high-risk jobs.
But the governor’s announcement Monday — which ironically was made the same day the national Food Industry Association celebrated “Supermarket Employee Day” — shifted to a priority system that is strictly age-based, with one exception: school employees and child care providers. The next round of shots will open March 1 to people who are between ages 55 and 64, teachers and others who work in schools, and day care workers.
Besides grocery story workers, the administration also had been considering giving priority in this next phase to transportation workers, as well as people 16 and older who have underlying health conditions like heart disease and diabetes, and teachers and other school staff. Only the last group is being given priority in Lamont’s new plan.
Author(s): Keith Phaneuf
Publication Date: 23 February 2021
Publication Site: CT Mirror