Implications of the Affordable Care Act for occupational therapy practitioners providing services to Medicare recipients.

The passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA; Pub. L. 111-148) represents the largest expansion in government funding of health care since Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965 (Curfman, Abel, & Landers, 2012). Although the health insurance mandate and Medicaid expansion have received the most attention as a result of legal challenges and the July 2012 Supreme Court ruling on the legality of the ACA (Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2012), other ACA initiatives may have even greater implications for occupational therapy. The ACA includes sections on improving quality and health systems performance for Medicare recipients, with some sections also applying to Medicaid recipients. Insurance companies commonly follow Medicare rules; therefore, the Medicare reforms are likely to spread across all payers, health care settings, and care recipients.

Culturally competent interventions to address obesity among African American and Latino children and youth.

While obesity impacts all ethnic groups in the United States, African Americans and Latinos are particularly at high risk for obesity. The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the literature on evidence-based culturally competent strategies for addressing and preventing obesity and discuss roles for occupational therapists working with populations at risk for obesity in the school or therapeutic clinical environment. A review was conducted of over 80 research articles describing successful interventions conducted in schools and communities targeting African Americans and Latino children. Although unique single strategies are highlighted in this paper, obesity interventions are complex and involved a number of multilevel strategies. The results of the analysis of the literature are presented according to strategies that promote healthy eating, physical activity, and overall healthy lifestyles. Along with the cultural competent strategies, we recommend specific roles for occupational therapists in order to promote the implementation of each particular strategy. Lastly, implications for occupational therapy are discussed.