My name is Kyle Curran and this is a collection of my writings. Thanks for visiting!
The New & Dynamic Nature of the Opioid Epidemic
Published as a poster at the 53rd ASAM Conference in Hollywood, FL Introduction: There has been a long-standing narrative regarding the opioid epidemic that is no longer accurate. The existing narrative has been perpetuated recently by high profile and large settlements with prescription opioid manufacturers and distributors. These settlements are the results of years of…
The Changing Overdose Crisis in Central Florida: A Community Needs Assessment
https://projectopioid.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/CNA-Central-Florida-11.29.21.pdf https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-ne-opioid-deaths-soar-central-florida-20211130-adaeopbpnbeixns72rewhco2pi-story.html The face of a victim in Orange County in 2021 is more likely to be Black, younger, male, and more likely to be a victim of fentanyl rather than heroin compared to 2015.
Revenue options for the state of Florida
The state of Florida imposes both a statewide sales tax of 6% and a corporate income tax of 5.5%, which has been temporarily cut to 4.458% through 20211,2. Despite the statutory rate of 4.458%, the effective rate paid by businesses is often below even the alternative minimum tax rate of 3.3%3. Because of corporate evasion, exemptions and loopholes, only 1% of businesses in Florida are subject to the income tax3. By comparison, the Florida sales tax is easy to collect, with limited exemptions for necessities4. The sales tax has, over time, become a disproportionate source of revenue for the state when compared to the corporate income tax5. In 2019-2020, sales taxes are projected to generate roughly ten times as much revenue for the state compared to the corporate income tax5.
Raising the cap on wages subject to the Social Security Payroll Tax
Problem Statement An aging population and shrinking workforce, whose payroll tax contributions fund Social Security, mean that under current law, the Social Security Trust Fund will be depleted by 2035, triggering an automatic cut in benefits for beneficiaries of the program. What can Congress do to progressively prevent cuts in benefits to the United States’…
Medicaid Expansion Maps
The following map shows how Medicaid Expansion under the Affordable Care Act was enacted as of July 1, 2020 The following map shows the status of states attempting to pursue work requirements for Medicaid recipients as of June 29, 2020:
Increasing the Alcohol Excise Tax Presentation
Change in Affordable Care Act Exchange Enrollment from 2018-2019 by state
Congress repealed the individual mandate requiring individuals to have health insurance in 2017, leading to a decrease in people enrolled on the ACA’s exchanges. The change in enrollment was not uniform and in part reflected different states’ policy changes in response to the repeal.
Increasing the Alcohol Excise Tax
Excessive alcohol consumption leads to drunk driving and increases in violence, suicide, and crime, as well as chronic health conditions such as addiction. What can Congress do to reduce the negative externalities associated with excessive alcohol consumption?
The Role of Health Information Technology in the Opioid Epidemic
The opioid crisis has come to the forefront among our nation’s health emergencies, as declared by President Trump in 2017. At that time, the national rate of deaths involving opioids was 14.6 deaths per 100,000 population – versus Florida, which had 3,245 overdose deaths that year, a rate of 16.3 deaths per 100,000 population (NIDA, 2019). While past endeavors to diminish the social and economic effects of the crisis have fallen short of making significant impacts, health information technology (HIT) has made great strides in mitigating the detrimental effects of opioid abuse and overdose. To understand why HIT made such strides, one must first know the history and be aware of the underlying causes which led to the rise of addiction and resultant deaths from opioid abuse.