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☆ Fijoya is bringing AI to employer-sponsored healthcare benefits. Here's the pitch deck it used to raise $8.3 million.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Digital health benefits startup Fijoya just came out of stealth and announced an $8.3 million seed round from Team8, the Israeli venture group that creates startups and invests in existing ones across the cyber, data infrastructure, fintech, digital health, and AI industries. As Americans are spending more than ever on healthcare, Fijoya is one of many healthtech startups cropping up to tackle the financial aspects of healthcare. Now, out of stealth, Fijoya is focusing on giving employees an easier way to choose healthcare benefits that best suit their lifestyles. "This end-to-end approach signifies our commitment to simplify health benefits by offering a wide range of options with a seamless discovery, selection, and payment process.'" Check out the 15-slide pitch deck Fijoya used to raise its seed funding round.

Persons: Team8, Baruch Levy, Levy Organizations: Business, Health, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Norwest Venture Partners Locations: Team8, Israel

☆ 5 things you can do to lower your ER bill — or avoid one in the first place
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Business Insider spoke with three experts who shared tips on how you can lower your bill or avoid one. Nonprofit health policy organization KFF estimated that people in the US owed at least $220 billion in medical debt in 2021. Business Insider spoke with Gordon and two additional experts who shared tips for how patients can lower a big medical bill — or avoid one altogether. Review your bill for possible errorsIt sounds obvious, but searching your bill for inaccuracies can lead to big savings. AdvertisementBe smart about where and when to get careThere are a few other things you can do to avoid a big medical bill.

Persons: —, Dr, Jerome Adams, who's, Deb Gordon, Gordon, AnnMarie McIlwain, McIlwain, Virgie, Ellington, they're, it's Organizations: Business, Service, Alliance of Professional Health, Umbra Health, Crush, Google, Medicare, Emergency Medicine

☆ 1 million Arizonans will have all their medical debt wiped out, joining other states' efforts to make sure the burden doesn't 'torpedo' Americans' lives, Arizona's governor says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewNearly 1 million Arizona residents will soon see their medical debt balances turn to zero. AdvertisementA February analysis conducted by nonprofit health organization KFF, based on government data, estimated that about 20 million Americans owe at least $220 billion in medical debt, with 14 million people owing over $1,000 in medical debt and about 3 million people owing more than $10,000. Ned Lamont, who announced in early February that the state would cancel $650 million in medical debt for about 250,000 residents. Arizonans deserve a break, and they deserve a government that fights for them, helping ensure that medical debt is not going to torpedo their lives." Are you struggling to pay off medical debt?

Persons: —, Katie Hobbs, Joe Biden, Jeff Smedsrud, Hobbs, Smedsrud, Ned Lamont, Phil Murphy, Murphy, Arizonans, Jim Baker, Baker, I've, I'm Organizations: Service, Arizona Gov, American, Plan, Business, Arizonans, Connecticut Gov, New, New Jersey Gov Locations: Arizona, New Jersey, Phoenix

☆ First U.S. Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill Will Be Available Soon
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Pam Belluck | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Why It MattersThe medication, called Opill, which was approved for over-the-counter sale by the Food and Drug Administration last year, will be the most effective birth control method available without a prescription, research shows — more effective than condoms, spermicides and other nonprescription methods. Some experts said they thought it might be a particularly good option for teenagers, who might otherwise rely on condoms. Reproductive health experts and members of an F.D.A. But long before that, the move to make a nonprescription pill available for all ages had received widespread support from specialists in reproductive and adolescent health and groups. In a survey in 2022 by the health care research organization KFF, more than three-quarters of women of reproductive age said they favored an over-the-counter pill, primarily because of convenience.

Persons: Lupe M, Rodriguez, ” Karen Murry, Opill Organizations: Food and Drug Administration, National Latina Institute, Reproductive

☆ You'll soon be able to get birth control without a prescription. Here's what you need to know.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

It is the first hormonal birth control available for retail and will expand access. Prescription-free birth control will expand accessThe introduction of Opill to family planning aisles will lower barriers to birth control. Since Opill is available without a prescription, people will no longer have to pay a doctor or pharmacist to access hormonal birth control. She urged policymakers to make sure non-prescription birth control is covered by insurance and assistance programs. AdvertisementProgestin-only birth control also carries a risk of ectopic pregnancy and can increase a person's risk for breast cancer, regardless of medical history.

Persons: —, Opill, Victoria Nichols, Nichols, Dr, Tania Serna Organizations: Amazon, Walgreens, CVS, Target, Walmart, Service, US Food and Drug Administration, Guttmacher, Guttmacher Institute, Affordable Care, Kaiser Family Foundation, The American College of Obstetricians, OB, University of California Locations: San Francisco

☆ Few large employers alter abortion coverage after Supreme Court ruling
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Large employers did not make many changes to their abortion coverage after the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision that allowed states to ban or severely restrict abortion, according to a new analysis from KFF. Some 12% of large firms whose biggest plan covers abortion under most or all circumstances added or expanded abortion coverage after the ruling, found KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research organization. Large public employers, such as state and local governments, were less likely to provide abortion coverage than private for profit or nonprofit firms. The prevalence of abortion coverage also depends on where large employers are headquartered. Among very large employers with 5,000 or more workers, the share is 19%.

Persons: that’s Organizations: CNN, Survey, Meta, JPMorgan Chase, Starbucks

☆ Abortions now cost over $450, more than double the price before Roe was overturned, per a reproductive care nonprofit director
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Abortion funds provide information and help offset costsThe demand for funds like CAF has risen significantly since June 2022, Jeyifo said. It also received funding from the city of Chicago and is one of the few abortion funds to receive local government funding. AdvertisementSo far this year, Hidalgo-Cuellar said 84% of Cobalt's clients requiring travel support have come from Texas. She said it's difficult to keep the work of abortion funds in the public eye — and she worries about donations drying up. Imminent rulings from the Florida Supreme Court will also decide the fate of the state's abortion bans, and whether voters will have a say in abortion laws this November.

Persons: —, Roe, Wade, Megan Jeyifo, Jeyifo, Dobbs, they'll, Melisa Hidalgo, Cuellar, Sumeyye, you's Organizations: Service, Chicago Abortion Fund, CAF, Business, Jackson, Health Organization, Guttmacher, Kaiser Family Foundation, Guttmacher Institute, The, Abortion, ARC Locations: Chicago, Illinois, New Mexico, Colorado, Hidalgo, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Arc, Florida

☆ Medicaid challenges leave many Black Americans uninsured
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Micah Washington | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Recent changes to Medicaid programs, aimed at closing a health coverage gap in the U.S., have left behind some Americans — particularly people of color. But as the global health crisis waned and Medicaid coverage expansions faced delays in some states, insured rates fell and Black Americans remained disproportionately uninsured compared with white Americans, according to KFF, formerly known as Kaiser Permanente. In 2022, 10% of Black Americans were uninsured, compared with 6.6% of white Americans. In states that don't offer Medicaid expansion, 13.3% of non-elderly Black Americans are uninsured, according to KFF, compared with 7.3% of that population in states that have already adopted the expansion. Most of the patients at WOH are Black and are covered under Medicaid, according to the company.

Persons: —, Jenn Wagner, Samantha Artiga, Wagner, they're, Robert Phillips, WOH, Phillips Organizations: KFF, Affordable, Permanente, Budget, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Health, West Oakland Health, East Locations: U.S, East Bay Area, California, WOH

☆ Millions of veterans are about to get expanded healthcare access
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Specific military, naval, and air service veterans who served in active duty after October 1981 were eligible before recent expansions. AdvertisementBiden has also expressed support for expanding federal healthcare access for veterans. "We expanded resources to end veterans' homelessness, end veterans' poverty, end the silent scourge of suicide, which is taking more veterans than war is." Trump, the GOP frontrunner, has not announced any new plans for veteran healthcare access as part of his campaign. Are you a veteran who will be impacted by expanded healthcare access?

Persons: —, US Department of Veterans Affairs —, Orange, Shereef Elnahal, Elnahal, Joe Biden, Biden, Donald Trump, Trump Organizations: Service, —, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Business, Affordable, PACT, Department of Veterans Affairs, Medicare, Biden Administration, Arlington National Cemetery, KFF, Kaiser Family Foundation, Democratic, GOP Locations: Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan

☆ Emergency medical bills worry Americans — and it could affect the presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementMost Americans worry they won't be able to pay expensive medical bills if they experience an emergency, and it's impacting their economic outlook. Voters also identified prescription drug prices, out-of-pocket medical costs, and The Affordable Care Act as priorities for how they will vote in the 2024 election. Over 70% of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents answered that general healthcare costs are their main financial stressor. AdvertisementTrump has been vocal about his plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act should he win reelection. Still, KFF found that seven in 10 Republican voters don't think Trump has an alternate affordable healthcare plan.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Donald Trump —, Biden, Trump, Roe, Wade, Barack Obama —, KFF, Nikki Haley, Haley Organizations: Service, KFF, Kaiser Family Foundation, Affordable, Republicans, Independents, Medicare, Services, Democratic, US Department of Health, Human Services, Trump, Republican, Biden

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Times was honored Monday with George Polk Awards for Foreign Reporting and Photojournalism for its coverage of the war between Israel and Hamas. They were among Polk Awards winners announced Monday in 13 categories. In all, five of the prestigious journalism prizes were for coverage of the Israel-Gaza and Russia-Ukraine wars. The winners will be honored in April as the university marks the 75th anniversary of the awards. That prize was established by journalist Jane Freiman Schanberg to honor long-form investigative or enterprise journalism and comes with a $25,000 award.

Persons: George Polk, Photographers Samar Abu Elouf, Yousef Masoud, “, ”, John Darnton, Elon Musk, Osher, Julia Cardi, Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott, Alex Mierjeski, Brett Murphy, ProPublica, Clarence Thomas, Jason Motlagh, Jane Freiman Schanberg, Luke Mogelson, Anna Werner, Brett Kelman, Fred Schulte, Holly K, Hacker, Daniel Chang, Julie Pace, Bob Woodward, Christiane Amanpour, Dean Baquet Organizations: New York Times, Foreign, Hamas, Photographers, University, Polk, CBS, Tesla, SpaceX, Supreme, New, The Gazette, Colorado Springs, Sydney Schanberg, Reuters, Yorker, CBS News, KFF Health, Food, Drug, Long, Long Island University, Journalism, Digital Media, Associated Press, Julie Pace , Washington Post, CNN Locations: Israel, Gaza, Long, Russia, Ukraine, New York, Haiti, Long Island, Manhattan, Julie Pace ,

☆ Most employer health plans don't cover new blockbuster weight loss drugs, but that's going to change
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Many U.S. companies are grappling with health insurance coverage issues for workers when it comes to GLP-1 drugs for weight loss. Still, many benefits experts say it's a matter of when, not if, more employers will cover GLP-1 drugs. Certainly, prescription volumes of GLP-1 weight loss drugs are soaring. Even though GLP-1 drugs are high-priced, they currently represent only 6.9% of annual claims, according to data from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. It's going to be harder and harder not to cover these drugs because the benefits seem to be so great."

Persons: Eli Lilly, there's, Julie Stich, Eli Lilly's, Greg Stancil, you've, Stancil, somebody's, James Wantuck, " Stich, Brian O'Connell, O'Connell, Wantuck, Krutika Amin, Amin Organizations: U.S, Nordisk, International Foundation of Employee, Novo Nordisk, Tufts Medical, Medicare, Healthy Aging, Scott Benefit Services, Employers, Accolade, BMI, International Foundation of, Medicaid — Locations: U.S, KFF, North Carolina, GLP, Novo

☆ Over a million boomers on Medicare could save big on prescription drugs next year
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewSome Medicare recipients could save thousands of dollars on out-of-pocket drug costs next year as even more boomers reach their spending threshold. In 2023, 50.5 million Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in Part D plans. About 65 million people in total are enrolled in Medicare, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. If the national cost cap had been in place in 2021, KFF estimates that 1.5 million Medicare beneficiaries would have seen relief. Are you a Medicare beneficiary who has seen relief from the out-of-pocket drug cost cap?

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, California Medicare enrollees Organizations: Service, Medicare, Business, Kaiser Family Foundation, Institute, Social Security, Centers, Medicaid Services, California Medicare, Services Locations: California, California , Florida , Texas , New York, Pennsylvania

CVS, which owns health insurer Aetna, on Wednesday slashed its full-year profit outlook, citing the potential for higher medical costs to bite into its profits. Last month, Humana said it saw an even bigger jump in medical costs in the fourth quarter. Higher medical costs may be a larger problem for Humana than they are for CVS and other insurers. They added that there is no other part of Humana's business that could meaningfully dampen the hit from higher medical costs on the insurance side. Another insurance giant that has been seeing higher medical costs, UnitedHealth Group, also has large health-care services and pharmacy operations that diversify its earnings streams.

Persons: Humana Organizations: CVS, Aetna, Medicare, Elevance, Humana, UBS, UnitedHealth

☆ Do we simply not care about older adults in the US?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Judith Graham | Kff Health News | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

KFF Health News —The Covid-19 pandemic would be a wake-up call for America, advocates for the elderly predicted: incontrovertible proof that the nation wasn’t doing enough to care for vulnerable older adults. Around 900,000 older adults have died of Covid-19 to date, accounting for 3 of every 4 Americans who have perished in the pandemic. Many seniors at high risk aren’t getting antiviral therapies for Covid, and most older adults in nursing homes aren’t getting updated vaccines. The pandemic made things worsePrejudice against older adults is nothing new, but “it feels more intense, more hostile” now than previously, said Karl Pillemer, 69, a professor of psychology and gerontology at Cornell University. But as a society, we don’t value older adults or the people who care for them,” said Robert Kramer, 74, co-founder and strategic adviser at the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care.

Persons: —, ”, Alice Bonner, I’m, Karl Pillemer, “, ’, ’ ”, Andrew Achenbaum, Achenbaum, Covid, Edwin Walker, Robert Kramer, Kramer, John Rowe, Anne Montgomery, Allen Power, ” Power, it’s “, ” Pillemer Organizations: Health, America, CDC, Institute for Healthcare, gerontology, Cornell University, Texas Medical Center, Aging, Department of Health, Human Services, National Investment Center, Seniors Housing & Care, ”, Columbia University’s Mailman, of Public Health, National Committee, Preserve Social Security, Schlegel, University of Waterloo Research Institute, National Academy of Medicine’s, Healthy, University of Southern, Cornell, Kaiser Health, KFF Locations: Houston, Canada, University of Southern California

☆ Stress is a key factor driving some teens to drugs and alcohol, CDC study warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The mental health of children in the US has become a key concern in recent years. Leaders in youth health declared a national state of emergency in child and adolescent mental health in 2021, and US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has named youth mental health a key priority. And the effect these challenges have had on their mental health is devastating,” Murthy wrote in an advisory from 2021. But in those same years, only 20% of adolescents reported receiving mental health therapy and 14% reported taking prescription medication. While teens said they were most likely to use substances with friends, about half of teens have used drugs and alcohol alone, according to the new CDC study.

Persons: Vivek Murthy, ” Murthy, it’s, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, ” Organizations: CNN, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, ”, CNN Health Locations: United States

☆ If You’re on Medicare, You Could Save Money on Drugs This Year
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Mark Miller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It’s the best news that few people seem to know about: Prescription drug costs are falling this year for more than a million seniors — in many cases, by thousands of dollars. Its changes to Medicare, which will help people who are enrolled in the prescription drug coverage plans known as Part D, are significant. expands eligibility for financial assistance with Part D costs for low-income seniors. The law has also authorized Medicare to negotiate prices for expensive drugs with pharmaceutical companies for the first time. The first negotiations will be over 10 drugs, including the blood thinners Eliquis and Xarelto and the diabetes drugs Jardiance and Januvia.

Persons: Biden, Jardiance Organizations: Medicare

☆ Connecticut says it will become first state to cancel medical debt for many residents
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Connecticut will cancel roughly $650 million in medical debt for an estimated 250,000 residents this year, Gov. More than 1 in 10 Connecticut residents have medical debt in collections. New Jersey included $10 million in its most recent budget to fund a pilot program to cancel residents’ medical debt, and Gov. Medical debt is now the largest source of debt in collections, totaling more than credit cards, utilities and auto loans combined, according to the White House. And the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Biden administration are also considering ways to minimize the burden of medical debt.

Persons: Ned Lamont, Lamont, ” Lamont, “ It’s, Phil Murphy, ” Murphy, Jessica Hill, Allison Sesso, Biden Organizations: CNN, Gov, Connecticut Gov, New, New York City, Black, Third, Financial Protection Bureau Locations: Connecticut, Covid, New Jersey, New York

Presumptive Medicaid eligibility during pregnancy would be based on questions about income, asked by health care providers such as employees of county health departments. In Mississippi, Medicaid coverage for pregnant women 19 and older is based on income. Mississippi Medicaid coverage is available to all income levels for those who are pregnant and younger than 19. Democratic Rep. John Hines Sr. of Greenville said earlier eligibility for Medicaid coverage during pregnancy could help the state in recruiting OB-GYNs. In 2023, Mississippi extended postpartum Medicaid coverage from two months to a full year, with Republican Gov.

Persons: JACKSON, “, Missy McGee, McGee, John Hines Sr, Hines, Tate Reeves, Michael Goldberg Organizations: Medicaid, Mississippi, of Health, Democratic, OB, Senate, Republican Gov, Associated Press Locations: Miss, Mississippi, Hattiesburg, U.S, In Mississippi, Greenville, Louisiana

☆ Mammography AI can cost patients extra. Is it worth it?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Michelle Andrews | Kff Health News | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

In recent years, AI software that helps radiologists detect problems or diagnose cancer using mammography has been moving into clinical use. This extra review has enormous potential to improve the detection of suspicious breast masses and lead to earlier diagnoses of breast cancer. With RadNet’s AI tool, “it’s as if all patients get the benefit of our very top performer.”But is the tech analysis worth the extra cost to patients? The health system has developed AI models and is testing the technology with mammograms but doesn’t yet offer it to patients, she said. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, “computer-assisted detection” software promised to improve breast cancer detection.

Persons: “, ”, Etta Pisano, RadNet, Gregory Sorensen, Sorensen, generalists, ” Sorensen, Laura Heacock, NYU Langone Health’s, Heacock, it’s, Constance Lehman, ” Lehman, RadNet’s, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Christoph Lee, mammography, Robert Smith, ” Smith, Smith, we’re Organizations: Health, American College of Radiology, NYU, Cancer, “, National Cancer Institute, FDA, Medicare, Services, CMS, Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Imaging Research, Mass, Get CNN, CNN Health, Screening, Research, University of Washington School of Medicine, American Cancer Society, Kaiser Health, KFF Locations: Manhattan, Baltimore, RadNet, New York, New Jersey, mammograms, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, Europe, Sweden, U.S

☆ Inside the Trust Women abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas, which saw a spike in out-of-state patients after Roe was overturned
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

I met Kattie in the waiting room of the Trust Women abortion clinic. Finally, she looked north and found Trust Women in Wichita, Kansas, where I first met her on a drizzly November day. How Trust Women went from a catchphrase to a clinicTrust Women sits near a main road in Wichita, Kansas. 'Screw Texas'Kiernan, the director of nursing at Trust Women, has tattoos of plants that have been historically used as birth control. That has meant clinics like Trust Women receive a large number of out-of-state travelers, especially from southern neighbors like Oklahoma and Texas.

Persons: —, Kattie, she'd, Focht, Maiya, George Tiller, Tiller, Zack Gingrich, Gingrich, Gaylord, Roe, Wade, Kiernan, Texas, Dobbs, they're, I'm, telemedicine, Madison, Stormi, Kate Cox, Brittany Watts, Jennifer Kerns, Rachel O'Leary Carmona, Women's, Gaylor, Kerns, It's, O'Leary Carmona Organizations: Service, Business, Gaylord, Trust, Jackson, Health Organization, Trust Women, Texas Supreme, Centers for Disease Control, Women, University of California, OB Locations: Houston , Texas, Wichita , Kansas, Women's, Kansas, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, State, Dobbs, Texas, Madison, Kansans, Texas . Wichita, Houston, Wichita, Kentucky, Ohio, San Francisco, UCSF, Kattie

Working part-time, she couldn't afford the hundreds of dollars she would need for an abortion and had to turn to a trusted friend to help cover the costs. New Jersey and nine other states require health insurers to cover abortion services, but it is the only state among that group that doesn't bar out-of-pocket costs, according to KFF, a nonprofit that researches health care issues. A medication abortion typically costs $600-$800, while a surgical procedure could cost up to $2,000, according to Planned Parenthood. It also coincides with a yearslong effort to expand abortion services in the state, as Democratic officials sought to blunt the impact of the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe. New Jersey has already enshrined abortion rights as law, increased funding for abortion services and required regulated health insurance plans to cover the procedure.

Persons: Dawn Ericksen, “, ”, ’, Phil Murphy, Roe, Wade, Murphy, Kaitlyn Wojtowicz, ” Murphy, Teresa Ruiz, it's, ” Ruiz, John DiMaio, Sen, Declan O'Scanlon Organizations: New Jersey's Democratic, Democratic, Supreme, Legislative Republicans Locations: TRENTON, N.J, New Jersey, U.S, . New Jersey, Roe . New Jersey, . California, Jersey

☆ Texas moms can now get an additional 10 months of Medicaid after giving birth
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

New mothers in the state were previously eligible for Medicaid for only two months following childbirth. Increased access to Medicaid correlates with improved pre-pregnancy health, maternal health, and infant health outcomes, according to reports published in 2020 and 2021 by the KFF, formally known as the Kaiser Family Foundation. Texas is now one of 43 states that have extended the window for postpartum healthcare coverage under Medicaid. The monetary relief Texas mothers will receive depends on their specific income level and number of dependents. And Texas has seen recent efforts to limit abortion and reproductive health care access, especially following the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

Persons: —, Diana Forester, Forester, Roe, Wade Organizations: Service, Business, Centers for Disease Control, Texas, Kaiser Family Foundation, Texans Care, Children, Medicaid Locations: Texas, United States

The total for the latest open enrollment period marks a 30% increase from a year ago, based on past enrollment figures published by the health policy research organization KFF. Officials said the figures include 5 million new signups and more than 16 million people with 2023 ACA plan coverage. West Virginia, which has expanded Medicaid, saw the largest percentage increase in enrollment at 80%. “Marketplace coverage is very important to those in those states whose incomes are under 138% of poverty,” says Sara Collins, vice president for health care coverage and access and tracking health system performance for The Commonwealth Fund. “It is a reflection of the lack of Medicaid expansion in those states.”An analysis by KFF notes ACA health plan enrollment has increased each year during the Biden administration.

Persons: It’s, Xavier Becerra, “, ”, Sara Collins, KFF, Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, Cynthia Cox, Cox, signups, ” Cox, Collins, ” Collin Organizations: Biden, “, Social Security, Affordable, ” Department of Health, Human Services, District of Columbia, Commonwealth Fund, American Locations: Texas, enrollees, Florida, West Virginia, signups

☆ Native American communities have the highest suicide rates, yet interventions are scarce
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Cheryl Platzman Weinstock | Kff Health News | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

He spent more than a week in an inpatient mental health unit, but once home, he was offered sparse mental health resources. Despite decades of research into suicide prevention, suicide rates among Indigenous people have remained stubbornly high, especially among Indigenous people ages 10 to 24, according to the CDC. Experts say that’s because the national strategy for suicide prevention isn’t culturally relevant or sensitive to Native American communities’ unique values. Several tribal communities are attempting to implement a similar system in their communities, said Cwik. Pamela End of Horn, a social worker and national suicide prevention consultant at IHS, said the Department of Veterans Affairs “has a suicide coordinator in every medical center across the U.S., plus case managers, and they have an entire office dedicated to suicide prevention.

Persons: Amanda MorningStar, “, ”, MorningStar, Ben, Ben MorningStar, Mary Cwik, ” Cwik, Joseph P, Gros, Stephen O’Connor, Teresa Brockie, Brockie, Fort Belknap, It’s, Cwik, Pamela, Department of Veterans Affairs “, Robert Coberly, Coberly, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, ” Ben MorningStar Organizations: Health, Blackfeet, Centers for Disease Control, Montana Budget, Policy, . Montana, CDC, Indian Health Service, IHS, Center, Indigenous Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Harvard University, Division of Services, Intervention, National Institute of Mental Health, ”, NIMH, National Institutes of Health, Mental Health Services Administration, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, American Public Health Association, Department of Veterans Affairs, Oglala Lakota, Rural Behavioral Health Institute, CNN, CNN Health, Kaiser Health, KFF Locations: Heart Butte , Montana, United States, Heart Butte, Baltimore, Montana, Fort, Aaniiih, Fort Peck, Peck, Arizona, U.S, South Dakota, Tulalip, Washington

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