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☆ 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

☆ If you are waiting to buy an affordable home when rates drop, you're out of luck
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewInterest rates could drop by summer, according to Federal Reserve forecasts, but buyers shouldn't expect homes to become more affordable. For prospective homebuyers, the cuts could be a path toward relief from skyrocketing mortgage rates. 30-year fixed mortgage rates are now sitting just above 6.6%, which translates to around $2,800 in average monthly payments nationwide. "Mortgage rates have come down a bit in anticipation of lower rates." Steep interest rates in recent years have made homeowners less likely to sell, contributing to a housing shortage in many cities.

Persons: —, Jerome Powell, Gen Zers, Louis Fed Organizations: Service, Reserve, Business, Economics Locations: New York, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, San Jose, Boston

☆ 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

☆ Half of Gen Z workers think ChatGPT gives better career advice than their manager, survey says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

To retain Gen Z talent, companies should emphasize mentorship and learning in the workplace. AdvertisementWhen some Gen Z workers need career advice, they think ChatGPT will offer better guidance than their managers. In fact, 44% of Gen Z respondents said they are considering quitting their jobs in the next six months. Gen Z workers are looking for learning and development, not just money, from their jobs, according to research by The Standard. And, when young workers feel disconnected from their managers, they likely feel disconnected from their employers.

Persons: —, Gen Z, Zers, Gen Zers, Gen Xers, Gen Organizations: Service, Workplace Intelligence

☆ Feeling poor compared to your neighbors can harm your health
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

That's according to a recent study by public health experts in Canada who found stark income inequality is causing a mental health crisis. AdvertisementIt assessed Census income data, community health survey data, and hospitalization and death rates since 2006. AdvertisementResearchers said these indicators of declining community health are directly tied to economic conditions. People with less money might have a more difficult time accessing medicine and mental health services compared to their wealthier neighbors. Improving public health outcomes and reducing social stigma around money needs to start on a broad scale by addressing economic disparities, she said.

Persons: —, Claire Benny, Benny said, ” Benny, “, Vivek Murthy, Schwab, Zers, Benny, ” Organizations: Service, Business, Census Bureau, Public Health Ontario Locations: Canada

☆ As homelessness spikes nationwide, at least 4 major cities have found ways to get people off the streets
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Allie Kelly | Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Plans that strengthen infrastructure for temporary and permanent affordable housing, and increase local support for demographics most vulnerable to homelessness, were consistently successful. Building paths to permanent housing in those cities improved overall housing access, researchers said. But Seattle has higher rates of unsheltered homelessness, so resources were better directed to building more temporary housing options. Chicago and New York have seen longer-term success in reducing homelessness, but both saw a spike between 2022 and 2023. The main driver of homelessness is the severe housing shortage across the country, so the most fundamental solution is creating more affordable housing.

Persons: There's Organizations: Brookings Institution, Department of Housing, Urban, Seattle, Brookings Locations: Chicago, New York, Seattle, Philadelphia, Los Angeles , Oregon, New Jersey

☆ South Dakota lawmakers want to preemptively ban 'socialist' guaranteed income program
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A South Dakota Senate bill would ban local governments from creating guaranteed income programs. A sponsor of the bill called guaranteed income programs a "one-way ticket to government dependency." AdvertisementSouth Dakota lawmakers are taking steps to ban guaranteed basic income programs preemptively. Guaranteed basic income gives qualifying residents monthly no-strings cash payments — typically between $500 and $1,000 — to spend as they choose over a set period of time. Guaranteed basic income programs have become increasingly popular among state and local governments as a solution to widespread housing and food insecurity.

Persons: — Organizations: South, South Dakota Senate, Austin, Service, Business Locations: South Dakota, Boston, Denver , Minneapolis, Dakota, Denver, Durham , Minneapolis

☆ Gen Z prefers paychecks over promotions, survey says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Advertisement"Since 2021, Gen Z has been living with rates of inflation not seen in the US in decades," the Standard reported. AdvertisementAccess to loans, a strong 401(k) retirement account, and reliable insurance coverage are benefits that Gen Zers expect from employers. Over 90% of Gen Zers and millennials said they're considering leaving their jobs, per a 2023 LinkedIn survey. AdvertisementBy offering intentional tools toward sustained economic stability, The Standard said companies will have better luck recruiting and retaining Gen Z workers. Are you a Gen Z worker and willing to share details about your economic stability goals and how you plan to achieve them?

Persons: —, Zers, Gen Z, Gen Zers, X, millennials Organizations: Service, Business, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Standard Locations: homebuying

☆ A Gen Z diabetic said a 3-month supply of insulin pumps would cost her $1,800 — even with insurance
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

However, others, like 25-year-old Cochrin, are still seeking some relief for the costs of insulin and other necessary diabetes tools, like insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors. While the costs of insulin have skyrocketed, and the direct medical costs of treating diabetes have also increased by about 7% since 2017. AdvertisementEarlier this month, Cochrin posted a TikTok explaining that a 3-month supply of her insulin pumps would cost her $1,800, even after insurance. Her continuous glucose monitor doesn't cost her anything right now, but in the past, she paid $30 a month with insurance. AdvertisementDifferent people may have increased sensitivity to different types and brands of insulin, Cochrin said, but insurance companies sometimes only offer one option for coverage.

Persons: —, Grace Cochrin's, Joe Biden, Eli Lilly, Sanofi, it's, Cochrin, She's, Campbell Hutton Organizations: Service, American Diabetes Association, National Institutes of Health, Business, White, US Department of Health, Human Services, that's Locations: Charlotte, North Carolina

☆ A shorter workweek is gaining ground as another major pilot program prepares to kick off
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The four-day workweek has been successful elsewhereThe Dominican Republic will be the first Caribbean country to test a shorter workweek, according to the country's Ministry of Labor. Other lawmakers, like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, have also voiced support for a shorter workweek. AdvertisementMost four-day workweek programs are voluntary for companies, and many countries have no legislation that requires a shorter workweek. With continued positive data, it's possible that the US and other countries could see the shorter workweek implemented into law. Have you been a part of a four-day workweek pilot program or do you work at a company adopting the schedule?

Persons: —, What's, Mark Takano, Vermont Sen, Bernie Sanders Organizations: Employees, Service, International Labor Organization, country's Ministry of Labor, Economic, Revenue, Democratic, Education, Workforce, Labor Locations: Dominican Republic, Latin America, Claro, Caribbean, Australia, United Kingdom, Zealand, Chile, Colombia, Mexico's, Vermont

☆ Biden has spent millions on gun policy, but future violence prevention depends on who wins the presidency
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementThe future of gun violence prevention policy will likely depend on who works in the Oval Office. But continued federal action hangs on whether Congress passes the Office of Gun Violence Prevention Act of 2023, a bill that would cement an office of gun violence prevention in the US Justice Department. As election season gears up, gun-related injuries have surpassed car crashes as the leading cause of death for young people, and 18,874 Americans lost their lives to gun violence last year, per the Gun Violence Archive. Breaking down Biden's investment in gun violence preventionIt's been almost six months since The Biden-Harris Administration created the first White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention , tasked with reducing gun violence across the country through executive and legislative action. The White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, specifically, is funded through Congress' annual executive office appropriations.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Nikki Haley —, It's, Harris, Biden, John Feinblatt, Biden's Organizations: of, Service, US Justice Department, Republican, Fox News, Brennan Center for Justice, Biden, Harris Administration, White, Safer, Democratic, —, Gun Safety, Justice Department, American Civil Liberties Union, Senate, Congress

☆ 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

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