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☆ Highmark Health says it's combining tech from Google and Epic to give doctors easier access to information
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Highmark Health announced Monday that it's integrating technology from Google Cloud and the health-care software company Epic Systems to try to improve data gathering for providers and payers. Highmark, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is the parent company of a health plan with 7 million members, a provider network of 14 hospitals and several other entities. "Doctors don't need help once they have information; the problem is they don't have it," Farah told CNBC in an interview. Highmark said its new integration will also help it aggregate clinical data from its hospitals that representatives from its health plan need to access. The technology can automatically notify the health plan about upcoming patient visits, for instance.

Persons: Highmark, Dr, Tony Farah, Farah, Richard Clarke, Clarke, Amy Waldron, It's Organizations: Highmark Health, Google, Systems, Consumer, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, American Medical Association, Care, Community Health, CNBC, Health Locations: U.S, Pittsburgh

☆ As Medicaid Shrinks, Clinics for the Poor Are Trying to Survive
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Noah Weiland | Desiree Rios | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Appointment cancellations and financial distress have become a constant at Bethesda Pediatrics, a nonprofit medical clinic in East Texas that is heavily dependent on Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor. On a recent Monday, the mother of a toddler who had a primary care appointment broke down in tears after learning the child had just lost Medicaid coverage, wondering how she could pay the bill. Another mother told Dr. Danny Price, the clinic’s lead pediatrician, that she was afraid to get her child a flu shot because of the $8 fee she would have to pay now that the child had been dropped from Medicaid. A child with depression did not show up, most likely, Dr. Price presumed, because of having lost Medicaid coverage. The loss of coverage has not only affected families, but is also threatening the financial stability of vital components of the American safety net.

Persons: Danny Price, Price, ”, Kyu Rhee Organizations: Bethesda Pediatrics, Medicaid, National Association of Community Health Centers Locations: East Texas, Tyler , Texas, United States

☆ A New ‘Holy Grail’ in the Housing Crisis: Statewide Rent Caps
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( David W. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For the last 10 years, Dominique Horn has worked for a community health organization in the fast-growing city of Vancouver in Washington State, helping people squeezed by soaring rents to try to avoid homelessness. Sometimes she wonders if she’s going to be her agency’s next client. With her husband struggling at times to find work, Ms. Horn has maxed out her credit cards to keep pace with the rent. The couple and their two children have moved so many times that she keeps sentimental items like photos and heirlooms boxed up, because no place feels like home yet. “I’m just in a constant state of waiting for the other shoe to drop,” said Ms. Horn, 42, whose current lease expires in May.

Persons: Dominique Horn, Horn, heirlooms, “ I’m, ”, “, Ms Locations: Vancouver, Washington State, Washington, Olympia

☆ Renters facing eviction have a higher risk of death, and mortality surged during Covid-19 pandemic, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The general population also experienced excess mortality during this time, but the risk started higher for renters and rose exponentially for those threatened with eviction. From January 2020 through August 2021, the risk of death for renters facing eviction was 2.6 times greater than it was in the general population, the study found. During the baseline period of 2010 to 2016, the mortality rate was 1.4 times higher for renters facing eviction than it was for the general population. Another study from December explored the risk between rising rent costs and mortality risk. Eviction filings were down 45% during the first two years of the pandemic, according to the new study.

Persons: ”, Nick Graetz, it’s, It’s, Jack Tsai, ” Graetz, Katie Derrick, Jesse Tree, Derrick, Tsai, moratoriums –, Jesse, “, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Steven Furr, we’re, Furr, what’s, ” Tsai Organizations: CNN, Census, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, US Department of Veterans Affairs ’, Homelessness, ”, CNN Health, American Academy of Family Physicians, “ Locations: Princeton, United States, Boise , Idaho, Jesse Tree, Idaho, Alabama

The funeral of a renowned transgender activist in a New York cathedral elicited a denunciation of the event by a senior church official, who called the mass a scandal within one of the preeminent houses of worship in U.S. Catholicism. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York condemned the funeral of Cecilia Gentili, which was held in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan and drew a large audience on Thursday. Gentili was known as a leading advocate for other transgender people, as well as sex workers and people with HIV. Photos You Should See View All 33 ImagesThe cathedral held a Mass of Reparation following the funeral at the direction of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, Salvo said. “New York’s LGBTQ+ community has lost a champion in trans icon Cecilia Gentili," New York Gov.

Persons: Cecilia Gentili, Gentili, Enrique Salvo, Saint Patrick’s, ” Salvo, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Salvo, ’, Lent, ”, Kathy Hochul, “, ” Gentili, Sen, Robert F, Kennedy, Babe Ruth, Edward Dougherty, CatholicVote, Billy Porter, ” CatholicVote, Porter, ” Porter Organizations: Roman Catholic Archdiocese, Patrick’s, HIV, New York Gov, FX, Conservative Locations: New York, St, Manhattan, ‘ America’s Parish, Rikers, “, Argentina, Patrick's

☆ 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

Dorsey-Hollins followed school guidelines and kept her home when she had a cough or a sore throat — or worse — until she was completely better. During the pandemic, schools urged parents and children to stay home at any sign of illness. Fort Worth Independent School District, where Dorsey-Hollins’ youngest daughter attends kindergarten, advises staying home if a child has a cough, sore throat or rash. Some schools in San Diego County seem unaware of California's new guidance allowing kids to attend school while mildly sick, said Tracy Schmidt, who oversees attendance for the county Office of Education. It gives her hope that as more schools and parents learn about this guidance, students will miss less school.

Persons: Trenace Dorsey, Hollins, Dorsey, “, ”, Hedy Chang, ” Chang, Hollins ’, can’t, Claire McCarthy, McCarthy, “ It’s, Malika Elwin, she’s, haven’t, who’ve, Noha Aboelata, Tracy Schmidt Organizations: The American Academy of Pediatrics, Fort Worth Independent School District, Austin Independent School District, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, CDC, Boston Public Schools, Roots Community Health Center, of Education, Associated Press Locations: Fort Worth , Texas, California, Texas, New York City, Montgomery, Boston, Long, Oakland , California, San Diego County, AP.org

“I feel comfortable.”Plaza del Sol is one of two dozen sites run by Urban Health Plan Inc., which is one of nearly 1,400 federally designated community health centers. Sometimes, it’s just that.”Fifty years ago, Dr. Acklema Mohammad started as a medical assistant in Urban Health Plan’s first clinic, San Juan Health Center. About 150 elders get at-home visits, said Dr. Manuel Vazquez, Urban Health Plan’s vice president of medical affairs who oversees the home health program. Building community trustOne of the nation’s first community health centers opened in the rural Mississippi delta in 1967, in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement’s Freedom Summer. Delta Health Center in Mound Bayou, Mississippi today operates the health center has 17 locations in five counties, including free-standing clinics and some in schools.

Persons: Elisa Reyes, ” Reyes, they’ve, Matthew Kusher, ” Kusher, “, ”, Kyu Rhee, Yelisa Sierra, “ It’s, Sierra, Acklema Mohammad, Mo, pediatricians, ” Mohammad, telehealth, Manuel Vazquez, isn’t, ‘, there’s, Temika Simmons, New York City’s, Angelica Flores, DaSilva, they’re, ” Simmons, You've, Kasturi Pananjady, Robert Wood Johnson Organizations: del, Family Health, Urban Health, Inc, Associated Press, U.S . Health Resources, Services Administration, —, National Association of Community Health Centers, Urban Health Plan’s, San Juan Health Center, El Nuevo San Juan Health Center, Civil, Delta Health Center, Delta Health Center’s, Staff, Press, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, AP Locations: Queens, Sol, U.S, El Nuevo, Mississippi, Mound Bayou , Mississippi, Leland, Greenville, Jackson, Memphis, del Sol, Corona, New York, In Mississippi

CHANNELVIEW, Texas — For nearly 20 years, Texas environmental regulators have kept a disturbing secret. AdvertisementTexas Community Health News; Texas Commission on Environmental Quality"Any exposure to a carcinogen increases your risk of developing cancer. AdvertisementTim Doty, a former TCEQ mobile air monitoring expert, at the industrial edge of River Terrace Park in Channelview, Texas. In fact, the agency rarely fines companies that violate Texas air pollution laws. Mark FelixHoneycutt's toxicology division soon took an even more dramatic step to weaken Texas' benzene guidelines.

Persons: Loren Hopkins, Hopkins, Mark Felix, TCEQ, AirToxScreen, AirToxScreen Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, Menefee, Tim Doty, Doty, Solv, He'd, Glenn Shankle, Kelly Keel, Todd Riddle, Riddle, Lopez, Joe Lopez, Dora, Joel Lopez, Randy Lopez, It's, Joel, Felix Benzene, wildcatters, Houston —, Forbes, Lorenzo de Zavala, Alison Cohen, Cohen, Tim Doty's, Houston Mayor Bill White, Shankle, Michael Honeycutt, Valerie Meyers, Meyers, Mark Felix Meyers, Richard Hyde, John Sadlier, Ryder, Hyde, hadn't, Russell Allen, Matt Baker, Jacintoport, Cloelle Danforth, Public Health Watch —, Danforth, Mark Felix Honeycutt's, Eric Schaeffer, Schaeffer, Honeycutt, Jim Tarr, polluters, upended, Mark Felix Fracking, Barnett, Glenn Shankle —, —, Rick Perry, Perry, Sadlier, David Bower, misstep, Baker, Bower, Michael Burgess, Greg Abbott, Abbott, Mark Felix Meanwhile, Randy, That's, Carolyn Stone, Stone, Carolyn Stone's, Mark Felix The, Cynthia Benson, Benson, Mark Felix Tim Doty, Mark Felix K, Jordan Gass Organizations: Public Health Watch, Texas Commission, Environmental, American Petroleum Institute, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, U.S . Navy, Geospatial - Intelligence Agency, General, Health, Public Health, Rice University, Environmental Protection Agency, Texas Community Health, AirToxScreen Harris County Attorney, polluters, Mark Felix Public Health, TCEQ, Solv, Mark Felix Public Health Watch, myelodysplasia, Houston, Oil, Gas Watch, Texas, Houston Ship, University of California, Houston Mayor, ., . Texas Community Health, NASA, Exxon Mobil, Public, Watch, Environmental Defense Fund, Management, Civil, Air Alliance Houston, Republican, Fort, United, Texas toxicologist, EPA, Texas Tribune, Google, Land Office, . Geological Survey, National Oceanic, Firefighters, U.S . Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Channelview, Improvement Coalition, Health Watch, San Jacinto, K, Texas Legislature, Solv Group, Services Locations: , Texas, Texas, Houston, Channelview's Jacintoport, San Jacinto, California, Jacintoport, Channelview , Texas, AirToxScreen Harris County, Channelview, Harris County, United States, North Channelview, Gulf, Terrace, Joel's, Houston , Texas, Spindletop, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Port of Houston, San Francisco, . Texas, That's, polluters, lacquers, Dallas, Fort Worth, Fort Worth City, Austin, Round, Minnesota, Galveston, U.S

☆ A dietitian and health professor shares the 2 supplements she recommends for improving heart health
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Kim Schewitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementA dietitian shared the two supplements she recommends for lowering cholesterol levels and improving heart health. When thinking about supplements for heart health, cholesterol is typically the target, Lauren Ball, a dietitian and professor of community health and wellbeing at the University of Queensland, Australia, told Business Insider. AdvertisementOne meta-analysis of eight clinical trials published in 2000 found that taking 10g psyllium husk daily appeared to lower total cholesterol levels by 4% and LDL cholesterol levels by 7%. Similarly to fiber supplements, they are thought to work by improving the body's ability to pass stools. You are also less likely to experience side effects such as constipation from probiotics than from fiber supplements, she said.

Persons: —, Lauren Ball, Ball, Probiotics, probiotics Organizations: Service, University of Queensland, FDA Locations: Australia

☆ What do we know about China’s respiratory illness surge?
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Andrew Silver | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SHANGHAI, Dec 1 (Reuters) - A request by the World Health Organization for more information on a surge in respiratory illnesses and clusters of pneumonia in children in China has attracted global attention. The following is what we know about the surge in illness in the world's second most populous country so far, and why experts think there is no need to panic. The National Health Commission told a news conference on Nov. 13 that there was an increase in incidence of respiratory disease without providing further details. IS MYCOPLASMA PNEUMONIAE A BIG WORRY? One concern about the surge in respiratory illness is mycoplasma pneumoniae, which has also spiked in other countries.

Persons: Maria Van Kerkhove, Rajib Dasgupta, mycoplasma pneumoniae, it's, Cecille Brion, Van Kerkhove, We're, Andrew Silver, Miyoung Kim Organizations: World Health Organization, WHO, Program, National Health Commission, Reuters, Pacific, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Doctors, Raffles Medical Group Beijing, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Taiwan, WHO China, COVID, South East Asia, New Delhi

☆ Nashville's startup scene is booming. Here's why investors and founders are moving to 'Music City'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 1, 2019: Tourists visit the bars and country music venues in the Lower Broadway entertainment district in Nashville, Tennessee. As more investors and founders are flocking to explore Nashville's booming health care and technology scene, Shah said he gets recognized regularly. (Photo Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesNicknamed "Music City," Nashville is chock-full of country singers and perpetually buzzing with live music. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images) Robert Alexander | Archive Photos | Getty ImagesNashville's health tech startup scene has also benefited from significant investment from local organizers and government officials. Eligible Nashville entrepreneurs can also become members of the Greater Nashville Technology Council and the Nashville Health Care Council.

Persons: Robert Alexander, Robin Shah, Shah, Pavlo Gonchar, Kyle Cooksey, Bill Frist, Cooksey, John Bass, Bass, Ellen Herlacher, Luke Benda, it's, Cerner, It's, Vanderbilt, Marcus Whitney, Whitney, Benda, Landon Gibbs, Gibbs, Raelyn Wilson, Wilson Organizations: Tourists, Broadway, Getty, Thyme, CNBC, Nashville, Nashville Health Care, Healthcare, HCA, Community Health Systems, Acadia Healthcare, Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Belmont University, Meharry Medical, Monogram Health, Downtown, Istock, Amazon, Oracle, Bank, Greater Nashville Venture Capital Association, Center, Nashville Area, of Commerce, Force, Ventures, Greater, Greater Nashville Technology Council, Nashville Health Care Council, HCA Healthcare Locations: NASHVILLE , TENNESSEE, Nashville , Tennessee, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, Nashville, UKRAINE, U.S, Acadia, Downtown Nashville , Tennessee, Music City, Rocky, Colorado, Boston, Greater Nashville, Cumberland

☆ Opinion | How to Put ‘Community’ Back in the Mission of Community Hospitals
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Amol S. Navathe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

What it means is that they are considered charities by the Internal Revenue Service (as opposed to being owned by investors, like for-profit hospitals). These hospitals proliferated after federal tax rules about 50 years ago made it easier to qualify for tax exemptions. So why are nonprofit hospitals behaving in ways that seem to focus more on dollars than patients? This looming likelihood, plus financial challenges from the pandemic, a severe worker shortage, rising inflation and stock market volatility have put nonprofit hospitals in survival mode. And you would think that focusing on the mission would be the top priority, though boards aren’t doing this consistently.

Organizations: Internal Revenue Service Locations: United States

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Monday will start taking orders for another round of free COVID-19 tests for delivery across the country, a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesperson said. Households that had ordered four free tests through COVIDTests.gov when they were offered again in September are eligible to order four more, while those that did not can submit two orders for a total of eight free tests. It resumed offering the tests in December 2022 as cases were surging, and opened another round of orders on Sept. 25 this year. The tests are paid for using COVID-19 supplemental funding from the American Rescue Plan, the HHS spokesperson said. HHS and the Department of Education plan to expand a program that brings tests to schools nationwide over the coming weeks.

Persons: Evelyn Hockstein, Joe Biden's, Biden, Ahmed Aboulenein, Bill Berkrot Organizations: District of Columbia, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, of Health, Human Services, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, American, HHS, Department of, Thomson

☆ Some healthcare systems are taking on the challenge of health inequity — but ending the disparities isn't a quick process
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Heather Lindsey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Some health systems are embedding health-equity programs in their business strategies. The report said health inequities led to increased costs associated with premature death, loss of work productivity, and excess medical spending. "When you lean into health equity, you can create value, better outcomes, and lower costs," he said. Bhatt said health systems can push for health equity by creating diverse care teams. "If you lean into health equity," Bhatt said, "there is opportunity to improve outcomes, build consumer loyalty and trust, and create economic value."

Persons: —, Keneica Moore, Moore, MAAME doulas, Sarahn Wheeler, Wheeler, who's, inequity, Jay Bhatt, Bhatt Organizations: Healthcare, Service, Empowerment, Duke Health, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute, Minority Health, Deloitte Health Equity Institute, Deloitte Center for Health Solutions Locations: Durham, North Carolina

The National Climate Assessment, which comes out every four to five years, was released Tuesday with details that bring climate change's impacts down to a local level. Compared to earlier national assessments, this year’s uses far stronger language and “unequivocally” blames the burning of coal, oil and gas for climate change. In the Midwest, both extreme drought and flooding threaten crops and animal production, which can affect the global food supply. “Climate change is finally moving from an abstract future issue to a present, concrete, relevant issue. Five years ago, when the last assessment was issued, fewer people were experiencing climate change firsthand.

Persons: ”, Zeke Hausfather, Kim Cobb, “, of Colorado's Waleed Abdalati, Katharine Hayhoe, they'd, Hayhoe, there's, Colorado's Abdalati, Arati Prabhakar, Hausfather, Rob Jackson, ” ___ Borenstein, Webber, Seth Borenstein, Tammy Webber Organizations: Berkeley, midcentury, U.S ., Brown University, AP, of Colorado's, NASA, Nature Conservancy, Texas Tech University ., Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Colorado's, Biden, White, ” Stanford University, Twitter Locations: United States, Alaska, Great, Hawaii, U.S, U.S . Caribbean, Brown, America, Kensington , Maryland, Fenton , Michigan

Brian Kemp's new health plan for low-income adults has enrolled only 1,343 people through the end of September about three months after launching, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The Georgia Department of Community Health has projected up to 100,000 people could eventually benefit from Georgia Pathways to Coverage. But the nation’s only Medicaid program that makes recipients meet a work requirement is off to a very slow start. In addition to imposing a work requirement, Pathways limits coverage to able-bodied adults earning up to 100% of the poverty line — $14,580 for a single person or $30,000 for a family of four. State officials and supporters of Pathways say the work requirement will also help transition Medicaid recipients to better, private health insurance, and argue that working, studying or volunteering leads to improved health.

Persons: Brian Kemp's, ”, ” Laura Colbert, Biden, Barack, Kemp Organizations: ATLANTA, —, — Georgia Gov, Atlanta, Georgia Department of Community Health, of Community Health Locations: — Georgia, Georgia, Carolina

ATLANTA (AP) — The state of Georgia will start paying for gender-affirming health care for state employees, public school teachers and former employees covered by a state health insurance plan, settling another in a string of lawsuits against Georgia agencies aiming to force them to pay for gender-confirmation surgery and other procedures. The December lawsuit argued the insurance plan illegally discriminated by refusing to pay for gender-affirming care. But Brown said Thursday's settlement requires the health plan to pay for care deemed medically necessary for spouses and dependents as well as employees. That means the health plan could be required to pay for care for minors outside the state even though it's prohibited in Georgia. “The plan can’t treat the care any differently from other care that’s not available in the state,” Brown said.

Persons: “, ” David Brown, Micha Rich, Benjamin Johnson, Brown, it's, ” Brown, John Doe, ” Rich, Jeff Amy Organizations: ATLANTA, State, of Community Health, Civil, University, Georgia, University of Georgia, Department of Community Health, Circuit, Appeals, Georgia Department, School District, Family, Children Services, U.S, Opportunity Commission Locations: Georgia, Atlanta, Clayton County, Houston, Houston County, U.S, Bibb, Macon ., Paulding County, North Carolina, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Iowa, Florida, Arizona

Andreswd | E+ | Getty ImagesMedicare beneficiaries have until Dec. 7 to change their Medicare health and prescription drug coverage for the coming year through open annual enrollment. Starting in 2024, people who face high prescription drug costs will not have to pay anything out of pocket once they hit the catastrophic phase of their benefits, she noted, thanks to new prescription drug legislation. Notably, Medicare beneficiaries who take insulin currently do not have to pay more than $35 per month for covered prescriptions. There are other reasons why Medicare beneficiaries should pay attention to the annual enrollment period this year. Medicare open enrollment is when beneficiaries can shop around for health plans or prescription drug coverage that better meet their needs.

Persons: Meena Seshamani, Seshamani, Darren Hotton, Hotton, that's, Catherine, There's Organizations: Getty, Center, Medicare, Centers, Services, National Council, Aging, Insurance, State Health Insurance Locations: Catherine Falls, Medicare.gov, ShipHelp.org, Utah

(AP) — As Nebraska's new law restricting gender-affirming care for minors goes into effect this weekend, families with transgender children and the doctors who treat them are steeling themselves for change. A key aspect of the law is a set of treatment guidelines that has yet to be created. Minors who already receive puberty blockers or hormones are allowed to continue the treatment, but new patients who are minors are largely banned from starting. At the time, Nebraska lawmakers were locked in a contentious battle over the proposed transgender health care ban, which touched off an epic filibuster that slowed the session to a crawl. At least 22 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, and most of those states face lawsuits.

Persons: LINCOLN, ”, Heather Rhea, “ There's, we'll, who've, Timothy Tesmer, Jim Pillen, Pillen, Lucifer, Sen, John Cavanaugh, “, ” Cavanaugh, Heather Rhea's, Nola Rhea, Rhea, She's, Dr, Alex Dworak, ” Dworak, Tesmer, Dworak Organizations: The American Academy of Pediatrics, Republican Gov, Republican, Nebraska Department of Health, Human Services, Nebraska, University of Nebraska, OneWorld Community Health Centers, Associated Press, Department of Health, U.S, Circuit Locations: Neb, Nebraska, Lincoln, Omaha, Minnesota, An Arkansas

☆ US poor face economic hit as shutdown, childcare cliff, student loans converge
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

A separate benefits program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), will continue as normal for the month of October but could be affected afterward, officials say. U.S. officals say Small Business Administration loans may be delayed and up to 10,000 children could lose access to Head Start, the federal program for preschool children from low-income families. The AFL-CIO estimates that more than 3 million children will lose access to quality childcare and thousands of providers will be forced to close, lay off childcare workers or reduce slots for children. STUDENT LOAN DEBT REPAYMENTSA three-year moratorium on student loan repayments ends on Oct. 1 after the U.S. Supreme Court in June blocked the Biden administration's plan to cancel $430 billion in student loan debt for 43 million borrowers. Student loan repayment resumption "will be more challenging for the lowest-income groups," Bank of America said in a recent research report, because they saved less during the moratorium than higher-income groups.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Joe Biden, Biden, Patty Murray, Rosa DeLauro, Liz Pagel, Andrea Shalal, Heather Timmons, Timothy Gardner Organizations: U.S, Russell Senate, REUTERS, Rights, Republican, American Federation of Government Employees, SNAP, Women, Assistance, Democratic, AFL, Century Foundation, Supreme, Student, Protection, Bank of America, Thomson Locations: Russell, Washington , U.S, TransUnion

☆ A government shutdown will stop 'bread-and-butter mental health care' at community health centers, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Aditi Shrikant | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Lawmakers are still in a gridlock over how to allocate spending, which means a government shutdown is imminent. One of those services is federally funded community health centers, or FQHCs. These clinics provide primary care, but also mental health and dental care, to mainly uninsured or underinsured people. Dental and mental health care are often the first to be cut, says Carolyn McClanahan, a physician turned certified financial planner and founder of Life Planning Partners in Jacksonville, Florida. "The shutdown is going to stop the bread-and-butter mental health care that keeps people out of trouble," she says.

Persons: Carolyn McClanahan Organizations: Planning Partners Locations: Jacksonville , Florida

☆ Peace Corps Sued Over Mental Health Policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Ellen Barry | More About Ellen Barry | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Lea Iodice was thrilled to hear that the Peace Corps had accepted her application and was sending her to Senegal as a community health care worker. She shared the good news with her roommates, her family and her favorite professor and daydreamed about her last day at her job, managing a gym called SnapFitness. She was crushed, about a month later, to receive a letter from the Peace Corps Office of Medical Services saying that her offer was being rescinded because she was in treatment for anxiety. “The reason for medical nonclearance is that you are currently diagnosed with an unspecified anxiety disorder,” read the letter, which appeared in her online application portal. For years, comparing notes under anonymous screen names, Peace Corps applicants have shared stories about being disqualified because of mental health history, including common disorders like depression and anxiety.

Persons: Lea Iodice, daydreamed, ”, Iodice Organizations: Peace Corps, Medical Services, Peace Locations: Senegal

Missouri officials struck back at one of the clinics that unsuccessfully challenged new state restrictions on gender affirming care, accusing the clinic in a lawsuit of failing to provide proper care for transgender minors even before the new law took effect. Every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, has opposed bans on gender-affirming care for minors and supported their access to medical care when treatments are administered appropriately. Doctors who treat transgender patients say those decades of use are proof the treatments are not experimental. Critics of providing gender-affirming care to minors have raised concerns about children changing their minds. Yet the evidence suggests detransitioning is not as common as opponents of transgender medical treatment for youth contend, though few studies exist and they have their weaknesses.

Persons: Andrew Bailey, didn't, Bailey, Louis Children’s, detransitioning Organizations: Republican, St, Southampton Community Healthcare, Southampton, Washington University Transgender, Louis Children’s Hospital, University of Missouri Health Care, American Medical Association, Drug Administration, FDA Locations: Missouri, Louis, Columbia

But Mintz also acknowledges that having more places to access PrEP likely will not be enough to substantially increase its use in more vulnerable communities. “There needs to be a couple of levers that need to be pulled for everybody to access PrEP who are eligible to access PrEP,” Mintz says. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)Meanwhile, a pending ruling in a federal appellate court looms as a threat that could more broadly undermine PrEP coverage. “We don’t know what the 5th Circuit could do.”In the wake of the March court ruling, insurers expressed support for preventive services. “Right now, PrEP uptake is quite good among gay white men, but among people of color and among women PrEP access is quite limited,” Dawson says.

Persons: Apretude, ”, Omar Martinez Gonzalez, Sean Bland, we’re, ” Bland, Truvada, ” Martinez Gonzalez, Laura Mintz, Mintz, ” Mintz, Truvada –, AIDSVu, Joe Raedle, Laurie Sobel, “, ” Sobel, Lindsey Dawson, ” Dawson, Torrian Baskerville, Baskerville, ” Baskerville, who’d, Biden, Bland Organizations: U.S . Preventive Services Task Force, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Affordable, AIDS Foundation Chicago, “, Centers for Disease Control, Santa Clara University School of Law, Georgetown University’s O’Neill Institute for National, Global Health, Blacks, PrEP, Emory University, Gilead Sciences, Black PrEP, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Pride Network of, ViiV Healthcare, GlaxoSmithKline, U.S, Circuit, Appeals, Supreme, Human Rights, Navigators, Department of Health, Human Services Locations: U.S, Black, Cleveland, Gilead, –, Miami, Texas, Ohio

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