WinnDems News

We unmask the winner and runners-up in KHN’s fourth annual Halloween haiku competition — plus the original artwork they inspired as a special treat. http://dlvr.it/Sbzd3x

Despite the end of Jim Crow segregation, its legacy lives on in medical debt that disproportionately burdens Black communities. http://dlvr.it/SbrYNm

Nearly half of large employers report that increasing numbers of their workers were using mental health services, according to a KFF annual employer survey. Yet almost a third of those employers said their health plan’s network didn’t have enough behavioral health care providers for employees to have timely access to the care they need. http://dlvr.it/SbnTCc

Investors are putting money into everything from emergency room obstetrics units and dermatology practices to nursing homes and hospice care — from cradle to grave. http://dlvr.it/SbkQxw

California voters will decide in November whether to amend the state constitution to explicitly protect abortion rights. But there is disagreement over whether the proposal, Proposition 1, would merely enshrine existing rights or expand them. http://dlvr.it/SbgJSD

Public transit is already insufficient in rural areas, leaving residents with few options as they travel greater distances to access health care. But older residents who depend on volunteer drivers to get them to appointments face another challenge: The number of those volunteers is declining. http://dlvr.it/SbcTt6

As Michigan and several other states await voters’ verdicts on ballot measures about abortion, the providers, patients, and activists on both sides strategize their next steps. http://dlvr.it/SbSkF3

A ballot measure that seeks to protect infants following failed abortions would impose stiff penalties on health care providers in Montana. http://dlvr.it/SbPS8G

A youth mental health crisis and a shortage of therapists and other care providers who take insurance are pushing many families into financial ruin. But it's rarely acknowledged as medical debt. http://dlvr.it/SbL6bW

A broad coalition of Medicaid expansion supporters faces off against a smaller group of opponents as early voting begins on a constitutional amendment that would increase coverage under South Dakota’s program. http://dlvr.it/SbGt4d

The cheaper over-the-counter aids are for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss — a market of tens of millions of people, many of whom have until now been priced out because prescription devices can cost thousands of dollars. http://dlvr.it/SbCgBN

The lawsuit was filed three years ago to learn about vast overcharges by the popular health plans that are detailed in audits the government refused to release to the public. http://dlvr.it/Sb3v9G

People now have at their disposal more medicines that are effective at reducing weight, but none can counter obesity alone. One big problem: Insurance coverage remains spotty, and the costly drugs may be needed long term. http://dlvr.it/Sb0Zpn

A new KFF poll shows Democrats and those living in states where abortion is illegal say the issue has made them more motivated to vote. It also shows that 70% of Republicans oppose total abortion bans. http://dlvr.it/SZxKXX

Hospitals have specialists ready to offer consult and care for concerns from cancer to childbirth but often no one with expertise in addiction medicine. Patients with a history of substance use — who are discharged without care — are at risk for overdose. http://dlvr.it/SZt1lk

WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) encouraged local governments in Northwest and Central Illinois to apply for Thriving Communities program grants through the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This week, the Biden administration announced that $30 million would be made available for local projects.  “Rebuilding our economy means rebuilding our communities,” said […] The post Bustos Encourages Local Governments to Apply for Thriving Communities Grants  appeared first on Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. http://dlvr.it/SZrnNB

Hundreds of medical centers along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts face serious risks from even relatively weak storms as climate change accelerates sea-level rise — not to mention big ones like Category 4 Hurricane Ian. http://dlvr.it/SZg8ky

Penny Wingard, 58, of Charlotte, North Carolina, worries she won’t ever get out from under her medical debt despite new policies that are supposed to prevent medical debt from harming people’s credit scores. http://dlvr.it/SZbtTQ

If an embryo has implanted in a fallopian tube, ending the pregnancy is imperative to protect the patient’s life. Women’s health advocates have raised concerns that the needed treatment may be hampered by restrictive abortion laws in some states. Yet women seeking treatment in states with more liberal abortion laws may still find the process expensive and harrowing. http://dlvr.it/SZXgSH

ROCK ISLAND — Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, announced that YWCA Quad-Cities will receive a $225,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant comes through the department’s Transitional Living Program for Older Homeless Youth. “For more than 100 years, YWCA Quad-Cities has […] The post QUAD-CITIES: Bustos Announces $225,000 for YWCA Quad-Cities appeared first on Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. http://dlvr.it/SZWHtD

Private Medicare Advantage health plans are increasingly ending coverage for skilled nursing or rehab services before medical providers think patients are healthy enough to go home, doctors and patient advocates say. http://dlvr.it/SZTKQ7

In many cities, social workers and counselors are responding to mental health emergencies that used to be solely handled by police. That approach is spreading to rural areas even though mental health professionals are scarcer and travel distances are longer. http://dlvr.it/SZQ85d