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When SNAP benefits run out, ‘people can die,’ say health experts
Sarah Todd, STAT, Oct. 27
Millions of Americans are set to lose access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, because of the government shutdown, and experts say there will be health consequences. People with chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease rely on SNAP to buy nutritious food to help manage their conditions. Research suggests other health-related benefits to SNAP. For example, older Americans who receive SNAP are less likely to skip medications. Other studies have found negative effects toward the end of the month, when people’s SNAP benefits often run out. One study found that older adults’ visits to the emergency room go up later in the month. There’s also evidence that children’s academic test scores decline toward the end of the month as families run out of SNAP benefits.
Many fear federal loan caps will deter aspiring doctors and worsen MD shortage
Bernard J. Wolfson, KFF Health News, Oct. 28
Medical educators and health professionals warn that new federal student loan caps in President Donald Trump’s tax cut law could make it more expensive to become a doctor and could exacerbate physician shortages. They warn that the economic burden will steer many medical students to lucrative specialties in more affluent, urban areas rather than lower-paying primary care jobs in underserved and rural communities. Critics and proponents agree that now is the time for medical schools to think creatively about lowering costs. This might include reduced tuition, more chances for debt forgiveness, and accelerated programs that allow students to graduate in three years rather than four.
A ticking clock: How states are preparing for a last-minute Obamacare deal
Amanda Seitz and Julie Appleby, KFF Health News, Oct. 28
As shopping season opens for Affordable Care Act plans, customers are confronting staggering costs for their health insurance next year. The extra federal subsidies put in place in 2021 that made coverage more affordable will expire at the end of this year unless a gridlocked Congress acts. If Congress does manage to strike a deal to extend some subsidies, the prices and types of plans available on the online marketplaces could change dramatically, bringing unprecedented uncertainty and upheaval to this year’s open enrollment, which begins in most states on Nov. 1. Marketplace leaders are working on backup plans.
Doulas are crafting a climate disaster blueprint for pregnant people
Jessica Kutz, The 19th, Oct. 23
A growing body of research has linked environmental threats like extreme heat and wildfire smoke to an uptick in stillbirths, premature births and low-birth weights. These factors also cause health problems for pregnant people, including an association with developing preeclampsia, a high blood pressure condition that can be deadly. Doulas, who provide emotional and physical support to pregnant people, have indicated they would like more training to help pregnant people deal with environmental threats and hazards. Some doulas have developed disaster planning workshops, with topics including how to know if breast milk is still safe if the power has gone out and how to sanitize bottles with no electricity.
A sweeping study found thousands of stillbirths occur without clear warning signs
Sabrina Malhi, The Washington Post, Oct. 27
A sweeping analysis of nearly 2.8 million pregnancies finds that nearly 19,000 stillbirths occurred between 2016 and 2022, a rate higher than recorded in federal data. The study shows that nearly 30 percent of stillbirths occurred in pregnancies that did not appear linked to any previously identified health or clinical risks. The study also finds that stillbirth continued to fall unevenly along racial and socioeconomic lines, with Black families and poorer communities being hit hardest.