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CT lawmakers explore legislation to curb medical credit cards
Katy Golvala, The Connecticut Mirror, Feb. 25
Hundreds of thousands of dentists, doctors, and veterinarians across the country offer patients the option to apply for medical credit cards to help pay for out-of-pocket costs. Now, legislators in Connecticut are considering ways to ensure consumers understand the pitfalls of those credit cards before signing up. Some health providers say the cards help patients pay for necessary care that may not be covered by insurance, but consumer advocates say in some cases, they could be predatory. Data show that there are racial disparities among those who struggle to pay for care. A recent survey found that people of color were more likely to report that they delayed or avoided care due to cost.
When fear becomes a health risk
Jennifer Porter Gore, Word in Black, Feb. 24
While breast cancer deaths in the United States have declined steadily among women over the last two decades, Black women still die from the disease at far higher rates than white women. New research found that fear among Black women is a primary obstacle to early detection, with many women avoiding screenings because they are worried about the results. “For many Black women, fear is shaped by lived and historical experiences, including knowledge of worse outcomes in their communities,” said Dr. Laura McCullough, a researcher with the American Cancer Society. “So, it’s fear informed by context, not simply fear of a test.” The report also found that Black women face persistent, systemic barriers to breast cancer screening, detection, and treatment.
Immigration enforcement’s twin threats to health care
Julie Wernau, Tradeoffs, Feb. 26
Immigration enforcement actions are posing twin threats to health care: Patients are afraid to show up to medical appointments, and foreign-born workers are being detained, deported, or losing their visa statuses. A recent survey found many immigrants are postponing health care, whether they are documented or not. At the same time, foreign-born health care workers — who make up an estimated 20% of the health care workforce — also report living in fear. In Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, 25% of people are undocumented. When ICE showed up last fall, community health workers had fears of being deported, as many of them are immigrants. Ultimately, they chose to continue meeting with people in person, taking lessons from the pandemic that their work is most impactful when they meet with patients face to face.
New SNAP work requirements go into effect: What to know
Jason Lalljee, Axios, March 3
Changes to SNAP work requirements are now in effect. Under H.R.1, able-bodied adults without dependents must prove that they are working at least 80 hours a month, enrolled at least 50% of the time in an educational program or some combination of the two for a total of 80 hours. The age limit for the requirement also increased from 55 to 65. The changes mark a historic cut to the social safety net. Experts say the work requirements could leave more people hungry and uninsured. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “the vast majority of people who would lose SNAP under an expanded work requirement would lose the assistance they need to afford groceries with no improvement in their job prospects or income.”
Medicaid is paying for more dental care. GOP cuts threaten to reverse the trend.
Phil Galewitz, KFF Health News, March 2
States’ Medicaid programs are not required to pay for adults’ dental care, but in recent years several states have opted to do so. Getting adults to actually visit the dentist remains a work in progress even in those states, but experts worry any gains could soon be lost. Under H.R.1, the federal government is expected to reduce Medicaid spending by more than $900 billion over the next decade. Those cuts could force some states to shrink or eliminate what they offer, including dental benefits. Low-income adults face other barriers to dental care, including a lack of transportation, child care, or time off work. Poor dental health can contribute to other health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes.