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Living without power, New Haven tiny home residents face health struggles
Sujata Srinivasan, Connecticut Public Radio, Aug. 2
For months, Joel Nieves and others have been living in a village of tiny homes in a New Haven neighborhood. Last month, the city ordered a utility company to cut power to the homes after determining the 100-square-foot structures are illegal because they don’t comply with state code. Without power, Nieves can’t use his CPAP machine, which he relies on to help him sleep at night. “If you suffer from sleep apnea and don’t have the right treatment, you’re a ticking time bomb because it raises the cortisol in your blood, increases your sugar and cholesterol,” said Phil Costello, clinical director of the Cornell Scott Hill Health Center. “So, it increases your chances of heart attack and sudden death.”
Black people with Parkinson’s are underdiagnosed, miss treatment
Elizabeth Cohen, NBC News, Aug. 4
Exercise is considered fundamental to the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. However, people who run exercise programs intended for Parkinson’s patients said it is very difficult to recruit Black people to participate. One hurdle is that many Black people don’t know they have the disease. Risk factors have long been understudied in people of African ancestry, and studies show that doctor bias also plays a role in Black people being less likely to be diagnosed. Many exercise programs are now working to build trust and increase participation by Black patients, as studies show exercise can alleviate symptoms of Parkinson’s.
‘I feel dismissed’: People experiencing colorism say health system fails them
Chaseedaw Giles, KFF Health News, Aug. 5
Colorism, a form of prejudice and discrimination in which lighter skin is favored over darker skin, has been linked to poor health. People who feel they experience daily discrimination can be at higher risk for depression, loneliness, increased alcohol and drug use, and anxiety, data shows. “Skin color discrimination is so insidious it can literally get under your skin,” said Regina James, head of the American Psychiatric Association’s Division of Diversity and Health Equity. “And consciously or subconsciously, it can contribute to low self-esteem and self-confidence, and even be detrimental to one’s mental health.” Experts said conversations about skin complexion can remain overlooked by mental health professionals.
More heart patients getting prompt post-hospital care, but disparities increase
Elizabeth Cooney, STAT News, Aug. 5
A new study found that while Medicare patients are receiving prompt care during recovery from cardiac-related hospitalizations, racial disparities are widening. The study looked at whether patients experiencing a heart attack or heart failure had a visit with a doctor within the critical month after discharge from the hospital. It found racial and ethnic gaps in how many patients received that care, with white patients being more likely than Black patients. One of the biggest barriers to post-discharge care for many patients can be lack of easy access to a doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. Poorer and rural patients were also less likely to have prompt care visits.
Millions of people became uninsured as Medicaid programs cut coverage, new data show
Bob Herman, STAT News, Aug. 6
The national uninsured rate rose from 7.7% to 8.2% earlier this year, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The increase is due to states removing millions of Americans from their state Medicaid programs. During the Covid-19 pandemic, states were not allowed to remove people from those programs, which provide health coverage to low-income adults and children. However, those protections ended in April 2023. As a result, states have been able to re-evaluate whether people were still eligible based on their income. Nearly 25 million people have lost their Medicaid coverage since states started redetermining eligibility.