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Proposed Medicaid cuts could lead to thousands of deaths, study finds
Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, June 16
A new analysis found that the proposed Medicaid cuts in a bill passed by the U.S. House could cause an estimated 7.6 million Americans to lose their health insurance, leading to thousands of preventable deaths. The study estimates the cuts could cause nearly 2 million people to lose their primary doctor, 1.3 million people to forgo necessary medications, and 380,270 women to skip a mammogram. “Patients who go without care because they cannot afford it often get sicker and sicker, until they end up with chronic illness,” said lead study author Dr. Adam Gaffney.
‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ would batter rural hospital finances, researchers say
Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez, KFF Health News, June 12
Proposed cuts to Medicaid and other federal health programs would rapidly push more than 300 financially struggling rural hospitals toward a fiscal cliff, according to researchers who track the facilities’ finances. The hospitals would be at a disproportionate risk of closure, service reductions, or ending inpatient care. Rural hospitals serve populations with more severe health needs than their urban counterparts, and rural Americans are more likely to be covered by Medicaid than the general population. Researchers estimate that hospitals that do stay afloat will likely do so by cutting services that are particularly dependent on Medicaid reimbursements, such as labor and delivery units.
The immigrants caring for the nation’s elderly are losing their jobs
Emily Peck, Axios, June 18
An immigration crackdown in the United States is hitting the long-term health care industry, as nursing homes and care providers lose foreign-born employees and struggle to hire. Advocates and policy experts warn that the quality of care people receive is under threat. Foreign-born workers make up 30% of the nursing home housekeeping and maintenance workforce; 22% of nursing assistants and 28% of personal care aides are also foreign-born. When these workers are deported, it can be disruptive and difficult for the patients they serve.
How CDC cuts affect women with chronic diseases like sickle cell
Abigail Brooks and Zinhle Essamuah, NBC News, June 11
D’Asia Jackson, a 28-year-old medical assistant, was born with sickle cell disease—a condition that causes red blood cells to be sickle shaped. It can lead to blood clots, organ damage, and severe pain. With no cure and variable treatment for the disease, Jackson often finds herself educating providers. “The lack of education on sickle cell is very frustrating,” she said. She and others worry that limited knowledge, especially about how contraception affects their condition, could get worse. In April, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fired the small team behind a key set of birth control safety guidelines used by physicians, part of mass layoffs at the agency.
Black dads go public with support for their kids with autism — and each other
Kenya Hunter, The Associated Press, June 15
When Tyrone Green’s three-year-old son was diagnosed with autism, he struggled with questions about his son’s future and an overwhelming feeling of loneliness—like no one understood his experience. In 2023, he started a podcast called AutisHIM, a place where Black dads talk about the wins and setbacks of having autistic children. Federal data show that, since 2020, Black children have had a higher prevalence of autism spectrum disorder than white children. Experts say that is mostly because of better awareness of autism in underserved communities.