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How these new workforce reductions at the Social Security Administration will affect people is unknown but could make it harder for people to get connected to benefits they might qualify for…which would in turn affect access to health insurance coverage through Medicare and Medicaid.
Given the current trends and embrace of vaccine skepticism on the part of the administration, and potential changes to federal policy around childhood vaccines, we might continue to witness more and longer outbreaks of preventable disease — and just maybe lose our measles elimination status, which as a country we’ve had for 25 years.
This week marked what may be the final death knell for USAID and for much of the U.S. government’s decades-long investment in global health and development, an unparalleled effort that has helped to save millions of lives around the world.
In the face of reduced federal funding for Medicaid, states could be left with difficult choices – raise revenue or cut spending. Cuts to Medicaid could mean eliminating coverage for children, parents, working adults or those who might need long term care; limiting benefits; or cutting rates for plans or providers.
It is unclear how the MAHA Commission will square its goal to “tackle the health crisis facing America” with such major challenges not addressed and a shrinking, less capable health infrastructure.
Cutting funding for the trusted and impartial source of important information Navigators provide could have big impacts just as many consumers may need to re-evaluate their coverage options.
The more important question, though, is not whether USAID sits in the State Department or remains independent, but what functions it does and does not perform (and will be kept), and more broadly, as a result, what the United States role in the world is.
Sen. Angela Alsobrooks questioned [Kennedy] about earlier statements he has made suggesting that Black people should not adhere to the same vaccine schedule as White people because “their immune system is better than ours.” … Race is a poor proxy for genetic ancestry and large genetic studies have demonstrated more variation within defined racial groups (intra-racially) than there are between different racial groups (inter-racially).
President Trump has made a slew of immigration policy changes focused on restricting entry at the border and increasing interior enforcement efforts to support mass deportation…Previous KFF research provides a window into the likely health-related impacts of these actions. During the first Trump administration, restrictive immigration policies and increased enforcement activity led to increased fears among immigrant families across immigration statuses that had negative effects on health .
As expected, President Trump signed an executive order announcing his intention to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization. For the U.S., the implications [aren’t] clear and immediate but could also be significant. By not being at the table, the U.S. will cede this role to others—China in particular—and take itself out of influencing international negotiations.
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