Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As 1M People Lose Medicaid, America's Crises Of Poverty, Homelessness Grow
AP: More Than 1 Million Dropped From Medicaid As States Start Post-Pandemic Purge Of Rolls
More than 1 million people have been dropped from Medicaid in the past couple months as some states moved swiftly to halt health care coverage following the end of the coronavirus pandemic. Most got dropped for not filling out paperwork. Though the eligibility review is required by the federal government, President’s Joe Biden’s administration isn’t too pleased at how efficiently some other states are accomplishing the task. (Lieb and DeMillo, 6/19)
Salt Lake Tribune: Health Insurance Is A ‘Great Equalizer,’ But Utahns Are Losing COVID-Era Medicaid
Tens of thousands of low-income Utahns have lost health insurance in recent weeks, and more are expected to lose coverage in the coming months, as a pandemic-era federal policy that barred states from removing people from Medicaid continues to unwind. (Anderson Stern, 6/17)
Related news about poverty, homelessness, and hunger —
Newsweek: Poverty Is Killing Nearly 200,000 Americans A Year
The land of the free is suffering from a "self-inflicted" injustice when it comes to poverty, experts say, as the rich are getting richer while thousands living without sufficient means die every year in the United States, as a recent study shows. The issue, according to an exclusive poll conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies on behalf of Newsweek, worries a majority of Americans. (Carbonaro, 6/19)
The Wall Street Journal: Homeless Numbers Rise In U.S. Cities
The number of homeless people counted on streets and in shelters around the U.S. has broadly risen this year, according to a Wall Street Journal review of data from around the nation. The Journal reviewed data from 150 entities that count homeless people in areas ranging from cities to entire states. More than 100 places reported increases in early 2023 counts compared with 2022, and collectively, their numbers indicate the U.S. might see a sharper climb than in recent years. Most major urban areas reporting data so far have seen increases, including Chicago, Miami, Boston and Phoenix. (Kamp and Najmabadi, 6/19)
KFF Health News: California’s Homelessness Crisis Is Homegrown, Study Finds
California’s homelessness crisis is a homegrown problem that is deepening amid a shortage of affordable housing and emergency shelter, and it’s often the brutal conditions of living on the street that trigger behavioral health problems, such as depression and anxiety, researchers found in a comprehensive study on homelessness. The new findings by leading researchers at the University of California show that at least 90% of adults who are experiencing homelessness in the state became homeless while living in California. (Hart, 6/20)
San Francisco Chronicle: Here's What Largest Study In Decades Of California Homelessness Found
California’s homeless population is predominantly made up of people who lived in the state before losing their housing, with nearly half over the age of 50 and a disproportionate number who are Black and indigenous, according to a statewide study released Tuesday. (Moench, 6/20)
Wyoming Public Radio: Reports Shows Wyoming 27th For Children’s Wellbeing, But 46th For Children's Health
A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Wyoming Community Foundation ranks Wyoming 27th for overall child wellbeing. That ranking takes into account economic factors, like how many children are living in poverty, as well as educational factors, like how many eighth graders are proficient in math. It also takes into account family factors and health. Community Foundation Director of Programs Micah Richardson said Wyoming's health metrics are some of the worst in the nation. The report ranks Wyoming in 46th place. (Victor, 6/19)
Stat: ‘Food Apartheid’ Starves Minority Neighborhoods On Long Island
James Boone wakes up at 6 a.m. nearly every Sunday, driving his van to Trader Joe’s and other grocery stores on Long Island in order to rescue food destined for the dumpster. After gathering mountains of produce, Boone heads to a parking lot in his hometown of Hempstead, where a small army of volunteers joins him in unloading the bounty and packing the food into hundreds of cardboard boxes. (StFluer, 6/19)
Also —
CNN: Loneliness, Social Isolation Linked With Early Death
If you’re lonely or socially isolated, you might have a higher risk of early death, according to a large new study. People who experienced social isolation had a 32% higher risk of dying early from any cause compared with those who weren’t socially isolated. Participants who reported feeling lonely were 14% more likely to die early than those who did not. (Rogers, 6/19)
