A big thanks to our readers who participated in our second annual KHN Halloween Haiku Contest. Your entries — like our health care system — ranged from eerie and haunting to downright spooky. And, based on a review by our expert panel of judges, here’s the winner and a sampling of finalists. Also, keep an eye on KHN’s social media accounts (Twitter, Instagram and Facebook) for more of our favorites. Enjoy!
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WINNER
Boo! It’s the virus
Glad you are trick or treating
What luck, I am too
— JK
Inspiration: How Families Are Keeping Halloween From Turning Into a COVID Nightmare
•••
FINALISTS
Ghost of the mandate
lives on, haunting the high court,
sending chills down spines.
— Barbara Armstrong
Inspiration: Potential Impact of California v. Texas Decision on Key Provisions of the Affordable Care Act
Ah, Trump’s “beautiful”
health care plan. Real? Or just an
invisible ghost?
— Shefali Luthra
Inspiration: Back to the Future: Trump’s History of Promising a Health Plan That Never Comes
If sickness scares you
Wait for the debt collectors
Liens and lawsuits lurk
— Arielle Levin Becker
Inspiration: UVA Health Still Squeezing Money From Patients — By Seizing Their Home Equity
Shivers down your spine
An indifferent voice sighs
“You’re out-of-network.”
— Annaliese Johnson
![](https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/10/halloween-illo.png)
(Hannah Norman/KHN Illustration)