Millions of people became uninsured as Medicaid programs cut coverage, new data show
. . . Overall, more than 27 million people had no form of health insurance as of March 2024, compared with more than 25 million people at the same time in 2023, the CDC reported Tuesday. The data come from the CDC’s quarterly National Health Interview Survey. More than 1 million working-age adults entered the ranks of the uninsured, while 700,000 kids younger than 18 also lost their coverage. STAT.
The States with The Most Uninsured Americans, Mapped
Texas is home to the country’s largest share of Americans under 65 without health insurance, according to new Census Bureau data, with 18.8% of residents uninsured as of 2022. That’s a big improvement over 2006, when 27.6% of Texans were uninsured — but still nearly double the national uninsured rate of 9.5%. . . .After Texas, Oklahoma (14.3%), Wyoming (14.1%) and Florida (13.9%) have the highest share of uninsured residents among U.S. states and Washington, D.C. Massachusetts (2.9%), Washington, D.C. (3.1%) and Hawai’i (4.3%) have the lowest. Axios.
Rich-Poor Divide In U.S. Hospitals Widens As 700+ At Risk Of Closing
Some of America’s largest hospital systems saw their financials soar in the first half of 2024. And yet, more than 700 facilities across the country still are at risk of closing. It’s a familiar tale of the rich getting richer, as big, mostly for-profit health systems see improved margins while smaller facilities in outlying areas are barely hanging on. Axios.
US COVID Markers Continue Steady Rise
Nationally, test positivity is 16.3%, up slightly from the previous week. Levels are highest in Texas and surrounding states, averaging 25.7%, followed by the Southeast, the Midwest, and the Northwest. … In its latest variant proportion update, the CDC said the percentage of KP.3.1.1 sequences jumped from 14.4% to 27.8% over the past 2 weeks. The variant is cutting into the proportion of its parent variant KP.3, which currently makes up 21.1% of sequences. CIDRAP.
Study Puts a $43 Billion Yearly Price Tag on Cancer Screening
The estimate focused on five cancers for which there is medically recommended screening — breast, cervical, colorectal, lung and prostate — and found that colonoscopies accounted for most of the costs. . . .For Karen E. Knudsen, the chief executive of the American Cancer Society, the value of screening for the cancers is clear. “We are talking about people’s lives,” she said. “Early detection allows a better chance of survival. Full stop. It’s the right thing to do for individuals.” Sx Other researchers say the finding supports their contentions that screening is overused, adding that there is a weak link between early detection and cancer survival and that the money invested in cancer testing is not being well spent. NYT.
Red Cross Declares Emergency Blood Shortage After National Inventory Falls By 25% In July
The American Red Cross said Monday that it is experiencing an emergency blood shortage, and extreme heat may be partly to blame. In a press release, the organization said its national blood inventory fell by more than 25% since July 1. Rolling heat waves and record temperatures have impacted more than 100 drives in the last month in every state where the Red Cross collects blood. NBC.
David Lynch Says He Has Emphysema
The director, 78, confirmed the diagnosis in a social media post after revealing in a magazine interview that he would be limited to directing remotely. . .
. . . “Yes, I have emphysema from my many years of smoking. I have to say that I enjoyed smoking very much, and I do love tobacco – the smell of it, lighting cigarettes on fire, smoking them – but there is a price to pay for this enjoyment, and the price for me is emphysema,” Mr. Lynch wrote in his post on social media. NYT.
