EXPERTS: From UCare via Instagram, VERBATIM: “UCare is fortunate to have leading health care experts on our team. Our quality expert Jamie Galbreath lent her voice to this Walgreens Executive Forum panel discussion of The Dream Team: Building Collaborative Care Options Around the Patient.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4fJSRi6 (SPONSORED: UCare)
SIGNUP: Now signing up for Fluence tip sheets is easy and can be found at one site, www.fluence-newsletters.com - VISIT: www.fluence-newsletters.com
VOTERS: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “Hidden beneath all the election polling data that KFF collected was yet another lesson about framing health as an economic issue for voters: The only pocketbook concern voters cared about more than their health costs was the cost of food. With Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz nominated to lead critical health agencies to ‘make America healthy again’ (MAHA), it’s notable that what voters wanted wasn’t exactly a healthier country, it was to lower their health care costs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3B197vQ
MORE: Via The Century Foundation, VERBATIM: “While the Trump health care agenda is murky, the American people are clear about the health care agenda they’d like to see. In a new poll with Morning Consult, The Century Foundation found that even in a deeply divided country, there are a few things Americans do agree on when it comes to health care. In our survey, a staggering 88 percent of Americans thought that maintaining protections for people with pre-existing health conditions should be a ‘top priority’ or an ‘important priority’ for the Trump–Vance administration.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/415tbI5
RFK JR: Via Forbes, VERBATIM: “President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., received a positive reception in a poll released Sunday, even as Republican senators have raised questions about his stances on abortion and vaccines. A total of 47% of respondents to the CBS/YouGov poll said Kennedy is a good choice for Health and Human Services secretary, while 34% said he’s not a good pick and 19% said they haven’t heard enough.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZaRyBA
WORRIES: Via Ipsos, VERBATIM: “Our monthly What Worries the World survey explores what the public thinks are the most important social and political issues, drawing on more than ten years of data to place the latest scores in context.”
“Inflation remains steady at 32% on average across 29 countries citing it as a worry. Now it’s joint first with crime & violence. This time last year, inflation concerns were 6pp higher than it is now.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4e1mrPM
SURVEY: Via Metro, VERBATIM: “Seven in 10 trans people worldwide have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, the most common including depression and anxiety. The findings by the LGBTQ+ mental health app Voda showed that trans people across the world face a raft of challenges. Among them, gender dysphoria (79.8%), anxiety about social acceptance (80.4%) and discrimination (70.7%). Voda, which surveyed 2,165 people from 75 countries, also found that nearly seven in 10 respondents were living with a mental health condition.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OtfbR8
VACCINES: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “Just 17.9 percent of U.S. adults have gotten a COVID-19 vaccine, and 34.7 percent have received an influenza vaccine during the 2024-25 respiratory disease season, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report, published Thursday, notes that 35 percent of adults are open to receiving an influenza vaccine, 41 percent are willing to get a COVID-19 vaccine and 40 percent are open to getting a vaccine for RSV.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4g72siA
GOODNEWS: MNGood – the good stories of Minnesota from non-profits, philanthropy and corporate giving. SIGNUP: https://fluence-media.co/MNGOODSignUP
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ
THURSDAY: From MDH via X, VERBATIM: “Keep it Safe, Keep it Fun! Feasting with family is a holiday tradition—but food poisoning doesn’t have to be! Follow these simple tips from the CDC to keep your holiday meals safe and delicious” TIPS: https://fluence-media.co/4i9Cjl2
FRIDAY: From Macy Harder via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Want to save money and avoid crowds this Black Friday? Instead of shopping, try finding a moment of stillness at the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center (MZMC)’s ‘Blank Friday’ event on Nov. 29. Back for its 10th year, Blank Friday provides an opportunity for Minnesotans to dip their toes into the world of mindfulness and meditation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CLMWdM
SATURDAY: From Ezy Urgent Care Clinic via Facebook, VERBATIM: “During Hmong New Year weekend, we are hosting a vaccine clinic in partnership with UCare, Hmong Health Care Professionals Coalition, M Health Fairview, HAP and Hmong Village Shopping Center.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4eQJNXc
(DISCLOSURE: UCare is a sponsor of Fluence Media)
WEIGHT LOSS: Via NBC News, VERBATIM: “The Biden administration plans to require Medicare and Medicaid to offer coverage of weight loss medications for people seeking obesity treatment. The new rule, which was proposed by the administration Tuesday, would dramatically expand access to anti-obesity medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy, from Novo Nordisk, and Mounjaro and Zepbound, from Eli Lilly.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4iiwvpE
ABORTION: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Through prior court rulings and legislative actions, Minnesota has among the most accommodating laws granting access to abortion. A lawsuit filed late last week in federal court seeks to upend those laws. It was brought by a group of plaintiffs that includes women who have had abortions they say weren’t voluntary, anti-abortion organizations and ‘crisis pregnancy centers,’ which counsel clients against having abortions. They argue that Minnesota’s process for abortion consent is too loose and that its legal protections for medical providers are too lenient.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3VbWchI
UNDOCUMENTED: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “Thousands of undocumented Minnesotans can now apply for a state health care program for low-income residents that opened its applications last week. The Minnesota Legislature passed the MinnesotaCare Immigrant Inclusion Act in 2023, which got rid of the immigration status requirement to access the state-funded program in an effort to extend health care coverage to undocumented residents statewide. MinnesotaCare was previously only available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/417qoOC
MEDICARE: From Alex Derosier via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “As the end of the open enrollment period for Medicare approaches, Minnesota officials are warning that major health care providers across the state soon won’t accept certain Medicare Advantage plans, affecting coverage for more than 60,000 people. Open enrollment is Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, and with a little under two weeks until the deadline to sign up for 2025 coverage, Attorney General Keith Ellison and officials from state agencies handling aging and Medicare are trying to spread the word about providers dropping or changing Medicare Advantage plans.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/499GsBj
DRUG PRICES: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “The cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. isn’t like the tabs for other products. The price for a single medicine can range by thousands of dollars depending on the drug plan. It is a symptom of America’s complicated—and costly—system for paying for medicines. Medicare is paying wildly different prices for the same drug, even for people insured under the same plan. As a result, people covered by Medicare can be on the hook for thousands of dollars in additional out-of-pocket costs depending on where they live and which drug plan they choose.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4g30D6m
DISCOUNTS: From Christopher Snowbeck via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A first-of-its-kind state report shows safety-net hospitals and health care providers in Minnesota saw $630 million in extra revenue last year — and probably much more — from an obscure program funded by large discounts on medications provided by drug manufacturers. The findings, released Monday by the Minnesota Department of Health, have been eagerly anticipated by health policy experts as a window into the vast sums that certain hospitals receive from a program known as ‘340B,’ which Congress created in 1992 to help safety-net providers and low-income patients.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3V9o6ef
VACCINATIONS: From Kyra Miles via MPR, VERBATIM: “Childhood immunization rates continue to decrease in Minnesota, going down from more than 90 percent of kindergartners fully vaccinated before school in 2019 to 87 percent this year. It may seem like a small shift, but since last year there have been multiple measles outbreaks in the Twin Cities and an all time high of pertussis, or whooping cough cases. Local pediatricians worry about the slide in vaccinations. They’re seeing skepticism rising among parents and politicians sowing doubts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3V9Sm8M
CAMPAIGN: Via The Minneapolis Egotist, VERBATIM: “KOSE, is thrilled to announce it has received a Bronze Shorty Award for its groundbreaking campaign for the Minnesota Department of Health, designed to inspire Minnesotans to get updated COVID-19 and flu vaccinations. This campaign addressed the urgent need for public health action amidst COVID fatigue and vaccine hesitancy, resulting in a 28% statewide increase in COVID-19 vaccination rates and national recognition for its creative strategy and impact.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Orm19K
from morning take…
RURAL EMS: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “The Arrowhead EMS Association has been awarded $5 million as part of a grant that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) hopes will improve and expedite post-crash care in rural communities and tribal areas. … Rural areas in Minnesota account for roughly a quarter of traffic crashes, but represent over half of the state’s fatal crashes. The seven-county, four-tribal nation region in northeast Minnesota averaged 9.88 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents between 2017 and 2021.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/498F16n
LEAD PIPES: via an MDH press release, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) today announced that 100% of the state’s community water systems have completed an inventory of their service lines as part of a national effort to identify where lead pipes need to be replaced. … MDH estimates that of the 1.5 million service lines in Minnesota, just under 90,000 are made of lead. That total may increase as approximately 280,000 service lines will require additional verification. … ‘Nationally, Minnesota has one of the highest rates of completion for the service line inventories,’ said Sandeep Burman, manager of MDH’s Drinking Water Protection Section.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4i8a71W
From mn good…
MAYO: From Christopher Snowbeck via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic wrote off nearly $90 million in unpaid patient bills after changing how it determines eligibility for financial assistance, a step that consumer advocates are urging more hospitals to take as patients’ concerns grow over medical debt. It’s part of an emerging trend where some medical centers, pushed at times by state laws, are adopting or expanding what’s called ‘presumptive eligibility’ with charity care programs. It can be an alternative to waiting for patients to complete applications for financial aid that some find confusing and difficult to navigate.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/498D1Lp
Sign up for more takes… www.fluence-newsletters.com
INCINERATOR: From Regina Medina via MPR, VERBATIM: “Late last month, the Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed a resolution calling for the closure of the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center, or HERC, in downtown Minneapolis. The council doesn’t have the authority to shut it down — Hennepin County oversees the HERC. Instead the council’s action urges the county to close the incinerator by the end of 2027. For one council member — LaTrisha Vetaw — that vote was personal. ‘I understand the real ramifications of those sorts of things,’ she said this week during an interview at her Ward 4 office in north Minneapolis. In 2006, Vetaw was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of cancer.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/41ckoUG
FOOD: From Torey Van Oot via Axios, VERBATIM: “The state of Minnesota is stocking food shelves with an additional $5 million heading into the new year. Why it matters: High food prices have led to increased demand and costs for groups working to feed hungry Minnesotans. The big picture: Food shelves statewide are on track to hit 9 million visits in 2024.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4iliqYD
STRESS: Via Michigan State University, VERBATIM: “Stress is a part of life, and with seasonal holidays, some of us may be feeling more stressed than usual. In fact, if you feel like you’re more stressed than last year, you are not alone. According to the American Psychiatric Association’s 2024 annual mental health poll, 43% of adults say they feel more anxious than they did the previous year and indicate that stress is the most common factor impacting their mental health. Although it’s impossible to totally eliminate stress, we can learn to manage it, and research has shown that exercise or being physically active is a healthy way to maintain both mental and physical fitness.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/416RBB4
HANDS: From Deb Balzer via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “It's the time of year when families and friends are gathering and celebrating the holidays. And usually, it happens in the room that tends to be the center of many gatherings — the kitchen. It's also where accidents, often hand injuries, can happen, especially when alcohol is involved. Dr. Sanj Kakar, a Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon, says he's seen many unfortunate hand injuries and he urges everyone to celebrate safely and use extra caution in the kitchen this Thanksgiving.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3Bcnwp0
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
GLP-1: From George Institute for Global Health via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “The biggest and most comprehensive analysis of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists on kidney and cardiovascular outcomes shows they have significant benefits in people with and without diabetes.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YZA2jK
Copyright © 2024 Fluence Media, All rights reserved.
You signed up or are media / a public official interested in health care news from Fluence Media.
Our mailing address is:
Fluence Media
PO Box 270031
Minneapolis, MN 55427