ERGs: From UCare via Instagram, VERBATIM: “Happy #birthday to UCare's Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). All 7 UCare #ERGs just passed the one-year mark. They are: Generations, Interfaith, Mosaic Connections, UCan (disability), UPride, WeCare, and WILD (women). A total of 220 employees are involved, and, in the last year, they held 67 events in addition to various initiatives that foster a diverse, inclusive workplace and elevate the voices of ALL employees.” POST: https://fluence-media.co/4lIgEBl (SPONSORED: UCare)
All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
POLL: Via Latin Times, VERBATIM: “A new poll suggests that Republicans key to keeping the House majority may lie in embracing an Obama-era policy, as voters worry about healthcare coverage, according to a new poll. Originally passed under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, individuals who purchase health insurance themselves are eligible for healthcare premium tax credits. However, that credit is set to expire this year. According to a new poll by Fabrizio Ward, if Republicans were to extend that tax credit, it could help them better compete with Democrats, who are currently leading by three points over the typical Republican, and by seven points with motivated voters.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46Imwq4
INFLUENCE: Via Pew, VERBATIM: “Americans are in the midst of ongoing discussion and debate about which health issues are most pressing and who should play a role in addressing them. According to a new Pew Research Center survey, a solid majority of U.S. adults (69%) say health insurance companies have too much influence on public debates about health policy.”
“Of the eight groups and institutions we asked about in this survey – such as Congress, the general public and federal courts – health insurance companies are the one that a majority of Americans agree has too much sway in health policy.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40jwU3E
HEALTH CARE: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “For many years, KFF polling has found that the high cost of health care is a burden on U.S. families, and that health care costs factor into decisions about insurance coverage and care seeking. These costs and the prospect of unexpected medical bills also rank as the top financial worries for adults and their families. This data note summarizes recent KFF polling on the public’s experiences with health care costs. Main takeaways include:
Just under half of U.S. adults say it is difficult to afford health care costs, and one in four say they or a family member in their household had problems paying for health care in the past 12 months.
The cost of health care can lead some to put off needed care.
The cost of prescription drugs prevents some people from filling prescriptions.
Health care debt is a burden for a large share of Americans.
Those who are covered by health insurance are not immune to the burden of health care costs.
Notable shares of adults say they are worried about affording medical costs such as the cost of health care services (including out-of-pocket costs not covered by insurance, such as co-pays and deductibles) or unexpected bills.”
READ: https://fluence-media.co/3TId4eS
MEDICARE FOR ALL: Via Truthout, VERBATIM: “New polling demonstrates that nearly 6 in 10 Americans are supportive of Medicare for All in the United States, with only a quarter of voters voicing opposition to a universal health care system. According to an Economist/YouGov poll published earlier this week, 59 percent of Americans back the idea of Medicare for All. Only 27 percent of those polled said they did not support the idea.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44KjWx9
PLANNING: Via news release from DrFirst, VERBATIM: “Only 5% of Americans have an advance care plan in place, and half (50%) are largely unfamiliar with the concept, according to a recent survey conducted by The Harris Poll and commissioned by health technology innovator Backline by DrFirst. The research reveals significant emotional and practical hurdles, yet a strong desire for healthcare provider guidance.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kL6hft
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ
UNITEDHEALTH: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Mary Strause, a filmmaker in Wisconsin, logged on to Amazon’s video-streaming service in late May so she could share a link to her latest project, a docuseries that harshly criticized the U.S. health care industry. She was surprised to see that her video had vanished. Ms. Strause had no way of knowing it, but the video had been taken down after a law firm working for UnitedHealth Group, one of the country’s largest health care companies, sent a letter warning Amazon and another streaming service, Vimeo, that the video was defamatory. It was the latest salvo in an aggressive and wide-ranging campaign to quiet critics. In recent months, UnitedHealth has targeted traditional journalists and news outlets, a prominent investor, a Texas doctor and activists like Ms. Strause and her father, who complained about a UnitedHealth subsidiary.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44Q2Eis
LIST: WalletHub compared average premiums for silver health insurance plans for each state to the median household income. At 4.87%, Minnesota ranked fourth lowest in the country. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4lYErgM
SMOKING: Via HealthDay, VERBATIM: “Vaping might be more effective than traditional nicotine replacement therapies in helping people quit smoking, a new Australian study says. Six-month smoking abstinence rates were three times higher among people using flavored nicotine-laced vape devices, compared to those given nicotine gum or lozenges, researchers reported July 14 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Flavored vapes are restricted in the U.S.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46MaYCf
MEDICAID SUPPORTS HEALTH CARE FOR ALL OF US: Medicaid keeps Minnesota’s hospitals strong and ensures communities across the state have access to care. Policymakers must protect Medicaid so every Minnesotan — regardless of income or health status — can get the care they need, when they need it. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3FtrCuH (SPONSORED: Minnesota Hospital Association)
FENTANYL: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “A Rochester Police Department (RPD) officer had a bit of a scare during a police response to a suspected overdose call in SE Rochester . . . While searching his belongings, an officer found drug paraphernalia and began experiencing symptoms of fentanyl exposure, despite using protective equipment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40N7YSk
MUSHROOMS: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “A warm, wet summer weather means wild mushrooms are multiplying, and poison control calls are increasing. Most of those calls involve children under 5 picking or eating a mushroom that could be poisonous. From April through June, the Minnesota Regional Poison Center says it has received 66 calls for potential exposures. Last year, during that same time period, they received 55 calls.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3Iskj8l
VACCINES: Via NBC News, VERBATIM: “Aluminum in childhood vaccines is a target of vaccine skeptics, who blame the ingredient on myriad health concerns. But a study of more than 1 million people, published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found no link between aluminum in vaccines and an increased risk of 50 chronic conditions, including autoimmune diseases, allergies and autism. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has spread vaccine misinformation for years, said on a podcast in 2024 that aluminum in vaccines is ‘extremely neurotoxic.’ (An HHS spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.)” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ItAQZG
THIS MONTH: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Adrianna Willis thinks there’s no time like the present to encourage people of color to consider the benefits of therapy. ‘It’s okay to seek help and balance. I’ve been a low points in my life where I needed a therapist. We have to normalize this,’ she said. ‘We only get one vessel and our mind controls our body. Therapy, along with prayer and community, will protect our peace.’ Willis is speaking out forcefully during July, recognized as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Mental Health Awareness month. But she has a year-round mission promoting mental health and mindfulness through her business, Mind the Crown.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kJej8H
LAYOFFS: Via CNN, VERBATIM: “Thousands of employees across US federal health agencies received an email Monday afternoon telling them they were out of a job as of the close of business. The firings were originally communicated April 1 for most of the included employees, but they’d been delayed as a legal battle played out. That culminated in a US Supreme Court decision July 8 that, the US Department of Health and Human Services said in the email, means the agency ‘is now permitted to move forward with a portion of its [reduction in force].’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mgpqXV
MEDICAID: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday refuted the existence of Medicaid cuts due to President Trump’s megabill of tax and spending cuts.” QUOTE: “First of all, there’s no cuts on Medicaid. There is a — there’s a diminishment of the growth rate of Medicaid, which is bankrupting our country. And, by the way, the national debt is also a determinant — a social determinant — of health,” Kennedy told Fox Business Network’s Larry Kudlow on his show. “If we’re leaving our kids with these giant debts, they can’t afford health care. They can’t afford good food.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44Q2RSL
ESSENTIA HEALTH INVESTS IN TWIN PORTS NURSES: Total payroll for Essentia Health Duluth-Superior nurses is $164 million, with $53 million paid in salary increases over the past 3 years. Essentia Health has also increased clinical support staff by 10% over the past 3 years, providing additional support for those nurses. Over half of Duluth area nurses have been with us for over 5 years and enjoy exceptional work-life balance. To join our team at Essentia Health, search for openings HERE: https://fluence-media.co/3FzLe0i (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
CANCER: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered a key reason some cancer patients relapse after receiving chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, or CAR-T cell therapy. Over time, the engineered immune cells age and lose their ability to fight cancer. Published in Molecular Cancer, the study identifies this aging process, known as senescence, as a previously unrecognized mechanism of CAR-T failure.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lVpM5J
PARKINSON’S: From University of South Australia via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “Researchers in Australia have created a biodegradable gel that delivers Parkinson’s medications through a single weekly shot, replacing the need for multiple daily pills. Injected just under the skin, the gel steadily releases levodopa and carbidopa for seven days, helping keep tremors and stiffness in check while easing side effects linked to fluctuating doses.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nPrGqx
DEMENTIA: Via Fox News, VERBATIM: “A hidden genetic mutation could predict a man’s likelihood of developing dementia. That’s according to an Australian study led by Monash and Curtin Universities, which analyzed the medical data of thousands of Australians and Americans. Men who had a certain variant in the haemochromatosis (HFE) gene — which regulates iron levels in the body — were found to be at a higher risk of dementia, the researchers found.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3IwcuOT
FRESH15: The latest season of Fresh15 includes interviews with new Minnesota House members. So far, five new members have shared their goals, background and fun facts before they take office in a historic session this January.
Rep. Kari Rehrauer
Rep. Wayne Johnson
Rep. Julie Greene
Rep. Keith Allen
Rep. Peter Johnson
Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
SAVE: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “No one would call Erich Mische a shrinking violet. Known for his public, opinionated take on the issues of the day, Mische spent 35 years working in local and national politics before deciding to turn his considerable energy to running Minnesota nonprofits, including Spare Key and the Minnesota Alliance With Youth. Two years ago in August, Mische took on a challenge near and dear to his heart when he became CEO at SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Action), a Bloomington-based nonprofit founded in 1989 by a group of parents who had lost children to suicide. Throughout his life, Mische had always gravitated toward issues involving mental health, and leading the state’s best-known suicide-prevention nonprofit felt like a great fit — both professionally and personally.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lEUiRN
MENOPAUSE: Via CNN, VERBATIM: “There’s a new wave of interest in improving menopause care in the United States – it’s in books, on podcasts and dominating social media hashtags – and it’s even generating new legislation across more than a dozen states. From New York to California, lawmakers are weighing whether to support more menopause training for clinicians or mandate comprehensive insurance coverage for menopause treatment. Advocates of such legislation argue that these changes could improve access to care and reduce the risk that menopause symptoms will be dismissed by providers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lPwmuE
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
HEARING: From Stowers Institute via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “Zebrafish can regenerate sensory hair cells that humans permanently lose, like those in the inner ear linked to hearing and balance. New research reveals two specific genes that control how different supporting cells in zebrafish divide and regenerate, offering clues to how mammals might someday tap into similar regenerative powers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/455LLBu
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