US safety net helps protect children from abuse and neglect, and some of those programs are threatened by proposed budget cuts

President Donald Trump and Republicans in the House of Representatives have put forward budget proposals that would slash spending by hundreds of millions of dollars over the next decade on…

Why do cuts to Medicaid matter for Americans over 65? 2 experts on aging explain why lives are at stake

Republicans in Congress intend to cut about US$880 billion in federal health care spending. One of their primary targets is Medicaid. That government program covers 82 million Americans with health…

Supreme Court considers whether states may prevent people covered by Medicaid from choosing Planned Parenthood as their health care provider

Having the freedom to choose your own health care provider is something many Americans take for granted. But the Supreme Court is weighing whether people who rely on Medicaid for…

A brief history of Medicaid and America’s long struggle to establish a health care safety net

The Medicaid system has emerged as an early target of the Trump administration’s campaign to slash federal spending. A joint federal and state program, Medicaid provides health insurance coverage for…

GOP lawmakers commit to big spending cuts, putting Medicaid under a spotlight – but trimming the low-income health insurance program would be hard

Efforts by Republicans in Congress to make steep spending cuts have stirred widespread concerns that the federal government may trim expenditures on Medicaid even though President Donald Trump has previously…

Why government can’t make America ‘healthier’ by micromanaging groceries purchased with SNAP benefits

President Donald Trump’s pick for director of the Health and Human Services Department, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has announced a bold plan. He wants to “Make America Healthy Again.” Kennedy’s…

sales pitches are often from biased sources, the choices can be overwhelming and impartial help is not equally available to all

The 67 million Americans eligible for Medicare make an important decision every October: Should they make changes in their Medicare health insurance plans for the next calendar year? The decision…

Hospice care for those with dementia falls far short of meeting people’s needs at the end of life

Jimmy Carter, who chose to forgo aggressive medical care for complications of cancer and frailty in February 2023, recently reached his one-year anniversary since enrolling in hospice care. During this…

Free school meals for all may reduce childhood obesity, while easing financial and logistical burdens for families and schools

School meals are critical to child health. Research has shown that school meals can be more nutritious than meals from other sources, such as meals brought from home. A recent…

Michigan Gov. Whitmer proposes a caregiver tax credit − an idea many Americans support

People caring for elderly or disabled relatives need a break – and, in Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has a proposal to give them one. Whitmer’s recently proposed $5,000 tax credit,…