NEW: Medical debt is a pervasive issue in the U.S., including for moms.

New mothers are twice as likely to have medical debt as other young women who haven't recently given birth.

healthsystemtracker.org/brief/medical-…

KFF Peterson Center on Healthcare

States are roughly three-quarters of the way through the unwinding of the Medicaid continuous enrollment provision and, to date, nearly 22 million people (23%) have been disenrolled: bit.ly/3qK4QHM

About 6 in 10 adults say that Medicare should cover GLP-1 drugs for people who are overweight when they’re prescribed for weight loss.

This includes similar shares across age groups, and more than half of Democrats, independents, and Republicans. bit.ly/3JWEMQ4

Awareness of GLP-1 drugs is on the rise, with 8 in 10 adults reporting they’ve at least heard “a little” about them.

About one-third of adults have heard “a lot” about GLP-1 medications. Dive into more data with our tracking poll: bit.ly/3JWEMQ4

The high medical costs associated with pregnancy and childbirth can lead to significant financial burdens for new mothers.

About half of births are covered by private insurance, which can have significant cost-sharing: bit.ly/3JUQFpx

About half of adults who have taken a GLP-1 medication say it was difficult to afford, even with health insurance.

List prices for the drugs can top $1,000 for a month’s supply prior to insurance coverage, rebates, and coupons.

Learn more: bit.ly/3JWEMQ4

The shares of adults who report ever taking a GLP-1 medication is highest among people with diabetes (43%), followed by those with heart disease (26%) and those who have obesity or are overweight (22%).

See more findings in our report: bit.ly/3JWEMQ4

About 1 in 8 adults (12%) say they have taken a GLP-1 medication — like Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro — to treat a chronic condition, such as diabetes or heart disease, or to lose weight.

Learn more from our latest Health Tracking Poll: bit.ly/3JWEMQ4

While most Black women overall report positive experiences receiving health care, our survey shows they are more likely than other groups to report being treated unfairly by a health care provider because of their race and ethnicity. bit.ly/44Bkllm

“The larger answers to poverty, income inequality, racial injustice, and our deeper socio-economic problems — all of which influence health — are mostly to be found in broader social and economic policies outside of our world,” writes KFF's Drew Altman. bit.ly/44FGChJ

Among Black women who used health care in the past three years, 34% report at least one of three consequences resulting from a negative experience with a provider: switching providers, being less likely to seek care, or worse health. bit.ly/44Bkllm

I've been thinking bout this a lot over the past year or so. As usual, Drew Altman says it better than I could.
kff.org/from-drew-altm…

According to a new analysis of our Survey on Racism, Discrimination, and Health, Black women are more likely than other groups to report being treated unfairly by a health care provider because of their race or ethnicity. bit.ly/44Bkllm

In his new column, KFF’s Drew Altman discusses the pros and cons of labeling socio-economic problems as health issues.

Read more: bit.ly/44FGChJ

There is no question that poverty, racial injustice, inadequate housing, food insecurity, and gun violence affect people's health.

The harder question is what roles the health and public health systems can play in addressing them.

Drew Altman
kff.org/from-drew-altm…

Black and Hispanic women with Medicare often report poorer health status and higher rates of cognitive and functional impairments compared to White women.

Learn more about women with Medicare: bit.ly/49Zi7xa

Did you know a growing number of states are making new investments in services for pregnant or postpartum individuals?

Explore state challenges and strategies to cover additional services through Medicaid: bit.ly/3ya3wBO

We're thrilled to be a 2024 finalist for the #Pulitzer Prize in Public Service, for our joint investigation with Cox Media Group on Social Security overpayments: pulitzer.org/finalists/kff-…

Congrats to David Hilzenrath, Jodie Fleischer and everyone involved.