Health & Medicine Policy Research Group’s Center for Long-term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together campaign are dedicated to advancing policies and structures that improve the conditions in which Illinoisans live, work, play, and age across the life course. Through our work, it is crucial for us to stay abreast of current events, developments, and stories in the aging and health sectors–and beyond.

Below are some of the recent articles and other resources that we’ve found recently that are pertinent to our work:

Immigrants in the U.S. Continue to Face Health Care Challenges (Kaiser Family Foundation, Nambi Ndugga, Drishti Pillai, Samantha Artiga) 

Immigrants make up a significant part of the nation’s workforce and families yet face increased barriers to accessing health coverage and care. While citizens account for the majority of the nonelderly uninsured population, noncitizens are much more likely than citizens to be uninsured. Many lawfully present immigrants and citizen children in immigrant families who are eligible for coverage remain uninsured due to a range of barriers, including immigration-related fears. Research suggests that changes to immigration policy made by the Trump Administration contributed to growing fears among immigrant families about enrolling in Medicaid and CHIP even if they were eligible. The Biden Administration has since reversed some of these changes and implemented other policies to increase enrollment of eligible people in public coverage options, but sustained outreach efforts by trusted messengers will be key for reducing fears among the community. 

“It’s just a form of neglect”: Nursing homes face severe staffing shortages, putting elderly at risk (CBS News, Mark Strassman) 

A majority of nursing homes in the U.S. are facing staffing shortages, according to a recent survey, which can result in unsafe conditions for the nation’s elderly.  

The survey, released this month by the American Health Care Association, found that 98% of nursing home operators are having trouble hiring, 59% said they are losing money, and 73% said staffing issues could force them to close. 

Tired of Mold, Mice and Bad Management, Chicago Tenants Take a Stand (Next City, Roshan Abraham) 

Housing advocates push for legislation that would require the city to enforce regular building inspections, rather than relying on tenants to file complaints and pressure landlords for improvements. 

Inmate voting rights still on the table (The State Journal Register, Peter Hancock)  

Illinois lawmakers could take up a bill later this month that would restore voting rights to convicted offenders serving time in county jails or state or federal prisons, according to the bill’s House sponsor. 

100 Million People in America Are Saddled With Health Care Debt (Kaiser Family Foundation, Noam Levey) 

“…more than 100 million people in America ― including 41% of adults ― beset by a health care system that is systematically pushing patients into debt on a mass scale, an investigation by KHN and NPR shows”