A medida que el presidente electo Donald Trump asuma el cargo, los programas federales de la red de seguridad como Medicaid, CHIP y SNAP, que apoyan a 85 millones de estadounidenses de bajos ingresos, pueden enfrentar recortes para reducir la inflación y la deuda. El 40% de la población infantil está cubierta por Medicaid en Pensilvania. Carolyn Myers, de Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, dice que Medicaid ha sido fundamental para reducir la tasa de niños sin seguro. Los recortes al programa amenazarán la cobertura y los beneficios de los 1.2 millones de niños actualmente inscritos en Pensilvania.

"No tienen acceso al paquete integral de beneficios de salud que ofrece Medicaid, que identifica problemas tempranos, visitas periódicas de control infantil, vacunas, seguimiento del desarrollo físico mental, pruebas de plomo en sangre y exámenes dentales, de la vista y de la audición. Luego proporciona el tratamiento y la atención médica adecuados que necesita el niño," explicó Myers.

Myers enfatiza que la inscripción a Medicaid está abierta todo el año, lo que permite a las familias acceder a atención médica esencial. Para obtener ayuda, visite el sitio web de Compass o llame al 1-877-385-8930. Destaca que la cobertura de atención médica ha mejorado significativamente la salud de los niños y las tasas de graduación, y recortar la financiación podría poner en peligro estos beneficios vitales.

Joan Alker del Center for Children and Families de la Universidad de Georgetown dice que los recortes al programa tendrán efectos generalizados ya que Medicaid es la mayor fuente de fondos federales que ingresan a los presupuestos estatales.

"Medicaid representa alrededor del 56% de todo el dinero federal que se transfiere a los estados y llega a través de Medicaid. Entonces, si vemos grandes recortes a Medicaid, eso afectará todas las áreas del presupuesto estatal, no solo su presupuesto de salud," analizó Alker.

El Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP, por sus siglas en inglés) también podría enfrentar recortes. Mayra Álvarez, de The Children's Partnership, dice que los cambios propuestos descritos en el Proyecto 2025 podrían dificultar el acceso al programa y al mismo tiempo aumentar las ineficiencias. Agrega que cada dólar de SNAP genera un dólar con cincuenta y cuatro centavos de actividad económica.

"SNAP o cupones de alimentos, es la primera línea de defensa de nuestra nación contra el hambre. Proporciona a más de 40 millones de personas la asistencia financiera que necesitan para poner alimentos en la mesa cada mes, sin un acceso adecuado a los alimentos, estrés o problemas de salud y es probable que se produzca un aumento de la deuda," insistió Álvarez.

Hasta septiembre, SNAP proporcionó más de $367 millones en asistencia alimentaria financiada con fondos federales a más de dos millones de personas en Pensilvania.

People who are part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, will be dropped from their CoveredCA health plans at the end of August.

The move comes after the Trump administration changed a Biden-era definition of "lawfully present" to revoke health care eligibility for thousands of immigrants.

Christine Smith, policy and legislative advocate for the nonprofit Health Access California, said people only have a few weeks to get medical appointments in before their coverage ends.

"If you're enrolled in Covered California and you're a DACA recipient, the Trump administration just ended your coverage," Smith emphasized. "People should use as much of your health care as you can before the August 31st deadline."

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services defended the move, saying it will save taxpayers money. CoveredCA estimated the change affects about 2,400 DACA recipients in the state who make too much to qualify for Medi-Cal and have jobs not providing health insurance. They can still buy private insurance but it is much more expensive. People who prepaid for their coverage can seek a refund.

Smith predicted it will be a blow not just to those who lose coverage but to the state's health care system as a whole.

"The lines in the ERs are going to be longer because people are not going to be able to get affordable preventive care," Smith projected. "They're just going to get sicker and then end up in the ERs. People will overall incur more medical debt. Hospitals will have more uncompensated care."

The change is nationwide. As of mid-July, about 538,000 people in the DACA program across the U.S. are ineligible to enroll in any state-based insurance marketplace and are unable to access premium subsidies or cost-sharing assistance.

Artificial intelligence is appearing more prominently in many aspects of life and research suggests older populations are curious, yet remain wary of using the technology in their everyday lives.

According to Stats Indiana, there are more than 1.5 million Hoosiers aged 65 and older, or 18% of the state's population. Experts said it is likely the demographic will use AI in some form in the next few years, either by choice or necessity.

Dr. Shaun Grannis, vice president of data and analytics for the Regenstrief Institute on Aging, said AI offers real benefits.

"It can reduce loneliness through conversation, provide reminders for medications and appointments," Grannis outlined. "It can support cognitive stimulation via games, storytelling, news updates."

The technology can also offer a low-pressure way to access information on public services, he added, which is valuable for those with mobility issues or those who feel intimidated by technology.

Grannis cautioned any tool which can be used for good can also lead to problems. He noted AI can create a false sense of companionship and mask social isolation. Overdependence is a legitimate concern, he argued, if the technology becomes a "crutch" for all forms of interaction.

"All cognitive activities or decision-making, it can actually lead to and create a negative feedback loop, lead to a decline in engagement and even basic self-management skills," Grannis explained. "This is risky."

Grannis believes one solution is designing AI systems to complement, not replace, human interaction. He stressed it can be done though building broader support ecosystems including family, friends, caregivers and community services. Grannis emphasized it would encourage real-world activity, prompting the user to go for a walk, call a grandchild or attend a local senior event.

If you have an extra five minutes, you can save a life because you can learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation at no cost from a new mobile, hands-only CPR kiosk.

The new kiosk is in the lobby of Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica. The machine's touch screen gives a brief overview of hands-only CPR and you can practice right there, on a mannequin.

Dr. Rigved Tadwalkar, cardiologist at St. John's, said it is an easy way for people to get more comfortable giving chest compressions in an emergency.

"It's a lot like a video game but of course, a lot more important than a video game," Tadwalkar pointed out. "It gives real-time feedback about the depth and rate of compressions, proper hand placement, which are all factors that influence the effectiveness of CPR."

The American Heart Association operates the St. John's mobile kiosk and a stationary model at L-A-X with support from the hospital. Santiago Canyon College in Orange County also has a mobile hands-only C-P-R kiosk now through September, sponsored by Edwards Lifesciences.

Steven Munatones, an Orange County business owner, said he survived what's known as a "widowmaker" heart attack which led to cardiac arrest nine years ago, thanks to his 17-year-old son, who gave him immediate CPR with instructions from a 911 operator.

"You don't have to put your mouth to anybody's mouth," Munatones explained. "You just put your hand on their chest and pump. He saved me, and others can do the same, anywhere. So, it's absolutely a lifesaving, heroic act that anybody can do."

Statistics show 350,000 Americans suffer from cardiac arrest outside a hospital each year and about 90% die, in part because they do not receive CPR. About 70% of those cardiac arrests happen at home, so people often depend on family or friends to give CPR before an ambulance arrives.