Thank you, Diane Ty, we greatly appreciate you contributions to Blooming Day!
I’m still thinking about my one-on-one conversation with Claire Casey from the AARP Foundation at the Blooming Health Conference in June. We discussed the need to address the connection between the #health and #wealth "spiral" given the extensive body of research examining the relationship between income and health. Kudos to the AARP Foundation for its efforts to increase awareness and benefits enrollment in programs such as #SNAP for eligible older adults. Addressing the impact of medical debt: carrying it, anticipating it, or avoiding it causes not only economic stress but can negatively impact health when people make decisions to delay or forego health care services altogether. It is vital to engage policymakers, researchers, and the health care and financial industries to address this insidious debt that is often an involuntary and unplanned expense. I hope to continue elevating these issues and solutions so more Americans can access the care and support they need.