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Gut health impacts so much more than digestion. It plays an important role in immune health, systemic inflammation, and even mental health, thanks to the gut-brain axis.
The gut and the brain are in constant communication, and communication is a two-way street. So if your nervous system is dysregulated, it can impact how food moves through the digestive tract. And if there are issues in the gut, it can impact mood, concentration, and even memory. 
Researchers are still uncovering the intricacies of this relationship, and findings from a recent study are adding more clarity to the link between gut health, inflammation, and cognitive function. 
Here’s what you need to know. 
Researchers analyzed data from 217 people who were 60 years or older. They checked three key things: 
Overall, they wanted to see if people with worse brain health also had poorer diets, more inflammation, and signs of a weaker, “leakier” gut barrier.
This was a cross-sectional study, so researchers collected all of this data at once. While findings can show connections between diet, gut health, and cognitive function, it doesn’t prove that one causes the other. 
Results showed that 1 in 3 folks in this study showed signs of cognitive impairment and that they had higher levels of inflammatory markers. 
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Their stool samples also showed more calprotectin (a marker of gut inflammation), and plasma samples had lower levels of ZO-1. This suggests a leakier gut.  
Interestingly, people with worse cognitive scores didn’t necessarily have poorer overall diets. While diet does play a role in inflammation, it’s only part of the picture. Medications, stress, poor sleep, gut microbiome imbalances, and other health conditions also increase inflammation and alter gut health.
Larger studies consistently show that eating a higher-quality diet1 helps lower inflammation over time. However, as this was a snapshot, it likely didn’t capture the full influence of diet on these markers.
The one dietary connection this study revealed was that people who had better cognitive scores ate more dairy.  
So what can you do? Even though this study didn’t find huge differences in overall diet scores, how you eat still matters. Here are the top ways to improve gut health and calm inflammation. 
Many times, inflammation stems from the gut and can have rippling effects throughout the body and on the brain. And what you eat is one of the most influential levers you can pull to calm inflammatory processes. 
Looking for a more structured plan to get started? An RD shares her top 4 tips for making every meal anti-inflammatory.  
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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(Blackwood, NJ) – The Camden County Department of Health and Human Services has partnered with Genesis Counseling Center to create a free, community-based support group that is open to all Camden County residents. Healing Together will offer residents a nonjudgemental, therapeutic space where they can foster hope, build resilience and find strength in a group setting.
 
“We understand that for many people, mental health services are often out of reach due to cost or other obstacles, and we recognized a great need for this type of service here in Camden County,” said Commissioner Virginia Betteridge, liaison to the Department of Health and Human Services. “We hope that this group will allow our residents to heal and address their issues, free of charge and with the help of their fellow community members.”
 
The group will provide a safe space for people to gain peer connection, emotional support, psychoeducation, coping strategies, encouragement and tools to build a happier, healthier life.
 
“Healing Together supports community wellness and prevention by creating a space where individuals can openly navigate challenges like substance use, grief, or emotional stress,” said Colleen Snow, director of the Office of Mental Health & Addiction. “By fostering connection and healthy coping, we’re helping people build resilience before crisis—and showing that no one has to face it alone.”
 
The group will address several areas of need including grief, loss or emotional distress, the impacts of substance abuse, conflict and relationship issues, anxiety, depression, PTSD or other mental health conditions, recovery and trauma, and social skills and self-esteem.
 
“This space is also open for those who just want to feel understood, who need to feel less alone,” Betteridge continued. “You don’t have to be struggling with a specific issue to join this group; it is open to anyone and everyone who is looking to heal and create a brighter future for themselves.”
 
The group will meet every Monday evening at 6 p.m. at the Genesis Counseling Center located at 566 Haddon Avenue, Collingswood NJ, 08108. Anyone interested can call (856) 858-9314 or the office of mental health and addiction at (856) 374-6368 for more information and questions.
 
“Everyone experiences life challenges, but not everyone has someone to talk to, or someone who will listen; join the group and become part of our village,” said Barry T. Bailey, executive director of Genesis Counseling Centers. “Come and empty out the negative feelings and thoughts and make room for positive change”. 
 
Copyright © 2025 Camden County. All rights reserved

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MISSOULA, Mont. — As congressional Republicans finalized Medicaid work requirements in President Donald Trump’s budget bill, one man who relies on that government-subsidized health coverage was trying to coax his old car to start after an eight-hour shift making sandwiches.
This story also ran on NPR. It can be republished for free.
This article is part of KFF’s Medicaid Watch, featuring policy research, polling, and news about the Medicaid financing debate and related issues.
James asked that only his middle name be used to tell his story so that he wouldn’t lose health coverage or be accused of Medicaid fraud. He found his food service gig a few weeks into an addiction treatment program. The man in his late 30s said his boss “hasn’t been disappointed.”
“I’m a good worker,” he said with a grin.
James can get the prescription drugs that help him stabilize his life and hold down that job through Medicaid, the state-federal insurance program that covers people with low incomes or disabilities. Those drugs curb his desire for alcohol and treat long-standing conditions that exacerbate his addiction, including bipolar and insomnia disorders.
But he hasn’t qualified for the program in months, ever since his work hours increased and he received a raise of about $1 an hour. He exceeds his income eligibility limit of about $21,000 per year by roughly $50 a week.
James said that despite his raise, he’s struggling to cover routine expenses, such as keeping his car running and paying his phone bill. He said he can’t afford the care he needs even on the cheapest insurance plan available to him through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace or through his job’s health insurance plan. Even paying $60 a month for his sleep medications — one of six prescriptions he takes daily — is too expensive.
“I only saw one option,” James said. “Fudge the numbers.”
James hasn’t reported his new income to the state. That puts him at odds with congressional Republicans who justified adding hurdles to Medicaid by claiming the system is rife with waste, fraud, and abuse. But James isn’t someone sitting on his couch playing video games, the type of person House Speaker Mike Johnson and other people said they would target as they sought work requirements.
Medicaid provides health coverage and long-term care to more than 70 million people in the United States. Those who study safety-net systems say it’s extremely rare for enrollees to commit fraud to tap into that coverage. In fact, research shows swaths of eligible people aren’t enrolled in Medicaid, likely because the system is so confusing. And nearly two-thirds of people on Medicaid in 2023 had jobs, according to an analysis by KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News.
Those transitioning off Medicaid may qualify for other subsidized or low-priced health plans through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace. But, as in James’ case, such plans can have gaps in what care is covered, and more comprehensive private plans may be too expensive. So James and an unknown number of other people find themselves caught between working too much to qualify for Medicaid but earning too little to pay for their own health care.
James considers himself to be a patriot and said that people shouldn’t “use government funding to just be lazy.” He agrees with the Republican argument that, if able, people should work if they receive Medicaid. Hiding his hours on the job from the government bothers him, especially since he feels he must lie to access the medical care that enables him to work.
“I don’t want to be a fraud. I don’t want to die,” James said. “Those shouldn’t be the only two options.”
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On July 4, Trump signed into law the major tax and spending bill that makes it harder for low-income workers to get Medicaid. That includes requiring beneficiaries to work or go to school and adding paperwork to prove every six months they meet a minimum number of hours on the job.
“It’s going to hurt people, whether they’re playing by the rules or not,” said Ben Sommers, a health economist at Harvard University. “We see this vilification of mostly very hard-working people who are really struggling and are benefiting from a program that helps them stay alive.”
James said he initially declined his raise because he worried about losing Medicaid. He had previously been kicked off the coverage about a month into his rehab program after finding work. To stay in the sober-living program he otherwise couldn’t afford, James said, he dropped just enough hours at work to requalify for Medicaid and then soon picked up hours again. If he didn’t earn more, he said, he had no chance of saving enough money to find housing after graduating from the treatment program.
“They’ll give you a bone if you stay in the mud,” James said. “But you have to stay there.”
That problem — becoming just successful enough to suddenly lose Medicaid — is common. It’s called a benefit cliff, said Pamela Herd, who researches government aid at the University of Michigan.
“It just doesn’t make any sense that someone gets a dollar pay raise and all of a sudden they lose all access to their health insurance,” Herd said.
She said a partial fix exists called continuous eligibility, which guarantees an individual’s Medicaid coverage for a specific period, such as a year or longer. The goal is to give people time to adjust when they do earn more money. Continuous eligibility also helps maintain coverage for low-income workers with unpredictable hours and whose pay changes month to month.
But Congress has moved in the other direction. Under the new law, policymakers limited windows of eligibility for able-bodied adults to every six months. That will put more people on the program’s eligibility cliff, Herd said, in which they must decide between losing access to coverage or dropping hours at work.
“It is going to be a nightmare,” Herd said.
Those federal changes will be especially difficult for people with chronic conditions, such as James in Montana.
Not that long ago, James wouldn’t have been breaking the rules to access Medicaid because his state had 12-month continuous eligibility. But in 2023, Montana began requiring enrollees to report any change in their income within 10 days.
James is proud of how far he’s come. About a year ago, his body was breaking down. He couldn’t hold a spoon to eat breakfast without whiskey — his hands shook too hard. He had alcohol-induced seizures. He said his memories from his unhealthiest times come in flashes: being put on a stretcher, the face of a worried landlord, ambulance lights in the background.
James recently graduated from his treatment program. He’s staying with a relative to save money as he and his girlfriend try to find an affordable place to rent — though even with Medicaid, finding housing feels like a stretch to him. He’s taking classes part-time to become a licensed addiction counselor. His dream is to help others survive addiction, and he also sees that career as a way out of poverty.
To James, all his progress rides on keeping Medicaid a bit longer.
“Every time I get a piece of mail, I am terrified that I’m gonna open it up and it’s gonna say I don’t have Medicaid anymore,” he said. “I’m constantly in fear that it’s gonna go away.”
As of mid-July, officials hadn’t noticed the extra $50 he makes each week.
Katheryn Houghton: khoughton@kff.org, @K_Hought
Oona Zenda: ozenda@kff.org
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By Katheryn Houghton Illustration by Oona Zenda July 23, 2025
MISSOULA, Mont. — As congressional Republicans finalized Medicaid work requirements in President Donald Trump’s budget bill, one man who relies on that government-subsidized health coverage was trying to coax his old car to start after an eight-hour shift making sandwiches.
James asked that only his middle name be used to tell his story so that he wouldn’t lose health coverage or be accused of Medicaid fraud. He found his food service gig a few weeks into an addiction treatment program. The man in his late 30s said his boss “hasn’t been disappointed.”
“I’m a good worker,” he said with a grin.
James can get the prescription drugs that help him stabilize his life and hold down that job through Medicaid, the state-federal insurance program that covers people with low incomes or disabilities. Those drugs curb his desire for alcohol and treat long-standing conditions that exacerbate his addiction, including bipolar and insomnia disorders.
But he hasn’t qualified for the program in months, ever since his work hours increased and he received a raise of about $1 an hour. He exceeds his income eligibility limit of about $21,000 per year by roughly $50 a week.
James said that despite his raise, he’s struggling to cover routine expenses, such as keeping his car running and paying his phone bill. He said he can’t afford the care he needs even on the cheapest insurance plan available to him through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace or through his job’s health insurance plan. Even paying $60 a month for his sleep medications — one of six prescriptions he takes daily — is too expensive.
“I only saw one option,” James said. “Fudge the numbers.”
James hasn’t reported his new income to the state. That puts him at odds with congressional Republicans who justified adding hurdles to Medicaid by claiming the system is rife with waste, fraud, and abuse. But James isn’t someone sitting on his couch playing video games, the type of person House Speaker Mike Johnson and other people said they would target as they sought work requirements.
Medicaid provides health coverage and long-term care to more than 70 million people in the United States. Those who study safety-net systems say it’s extremely rare for enrollees to commit fraud to tap into that coverage. In fact, research shows swaths of eligible people aren’t enrolled in Medicaid, likely because the system is so confusing. And nearly two-thirds of people on Medicaid in 2023 had jobs, according to an analysis by KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News.
Those transitioning off Medicaid may qualify for other subsidized or low-priced health plans through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace. But, as in James’ case, such plans can have gaps in what care is covered, and more comprehensive private plans may be too expensive. So James and an unknown number of other people find themselves caught between working too much to qualify for Medicaid but earning too little to pay for their own health care.
James considers himself to be a patriot and said that people shouldn’t “use government funding to just be lazy.” He agrees with the Republican argument that, if able, people should work if they receive Medicaid. Hiding his hours on the job from the government bothers him, especially since he feels he must lie to access the medical care that enables him to work.
“I don’t want to be a fraud. I don’t want to die,” James said. “Those shouldn’t be the only two options.”
On July 4, Trump signed into law the major tax and spending bill that makes it harder for low-income workers to get Medicaid. That includes requiring beneficiaries to work or go to school and adding paperwork to prove every six months they meet a minimum number of hours on the job.
“It’s going to hurt people, whether they’re playing by the rules or not,” said Ben Sommers, a health economist at Harvard University. “We see this vilification of mostly very hard-working people who are really struggling and are benefiting from a program that helps them stay alive.”
James said he initially declined his raise because he worried about losing Medicaid. He had previously been kicked off the coverage about a month into his rehab program after finding work. To stay in the sober-living program he otherwise couldn’t afford, James said, he dropped just enough hours at work to requalify for Medicaid and then soon picked up hours again. If he didn’t earn more, he said, he had no chance of saving enough money to find housing after graduating from the treatment program.
“They’ll give you a bone if you stay in the mud,” James said. “But you have to stay there.”
That problem — becoming just successful enough to suddenly lose Medicaid — is common. It’s called a benefit cliff, said Pamela Herd, who researches government aid at the University of Michigan.
“It just doesn’t make any sense that someone gets a dollar pay raise and all of a sudden they lose all access to their health insurance,” Herd said.
She said a partial fix exists called continuous eligibility, which guarantees an individual’s Medicaid coverage for a specific period, such as a year or longer. The goal is to give people time to adjust when they do earn more money. Continuous eligibility also helps maintain coverage for low-income workers with unpredictable hours and whose pay changes month to month.
But Congress has moved in the other direction. Under the new law, policymakers limited windows of eligibility for able-bodied adults to every six months. That will put more people on the program’s eligibility cliff, Herd said, in which they must decide between losing access to coverage or dropping hours at work.
“It is going to be a nightmare,” Herd said.
Those federal changes will be especially difficult for people with chronic conditions, such as James in Montana.
Not that long ago, James wouldn’t have been breaking the rules to access Medicaid because his state had 12-month continuous eligibility. But in 2023, Montana began requiring enrollees to report any change in their income within 10 days.
James is proud of how far he’s come. About a year ago, his body was breaking down. He couldn’t hold a spoon to eat breakfast without whiskey — his hands shook too hard. He had alcohol-induced seizures. He said his memories from his unhealthiest times come in flashes: being put on a stretcher, the face of a worried landlord, ambulance lights in the background.
James recently graduated from his treatment program. He’s staying with a relative to save money as he and his girlfriend try to find an affordable place to rent — though even with Medicaid, finding housing feels like a stretch to him. He’s taking classes part-time to become a licensed addiction counselor. His dream is to help others survive addiction, and he also sees that career as a way out of poverty.
To James, all his progress rides on keeping Medicaid a bit longer.
“Every time I get a piece of mail, I am terrified that I’m gonna open it up and it’s gonna say I don’t have Medicaid anymore,” he said. “I’m constantly in fear that it’s gonna go away.”
As of mid-July, officials hadn’t noticed the extra $50 he makes each week.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
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Luigi Mangione prosecutors violating his health privacy rights, defense says  ABC News
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There are many things about Medicare you may not know, such as that it was signed into law in 1965 or that it provides coverage for millions of people across the United States.
Medicare is a federally funded healthcare program for people from ages 65 years and those with certain disabilities and illnesses.
Medicare covers both inpatient and outpatient healthcare. It also covers hospice care, some home healthcare, preventive care, and durable medical equipment.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare into law in 1965 at the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri. He chose this location to draw attention to the time it had taken Congress to enact this health insurance for older adults after Harry Truman’s proposal more than 20 years earlier.
Before Medicare was signed into law, only a little over 50% of people 65 years and older had any type of hospital insurance. Few among the insured had coverage for surgical and outpatient physicians’ costs. There were also numerous instances when private insurance companies terminated health policies for older adults who were considered high risk.
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), 68.6 million people were enrolled in Medicare as of March 2025. Of those enrollees, 90.1% were over 65 years old.
The nonprofit KFF notes that in 2024, 32.8 million people enrolled in Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans, accounting for around 54% of the eligible Medicare population.
Even though Medicare does cover much of the healthcare expenses of beneficiaries, out-of-pocket costs are still involved.
Medicare Part A involves a deductible for each benefit period. In 2025, the deductible is $1,676. You are also responsible for daily copayments, depending on how long you are in the hospital.
Medicare Part B also has a deductible, which is annual and set at $257 in 2025. Everyone with Medicare is responsible for paying the Part B monthly premium, which starts at $185. Once you meet the deductible, Medicare covers 80% of the approved costs.
If you have Medicare Advantage, Part D, or Medigap, you may have to pay an additional premium and deductible depending on the plan.
Before 2025, people with a Part D plan would enter the coverage gap or “donut hole” when they reached a certain amount of out-of-pocket costs. In 2024, this amount was $5,030. When you reached the set amount, you would have to pay a higher percentage of your prescription drug costs, up to 100%. You paid this until you met the catastrophic coverage threshold.
In 2024, this threshold was $8,000. Once you reached catastrophic coverage, you paid nothing out of pocket for your prescription drugs for the rest of the year.
The donut hole was eliminated as of January 1, 2025, and replaced by an out-of-pocket spending cap. This cap is $2,000 in 2025 and set to rise to $2,100 in 2026.
Once you reach this set cap, you automatically enter catastrophic coverage and pay nothing for your prescription drugs for the rest of the year.
There are four parts to Medicare. Medicare parts A and B make up Original Medicare.
Medicare offers a yearly wellness visit for beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Part B for more than 12 months.
These yearly wellness visits are not physical exams. They are designed to develop or update a personalized plan based on your current risk factors to help prevent illness and disability.
Original Medicare (parts A and B) doesn’t cover everything, including:
If you have additional health coverage, it may help cover some of these. In addition, Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans often offer additional coverage, like vision, hearing, and dental, that Original Medicare doesn’t.
According to KFF, enrollment in Medicare Advantage has more than doubled since 2010. It is projected to grow from 54% of Medicare beneficiaries in 2024 to 60% by the end of the decade.
There are various reasons for this increase in Medicare Advantage enrollment, including:
In March 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law. The aim of the ACA was to make healthcare more affordable.
Medicare was one of the programs affected by the ACA. The ACA made various changes, including:
The ACA also made allowances and changes with the aim of sustaining the Medicare program in the future.
Certain Medicare monthly premiums are affected by your income. Part B and Part D premiums can increase depending on your annual income. This is known as the income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA).
IRMAA thresholds are subject to annual changes. In 2025, if you file taxes individually and your annual income is higher than $106,000, you may be subject to a higher Part B premium. If you file as a married couple, your income limit is $212,000.
Medicare is a federal program that provides health coverage to people 65 years and older and those with certain disabilities or illnesses.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare into law in 1965. It provides comprehensive coverage for beneficiaries, but it may not cover everything. Certain out-of-pocket costs may also be associated with Medicare coverage.
 
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Medicare has specialized terms that apply only to its plans. Learn what common Medicare terms mean and where to go for more information.
Medicare privatization may have various pros and cons, which may include cost, coverage, and access. Learn more here.
Before you sign up for Medicare, it's a good idea to understand how it works to avoid mistakes like missing enrollment deadlines, overlooking costs…
Medicare Part D plans typically have in-network pharmacies. Some of these may be preferred, which means they offer prescriptions at a lower cost to…
If you're living with a chronic condition, you may qualify for special benefits under some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans.
Medicare only covers services and treatment from Medicare certified providers. Learn more here.
There are certain times when you can request an exemption to a Medicare regulation. Learn more here.
A BNC replaced the use of Social Security numbers (SSNs) on various forms of communication. Learn more here.
You're eligible for Medicare if your current or former spouse had worked in the U.S. and paid taxes for 10 years. Whether or not you'll pay a premium…
Meal delivery services with organic ingredients make healthy meal planning a breeze. Here are our testers' favorites.
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