January 17, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Dr. King famously said, “All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance.” His words remind us that the fight for workers’ rights is inseparable from the fight for justice and equality. As LIUNA members, we stand on the shoulders of those who have fought for fair wages, safe working conditions, and the dignity of all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, or background.

At this year’s conference, we reflected on Dr. King’s enduring impact, celebrated our shared victories, and prepared to continue his work by empowering members to advocate for justice in our communities and workplaces. Together, we are carrying forward his vision of a fairer, more equitable world—one built by the power of solidarity.

Check out this video on Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Health Care and Insurance News Bulletin

In this bulletin, we’ve compiled the most relevant health care related news for LIUNA and its affiliates. Read below for the latest articles on health care, insurance and other pertinent coverage. 

The Guardian: Alcohol Use Is The Third Leading Preventable Cause Of Cancer In The US
Released on [January 3^rd], the advisory revealed that alcohol use contributes to nearly 100,000 cancer cases and about 20,000 cancer deaths each year. It also found that alcohol-related cancer deaths shorten the lives of those who die by an average of 15 years.
 
Axios: Use Of Diabetes And Anti-Obesity Drugs Surges Nationwide
The number of prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs jumped roughly 10% in 2024, according to insurance claims data provided to Axios by health analytics company PurpleLab. The data, which shows double-digit growth in 23 states, offers a snapshot of the sustained growth in demand across the U.S. for the drugs hailed as game-changers in the fight against obesity.
 
STAT: Investors push UnitedHealth to disclose costs of care denials
Seven UnitedHealth Group shareholders are calling on the health care conglomerate to produce a report on how often its policies lead to denied or delayed care, and the effects on patients and the economy.
 
KFF Health News: Health Care AI, Intended To Save Money, Turns Out To Require a Lot of Expensive Humans
Preparing cancer patients for difficult decisions is an oncologist’s job. They don’t always remember to do it, however. At the University of Pennsylvania Health System, doctors are nudged to talk about a patient’s treatment and end-of-life preferences by an artificially intelligent algorithm that predicts the chances of death.

KFF Health News: Biden Administration Bars Medical Debt From Credit Scores
The federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday issued new regulations barring medical debts from American credit reports, enacting a major new consumer protection just days before President Joe Biden is set to leave office.
 
The Washington Post: 1 Million U.S. Adults Will Develop Dementia Each Year by 2060, Study Says
New cases of dementia will double by 2060, when 1 million U.S. adults are projected to develop the memory-robbing condition each year, according to a sobering new study published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine.
 
NPR: The FDA Calls For at-a-glance Nutrition Labels on the Front of Packaged Foods
The Food and Drug Administration wants to change how packaged food is sold in the U.S. In the waning days of the Biden administration, the agency has proposed requiring a new label on the front of most packaged food and drinks aimed at helping Americans make healthier food choices.
 
CIDRAP: 1 in 20 COVID survivors may have condition characterized by extreme fatigue
New results from the National Institutes of Health's Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER)- Adult Initiative suggest that 4.5% of COVID-19 survivors have myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), compared with less than 1% of their uninfected counterparts.

New York Times: Childhood Vaccination Rates Were Falling Even Before the Rise of R.F.K. Jr.
Nationwide, the rate of kindergartners with complete records for the measles vaccine declined from around 95 percent before the pandemic to under 93 percent last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Immunization rates against polio, whooping cough and chickenpox fell similarly.
 
STAT: FDA bans red dye No. 3 in foods, decades after additive found to cause cancer in rats
The Food and Drug Administration banned the use of red dye No. 3 in food and ingested drugs on Wednesday, more than 30 years after the additive was found to cause cancer in rats.

STATES IN THE NEWS

The Hill: Palisades Fire firefighters taking part in first-of-its-kind cancer study
The Wildfire Conservancy is conducting a first-of-a-kind cancer study on firefighters battling the Palisades Fire. The goal is to track how the extreme conditions increase firefighters’ risk of cancer.
 
AP: New York Employers Must Now Offer Paid Medical Leave During Pregnancy
Pregnant New Yorkers will be entitled to at least 20 hours of paid leave to attend prenatal medical appointments under a law that took effect (January 1st). Gov. Kathy Hochul said the policy makes New York the first state in the country to offer paid leave for prenatal care.
 
North Carolina Health News: Addiction treatment programs partner to reduce maternal deaths
Overdose is a significant cause of maternal death in North Carolina, according to the state’s latest maternal mortality review.  Among the 76 pregnancy-related deaths that occurred in North Carolina in 2018 and 2019, a little over one quarter — 20 deaths — were from overdoses. Nearly all of the deaths were related to opioids, with fentanyl involved in 14.