Latest news with #Waypoint
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The real price of Medicaid cuts: New Hampshire's children
"Medicaid's impact starts before a child even takes their first breath. Last year, almost a quarter (22%) of births in New Hampshire were covered by Medicaid, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation report." (Getty Images) When a child walks through our doors at Waypoint, we don't just see a case file — we see a future. One that could be bright if that child has the necessary tools they need to grow up healthy, safe, and strong. One of the most powerful tools we have to make that future possible is Medicaid and its expansion through the Granite Advantage Program. Right now, that critical lifeline is at risk. At Waypoint, we work every day with families facing poverty, trauma, and mental health challenges. We see firsthand how access to Medicaid transforms lives — not just for children, but for entire families. It's no exaggeration to say that Medicaid is one of the most important investments we can make to ensure New Hampshire's children grow up healthy, stable, and ready to succeed. Medicaid's impact starts before a child even takes their first breath. Last year, almost a quarter (22%) of births in New Hampshire were covered by Medicaid, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation report. That coverage means access to prenatal care that reduces complications and improves birth outcomes leading to healthier babies and mothers. And the support doesn't end there. Today, roughly 1 in 4 children in New Hampshire is enrolled in Medicaid, making children the largest group Medicaid serves. It covers doctor visits, dental and vision care, immunizations, mental health services, and critical care for children with complex needs or a history of trauma. For children in foster care, Medicaid is a guarantee — offering stability to those who need it most. Yet the state budget bill now being considered by the New Hampshire Legislature proposes drastic changes to the Medicaid and other programs that are unnecessary, concerning and potentially damaging to the health of children and families. The House-approved budget includes a 3% rate cut to Medicaid providers along with reductions in funding for mental health, community health, and public health programs. It would even eliminate the Office of the Child Advocate, a critical partner to our staff who rely on that office for independent oversight in complex and high-risk cases involving child safety. Beyond the budget, a proposal to impose a work requirement for adults in the Granite Advantage Program would very likely cut off access to care for many current enrollees, because of the administrative burdens it will impose. And Medicaid cuts under consideration at the federal level could eliminate Granite Advantage entirely, forcing all 60,000 individuals on the program to lose their health insurance coverage. And when parents lose coverage, children suffer. Research consistently shows that children are more likely to be insured and receive regular checkups and timely care when their parents have access to health insurance. Medicaid is also a shield against financial disaster. By covering essential services and reducing out-of-pocket costs, Medicaid helps families stay afloat. Without it, an unexpected illness can become a life-altering crisis. Families risk losing their homes. Parents can lose their jobs. And children — caught in the storm — lose their safety, support, and stability. Medicaid and the Granite Advantage Program are also one of our most effective tools in addressing the growing mental health crisis. New Hampshire has some of the highest rates of childhood behavioral and mental health disorders in the country. Untreated mental health conditions in parents are linked to poor developmental outcomes for children. Medicaid helps break this cycle by ensuring access to mental health care for both parents and kids, supporting more resilient and healthier families. The evidence is clear: traditional Medicaid and the Granite Advantage Program are a game-changer for New Hampshire's children. We cannot afford to lose or limit the benefits Medicaid provides to our New Hampshire children and families. We should be strengthening the systems that help families weather life's storms, not reducing them when they are most needed. In New Hampshire, we pride ourselves on being a place where families come first. We say we value our children. But values mean nothing without action — especially when the well-being of our kids is on the line. So, we must ask ourselves: What kind of New Hampshire do we want to be? A place where every child has a chance to thrive? Or one that turns its back on its most vulnerable? Let's choose the healthier path forward. Let's invest in New Hampshire's children by supporting Medicaid and the Granite Advantage Program.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Yahoo
In solidarity with the teens it serves, Waypoint will hold a different kind of sleepout
ROCHESTER — With its largest fundraising coming up on March 21, Waypoint, which offers support services to homeless youth, faced a dilemma. In its Grants Pass v. Johnson ruling in July 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court gave cities and towns across the nation the power to criminally prosecute people who are sleeping outside on public property, even if the city or town does not offer a shelter. In the wake of that ruling the homeless youth served by Waypoint have reported being harassed. In order not to accept a privilege denied to their clients, Waypoint decided not to hold its large annual group sleepout to end youth homelessness, but instead to encourage individuals and small groups to find alternative ways to be outdoors and raise funds for the homeless youth. More: Sleeping on public property can be a crime if you're homeless, Supreme Court says Mandy Lancaster, director of Waypoint's Homeless Youth and Young Adult services, said the decision is intended to honor the homeless youth they serve, young people who she said are being harassed when they have to sleep outside. "With nearly 15,000 youth experiencing homelessness in New Hampshire each year, Waypoint's 11th annual SleepOut on March 21 aims to raise awareness and funds to address this critical issue," said Kristen Lestock, a Waypoint spokesperson. "This experiential fundraising event supports essential services, including the state's only low-barrier emergency youth shelter and youth drop-in centers in Manchester and Rochester." This year, advocates will sleep remotely outside at a location of their choice due to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling. "We were presented with an ethical dilemma," Lancaster said. "Our young people came to us and said they were hurt by our intention to do the event. They told us they are getting tickets (some of which we have paid through our legal fund), are being harassed daily. So even though we truly believe in this cause, this event, we know the young people we work with deal with dangerous situations. They try to be inside in the cold weather but when it gets warmer, they naturally tend to move outside. We hope we do not take a financial hit on money we use for programs to help them, but we are willing to risk it, to make a stand. "We held many meetings, agonized over this, but the young people we talked with really felt it was unfair that we would be allowed to hold the event, to sleep outside when they are being persecuted for it," she said. "We will respect that." Lancaster said they understand the implication of not doing the event. They are aware, and hope they are wrong, but they fear this move could have a negative impact on this, one of their biggest fundraisers. "But we feel strongly it is the right decision," she said. Instead, Waypoint will hold an event at a Bronstein Park in Manchester, and then people are encouraged to sleep outside at a location of their choosing, mostly on private property. People can make monetary donations to help by visiting Ways to Give and Support Our Programs | Waypoint. This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: In solidarity with the teens it serves, Waypoint changes fundraiser
The Independent
02-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Asthma drug showed positive results in trials for people with nasal polyps
An asthma drug has shown positive results when used to treat nasal polyps, researchers have said. Tezepelumab was first approved for treating asthma in 2021, but new research led by a University of Dundee professor has found it also reduces the size of nasal polyps and nasal blockages. The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, say significant results were reported by users in as little as two-to-four weeks, compared with those who were given a placebo. Other outcomes were reported, including improved smell and quality of life, and underlying sinus problems were also alleviated in some individuals. The global trial was co-led by Professor Brian Lipworth, of the University of Dundee's school of medicine, a practicing consultant physician working in the departments of respiratory medicine and ear, nose and throat clinics. Professor Lipworth, who is also head of the Scottish Centre for Respiratory Research, said: 'These results represent an important breakthrough in terms of therapy for patients suffering from severe chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps. 'I treat patients who are already using this drug for asthma – around a third of patients who have severe asthma also have nasal polyps. 'Many of them were reporting that their nasal polyp symptoms and related quality of life were greatly improved shortly after taking this drug in the clinic, where we also noticed their polyps had shrunk. 'However that was just real-life clinical experience, so it's fantastic to confirm that it can treat this condition too in the setting of a proper placebo-controlled trial.' The drug, which has been approved in the UK for its use against asthma, is produced by pharmaceutical giants AstraZenica and Amgen. The trial marks the first time the drug has been tested for treating nasal conditions. Nasal polyps are thought to affect around 5% of the total population in the UK, and around 20% of patients with asthma. A total of 408 participants with severe chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps, from ten different countries, were involved in the trial, named 'Waypoint', with 203 of those being given the active drug injections and the others being issued with a placebo. All participants received a monthly dose over 52 weeks and the nasal polyps were then inspected with a telescope and symptoms reported as well as sinus scans, nasal flow measurement and formal smell testing. John Ellerby, 70, of Tayport, Fife, has suffered from nasal polyps for nearly 40 years and has undergone three surgical procedures to remove growths from his sinuses. He describes his condition as being akin to a 'one-way valve' through which he can breathe in but not out. His symptoms include a constantly blocked nose, headaches, earaches, breathlessness to the point of needing an inhaler, coughing and mucus coming from his nose unnoticed. The condition also affects his sleep and his moods, leading to irritability. Despite not being initially told if he was given the active drug Tezepelumab or the placebo, Mr Ellerby says it became very clear to him when his sense of smell returned, around three months into the trial. He said: 'I was going around the house sniffing everything – coffee, perfume, the flowers in the garden. It was fantastic. 'I walked along the beach enjoying the smell of the sea, I started playing squash again, and I was out with the dog doing 14,000 steps a day. 'I was doing things I hadn't been able to do since my 30s, I felt like a new man.' Professor Lipworth says medicinal organisations such as the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) will ultimately advise the NHS on whether the drug should be rolled out on prescription. The NHS will then decide if the drug is cost-effective and fit for purpose. Hopeful the drug will be approved for treating nasal polyps, he said: 'All being well, if the price is right, Nice and SMC will decide on whether it's cost effective. 'Other drugs have gone through the same process but have been rejected on cost-effectiveness, so that's the problem, so we'll have to wait and see.'
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Asthma drug showed positive results in trials for people with nasal polyps
An asthma drug has shown positive results when used to treat nasal polyps, researchers have said. Tezepelumab was first approved for treating asthma in 2021, but new research led by a University of Dundee professor has found it also reduces the size of nasal polyps and nasal blockages. The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, say significant results were reported by users in as little as two-to-four weeks, compared with those who were given a placebo. Other outcomes were reported, including improved smell and quality of life, and underlying sinus problems were also alleviated in some individuals. The global trial was co-led by Professor Brian Lipworth, of the University of Dundee's school of medicine, a practicing consultant physician working in the departments of respiratory medicine and ear, nose and throat clinics. Professor Lipworth, who is also head of the Scottish Centre for Respiratory Research, said: 'These results represent an important breakthrough in terms of therapy for patients suffering from severe chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps. 'I treat patients who are already using this drug for asthma – around a third of patients who have severe asthma also have nasal polyps. 'Many of them were reporting that their nasal polyp symptoms and related quality of life were greatly improved shortly after taking this drug in the clinic, where we also noticed their polyps had shrunk. 'However that was just real-life clinical experience, so it's fantastic to confirm that it can treat this condition too in the setting of a proper placebo-controlled trial.' The drug, which has been approved in the UK for its use against asthma, is produced by pharmaceutical giants AstraZenica and Amgen. The trial marks the first time the drug has been tested for treating nasal conditions. Nasal polyps are thought to affect around 5% of the total population in the UK, and around 20% of patients with asthma. A total of 408 participants with severe chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps, from ten different countries, were involved in the trial, named 'Waypoint', with 203 of those being given the active drug injections and the others being issued with a placebo. All participants received a monthly dose over 52 weeks and the nasal polyps were then inspected with a telescope and symptoms reported as well as sinus scans, nasal flow measurement and formal smell testing. John Ellerby, 70, of Tayport, Fife, has suffered from nasal polyps for nearly 40 years and has undergone three surgical procedures to remove growths from his sinuses. He describes his condition as being akin to a 'one-way valve' through which he can breathe in but not out. His symptoms include a constantly blocked nose, headaches, earaches, breathlessness to the point of needing an inhaler, coughing and mucus coming from his nose unnoticed. The condition also affects his sleep and his moods, leading to irritability. Despite not being initially told if he was given the active drug Tezepelumab or the placebo, Mr Ellerby says it became very clear to him when his sense of smell returned, around three months into the trial. He said: 'I was going around the house sniffing everything – coffee, perfume, the flowers in the garden. It was fantastic. 'I walked along the beach enjoying the smell of the sea, I started playing squash again, and I was out with the dog doing 14,000 steps a day. 'I was doing things I hadn't been able to do since my 30s, I felt like a new man.' Professor Lipworth says medicinal organisations such as the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) will ultimately advise the NHS on whether the drug should be rolled out on prescription. The NHS will then decide if the drug is cost-effective and fit for purpose. Hopeful the drug will be approved for treating nasal polyps, he said: 'All being well, if the price is right, Nice and SMC will decide on whether it's cost effective. 'Other drugs have gone through the same process but have been rejected on cost-effectiveness, so that's the problem, so we'll have to wait and see.'
