Claudia WIlliams

Thinking we should try this with health policy… or maybe not

Thanks so much for letting me know - that means so much to me ❤️

Most of you know know that Covered California gives working families access to affordable health insurance

But did you know they use experiments and user research to shape every aspect of the program?

Checkout this interview with CC’s Dr. Monica Soni
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Meaning that UR reduced procedures but did not affect outcomes - achieving its purported goals?

National Public Health Week: Assistant Professor Sean Darling-Hammond Sean Darling-Hammond is an assistant professor of Health and Social Behavior and Community Health Sciences at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health.

Sean Darling-Hammond, Assistant Professor of #Health & #SocialBehavior at UC Berkeley Public Health, studies student #MentalHealth. He says, “We need #PublicHealth to isolate what matters—what’s making us sick, what can help us thrive.”
publichealth.berkeley.edu/news-media/s...

Former FDA head Rob Califf will be joining the Other 80 for an interview in a couple weeks

Many people don’t understand what FDA does or why it’s such an important foundation for the US’s global leadership in drug development

What questions should I ask him?

Here’s Andrew Lennox, a former marine who was fired from the VA, talking about his work

Health Interrupted: The Stories of Six Recently Fired Federal Workers Podcast Episode · The Other 80 · 04/09/2025 · 34m

In March I put out a call to talk with fired federal workers

I wanted to hear about the work they did and why it mattered, and share their stories with all of you on The Other 80

Here's the episode, featuring six powerful stories
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Worries grow over risks to Americans as Trump cuts health, safety agencies The chorus of experts issuing warnings include Republican lawmakers, former Trump officials and civil servants who worked under GOP and Democratic presidents.

Trump, Musk and DOGE have touted the short-term savings from their cuts.

What they don’t mention: the long-term consequences of shrinking food inspections, disaster response and other federal safety efforts.

Me + @hannahnatanson.bsky.social on Trump’s big shift of risk to everyday Americans.

For some disabled protestors, “Hands Off” went virtual "We know we have to teach everyone how to include us."

For Some Disabled Protestors, “Hands Off” Went Virtual

www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Two studies (based on natural experiments) show shingles vaccine reduces dementia

Thanks for sharing and synthesizing @erictopol.bsky.social

Now is the time to step up Medicaid advocacy

The Senate budget resolution included the House directive to cut $880 billion - which would come from Medicaid

But many Senate Rs say they won’t support a reconciliation bill that cuts Medicaid

Association between Wealth and Mortality in the United States and Europe | NEJM Amid growing wealth disparity, we have little information on how health among older Americans compares with that among older Europeans across the distribution of wealth. We performed a longitudinal...

💰 Health Wealth Gap Widest in US

A new study found wealth significantly predicts lower mortality in older adults, with wealthiest Americans having survival similar to Europe's poorest.

The wealth–health link is stronger in the US than Europe.

🔗 nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMsa2408259

#SciComm🧪

So my phone started blowing up last night because guess who's on the banned book list at the naval academy? Yours truly. Go support an author today and buy a book off of this this list... Doesn't even have to be mine. Gift link coming

Oh right, the obvious solution is massive cuts to Medicaid

YouTube video by The Other 80 💸 A $20 Billion Cut? California’s Healthcare Safety Net Can’t Take It

State budgets will be bust open by massive Medicaid cuts

There’s not an option to plug the gap, when the gap is $10-20 billion

Listen to brilliant Katie Heidorn laying it out

And the full episode here
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

youtube.com/shorts/ue8DY...

This is what government efficiency should look like

A useful service, built inside government, to meet a real citizen need

Thank you Amy Paris

Quoting MLK, Sierra Club’s @benjealous.bsky.social asks us all to move beyond comfort to make change

“If you are comfortable in your coalition, your coalition is too small”

#Bioneers

Here’s a must listen

Three of the smartest people I know discussing the shape and impact of potential Medicaid cuts
▶️ Kody Kinsley
▶️ @larrylevitt.bsky.social
▶️ Katie Heidorn

🔉 Listen here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

On a recent episode of The Other 80 Alexandra Drane shared a shocking stat

52% of sandwich generation caregivers have thought about suicide in the last 30 days

Listen to whole episode here
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

If Medicaid is cut, that number will only increase

Here’s willow (with us in spirit now)

A friend drove two hours today for her breast cancer chemotherapy only to learn it was canceled due to NIH cuts. Clinical trial ended midstream. No treatment, no restart, no plan, no information. Her bro-in-law's chemo was also canceled.

This is horrible to post, but I may as well post it. We are essentially shutting down research operations in my group, which is focused on treatments for pediatric brain cancer. I’m a well funded investigator, and there’s no choice. Science can’t function without the stability of NIH

The Other 80

👀 Who's funding paid sabbaticals?
🚀 What does the social sector gets wrong about power building?
🌟 Ready for a great TED Talk on social connection and happiness?

Sign up for The Other 80 Newsletter today and you'll get answers in your inbox tomorrow
www.theother80.com

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Civic Match Live - Legal Roles. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. Civic Match by Work for America and Justice Connection are excited to partner to present a special one hour Civic Match Live highlighting legal roles in state and local governments. The event will run...

Happening today at 5pm ET virtual job fair where states and counties share open legal roles

zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Feds’ loss is states’ gain

Following - here’s the starter pack

go.bsky.app/FLUwv5d

Want more tools to protect our democracy?

Our good friend & Quaker activist @eileenflanagan.bsky.social is offering civil resistance training this Sunday and Monday in SF

Sign up link in image

USDA cancels $11 million in federal funding for North Carolina food banks The USDA has notified the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that it would terminate the agreement for the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, which is one of the progr...

If you live in NC, call every Republican politician you know. Call every farmer you know and ask them to do the same

When money walks , voters talk. Make sure they know this effects everyone in their town and state

www.wunc.org/news/2025-03...

Keeping our history

Sharing our voice

Protecting our consumers

Helping the world

These are the core functions of democracy we are destroying with the shuttering (or attempted shuttering) of IMLS, VOA, CFPB, USAID

Taking a walk with the kids?

You’re twice as likely to die today than you would have been in 2013

➡️ Listen to “car sick” to learn more about 🚘 and health from @davidzipper.bsky.social

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...