Nirmita Panchal

Our New @kff.org analysis finds that 4.4 million Marketplace enrollees have a mental health diagnosis. Proposed changes to the Marketplace could leave many enrollees without insurance, making it more difficult to access mental health services. Read more from our analysis here: on.kff.org/4kiz6Qb

Youth often use cellphones to access social media and social media use is associated with anxiety, depression, and sleep, attention, and learning difficulties. Regulating phone use in schools may help mitigate these effects.

www.kff.org/mental-healt...

Eight states have passed statewide policies that ban or restrict cell phone use in schools, 9 state education departments have introduced pilot programs or policy recommendations, and 12 states have introduced phone ban legislation.
www.kff.org/mental-healt...

NEW: The @usedgov.bsky.social just called on all states and districts to create policies regarding student cell phone use in schools, releasing guidance on designing effective phone use management policies.

Policies to limit youth social media and cellphone use are becoming more common. Why? Growing evidence suggests cellphones and social media use are associated with poor mental health, cyberbullying, and can distract from in-person socialization and learning. More info: www.kff.org/mental-healt...

Medicaid Coverage of and Spending on GLP-1s | KFF This brief examines the implications of rising prescriptions for costly GLP-1 drugs for state Medicaid programs as more states consider covering the drugs for weight loss. It examines recent trends in...

#CMS released a proposed rule to include coverage of anti-obesity medications for the treatment of obesity in Medicare and Medicaid. States have the option to provide this coverage now in Medicaid. See our latest analysis of #Medicaid coverage of obesity drugs: www.kff.org/medicaid/iss...

Teens, Drugs, and Overdose: Contrasting Pre-Pandemic and Current Trends | KFF This brief analyzes the latest CDC data on adolescent overdose deaths, finding that from 2022 to 2023, there was a small reduction in overdose fatalities among adolescents (from 721 to 708 deaths). Ad...

However, there may be some promising news. Although fentanyl deaths have spiked in recent years, the increase slowed by 2023. For more information, visit our analysis here: www.kff.org/mental-healt...

Fentanyl drove many drug overdose deaths in recent years, including among adolescents. In fact, the share of overdose deaths involving fentanyl increased faster among adolescents than adults.

Hi! I work at KFF, a nonpartisan organization that has the answers to your health policy questions.

I focus on mental health and substance use disorder policy. Check out our work here (www.kff.org/mental-health/) and follow along for new policy developments.