Healthcare and Environment – May 2026

Jean Marsch, Committee Chair

The next meeting of the Healthcare and Environment Committee is Wednesday, May 13, at 10:30 am. It will be held at the home of Sue Whittemore and on Zoom. All are welcome. Contact Jean Marsch at jean.marsch@gmail.com for the location or the Zoom link.

These articles review factors that contribute to the high cost of healthcare.

In this Journal from the American Medical Association, Larry Levitt from KFF examines the criticism that health insurance companies are facing from political leaders and explores the industry’s role in both causing and addressing some of the health system’s biggest problems, including rising costs and prior authorization review. Read the article here.

For many years, Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF ) polling has found that the high cost of health care is a burden on U.S. families and that health care costs factor into decisions about insurance coverage and care seeking. These costs also rank as the top financial worry for adults and their families. Read about the issue here.