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Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA

@berosensteinmd.bsky.social
519 followers 189 following 102 posts

Geriatrician. Faculty University of MN. Cyclist, rower, power lifter. Medicine is inherently political.

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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
APHA @apha.org · 16/09/2026
A new report from the Campaign for the Public's Health, an APHA initiative, along with @protectourcare.org, examines the impact of cuts to federal food assistance: vist.ly/5iqfm
A dark blue graphic has white text that says, “You can't promote a diet as the cure for chronic disease while gutting programs that let people afford a healthy one.” The author of the quote is listed below, "Georges C. Benjamin, MD, CEO of the American Public Health Association." At the bottom of the graphic is the APHA logo.
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Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA @berosensteinmd.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Do I remove precautions? A simple yet horrifying question in Spring 2020. Was the person's shortness of breath heart failure? Bacterial Pneumonia? COVID19? We didn't have tests to tell us. 1/
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Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA @berosensteinmd.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
www.startribune.com/federal-bene...
startribune.com
Rural Minnesota economies under threat as feds cut safety net programs
Small, outstate communities tend to rely more on funding from programs like Medicaid that face deep cuts under the 2025 federal budget.
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Art Walaszek, MD @walaszek.art · 12/04/2026
Delirium after hip fracture surgery is associated with increased cognitive decline - especially in people without cognitive impairment at baseline. Could better prevention of delirium lead to better cognitive outcomes? www.ajgponline.org/article/S106... #medsky #dementia #delirium
Longitudinal modeling of cognitive outcome (CDR-SB) over time as a function of postoperative delirium (Blue- no delirium, Red- delirium) in the cognitively unimpaired cohort (top plots, solid lines) and in the cognitively impaired subgroup (bottom plots, dotted lines). Note that higher CDR-SB indicates worsening of dementia severity rating scale, as such Y axis is inverted to show decline. Model output denoted by fit line in the graph, while observed data points are computed by averaging the outcome (CDR-SB) over subjects that experienced postoperative delirium (red) and those that did not experience delirium (blue).
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Art Walaszek, MD @walaszek.art · 29/03/2026
What therapies work best to ⬇️behavioral & psychological symptoms of #dementia? - agitation (pacing, wandering, aggression, sexual disinhibition): simulated presence therapy (SPT) - mood disturbance (depression, apathy): multisensory stimulation (MST), SPT www.ajgponline.org/article/S106... #medsky
Network of interventions for (A) behavioral disturbance (B) mood disturbance (C) agitation (D) global cognitive function. Each node represents a different intervention. The size of each node is proportional to the total sample size for that intervention. The thickness of the connecting lines (edges) reflects the number of direct comparisons between interventions.
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
JAMA Health Forum @jamahealthforum.com · 28/03/2026
In a cohort of older adults, Medicaid home and community-based services initiation was associated with decreased emergency department use and inpatient discharges, indicating reduced reliance on acute care. ja.ma/4uWPLzd
Two graphs titled 'Any emergency department use' and 'Any inpatient discharge.' Both show coefficient versus months to HCBS initiation, ranging from -6 to 5. Trends show changes in healthcare utilization before and after HCBS initiation.
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
The preliminary injunction in the lawsuit against RFK Jr. “stays the heavily revised vaccine schedule issued…on January 5, overturns the…Secretarial Directive on COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, and reverses the…Hepatitis B vaccine recommendations”. What’s this unfamiliar feeling? HAPPINESS.
apha.org
Federal Judge Blocks Immunization Schedule Changes, Stays ACIP Member Appointments
Preliminary Injunction stays Secretary Kennedy's pediatric vaccine schedule. Secretary Kennedy's 13 appointments to the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) are stayed for likely havin...
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
"You can't properly assess for delirium when someone already has dementia." Wrong. New meta-analysis (Keane et al. 2026): 4AT shows 88% sensitivity, 79% specificity in dementia populations. 5 studies. 1,304 patients. International data. #delirium #dementia
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Dimitri Drekonja, MD, MS @dimitridrekonja.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Proud to join ~500 other MN docs in signing on to this @nejm.org piece. Proud of my colleagues. Proud of Ben Trappey for signing his name to it and taking the inevitable heat from some quarters. Stand up and be counted 💪🏼💪🏼
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Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA @berosensteinmd.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Solid advice from @glaucomflecken.bsky.social youtube.com/shorts/z4dy0...
youtube.com
What To Do If You Get Pepper Sprayed
YouTube video by Dr. Glaucomflecken
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Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA @berosensteinmd.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
I usually see 8-10 pts per clinic shift. In the last 2 wks I've seen fewer...total. They're cancelling, not scheduling, &not coming in. They're scared to leave home; risk being harassed, taken, or worse; leaving medical needs uncared for. That's not making us safe. That's making us inhumane.
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Laura @lgt525.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
I am gifting the link. www.wsj.com/opinion/tim-...
wsj.com
Opinion | Tim Walz: The Un-American Assault on Minnesota
Federal officials are lying. My state’s Corrections Department honors all immigration detainers.
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Yashar Ali 🐘 @yasharali.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
NEW Statement from the family of Alex Pretti:
Statement from the family of Alex Pretti: 

"We are heartbroken but also very angry.

Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the hero term lightly. However his last thought and act was to protect a woman.

The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed.

Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.”
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Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA @berosensteinmd.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
I've lived in MN since I was born. I've lived in the suburbs, I have lived in the cities. I've taken the train, driven, cycled all over. I've always felt safe, always felt my friends and family were living in safe places. I have never had concerns going to downtown Minneapolis or St. Paul.
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Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA @berosensteinmd.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
...something, something...taxation without representation...
media.tenor.com
a man wearing a crown and a robe says " don 't change the subject "
Alt: King from Hamilton live where he sings " don 't change the subject "
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Art Walaszek, MD @walaszek.art · 11/01/2026
People with intellectual & developmental disabilities are at higher risk of #dementia but face significant barriers to care. The authors propose a public health framework to address this intersection of #disability & brain health. academic.oup.com/gerontologis... #medsky
The Gerontologist, 2025, 65(S1), S60–S67
https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaf222
Advance access publication: 1 October 2025
Supplement: Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) and Building Our Largest Dementia
Infrastructure (BOLD): Dementia as a Public Health Imperative: Forum

Advancing inclusive brain health and dementia care for
people with intellectual and developmental disabilities: a
public health framework
Beth Marks, PhD, RN, Jasmina Sisirak, PhD, MPH, Matthew P. Janicki, PhD, Kathryn P. Service, RN, MS, FNP-BC, Karen Watchman, PhD
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Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA @berosensteinmd.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
After this week, it's hard to explain why this feels so different. We've heard and read about so many abuses from this govt. But we saw this. I'm reminded of these words from West Wing (and I know it's not a perfect comparison) youtu.be/0qoj7ICwU6w?...
youtu.be
The West Wing - We Saw A Lynching
YouTube video by Dex
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Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA @berosensteinmd.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Grammar aside - the intent and depravity of the statement shouldn't be lost Coverage by - ACA. Constantly attacked. Just became wildly more expensive - Medicaid and CHIP. Literally gutted by 'BBB' - VforC. Especially important in rural/underserved areas where we've seen closures d/t Medicaid cuts
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Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA @berosensteinmd.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Not just children! This change is also ableist and ageist. High # of admissions I had to the hospital and post-acute care because of Flu A and RSV just this week. ➡️Mostly older adults. Who often have more severe cases ➡️Many with dementia who cannot easily treat or manage on their own
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Children will die with RFK Jr.'s new vaccine recommendations. We're NOT doing the "experts disagree" game. The US vaccine schedule was painstakingly constructed through a deep & thorough process by experts with unquestionable expertise. This is policy by fiat. It is pre-meditated murder. 1/
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Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA @berosensteinmd.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
And, for an administration that was supposed to be about cutting everyday costs 🙄, beyond the direct health impacts of these perverse "recommendations," This is just ridiculously expensive. www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes...
cdc.gov
Health and Economic Benefits of Routine Childhood...
This report describes health and economic benefits from routine childhood vaccines among children born during 1994–2023.
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Prof Gavin Yamey MD MPH @gavinyamey.bsky.social · 29/12/2025
This OpEd, by the inspirational @drdemetre.bsky.social in today’s @washingtonpost.com, is one of the best pieces of science writing of 2025 I’ll be assigning it to my students next semester in my class on ‘policy writing—turning evidence into public health action’ Thx Ed, for the free access link👇
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Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA @berosensteinmd.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
Quite the long-game strategy to solve the geriatrician shortage 🫤🙄
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Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA @berosensteinmd.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Let me introduce you to prices in medicine: Financial toxicity: a common problem affecting patient care and health - PMC pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Financial toxicity: a common problem affecting patient care and health
Financial toxicity describes the negative effects of the economic burden of medical care on patients that potentially lead to poor well-being and quality of life. Co-ordinated efforts at the care provider, health system, insurance and government ...
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
I'm told that Roger Marshall is a medical doctor, like with a degree and everything, and yet every single time he opens his mouth to discuss health care it's like they pulled a random guy out of the beer line at a Royals game.
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Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA @berosensteinmd.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
My patients are very aware of prices. Often more so than me. Especially older adults on fixed incomes. Because of that awareness, true, in the short term, they may not spend as much f.e. Medicare dollars. 🚨By forgoing necessary care🚨
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Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA @berosensteinmd.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
LMFTFY: 👉 CDC panel Defies Experts with Hep B vaccine vote.
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Madhu Pai, MD, PhD @madhupai.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
Grateful for the clear messages coming from @ameracadpeds.bsky.social @idsainfo.bsky.social @apha.org
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Art Walaszek, MD @walaszek.art · 30/11/2025
1- Insomnia in older adults can be difficult to address. CBT-insomnia is the gold standard - and the safest intervention. Yet low-dose quetiapine is being used more to treat insomnia. How safe is it? The authors of this study sought to find out. #medsky link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Flowchart of study subjects: 193,510 age 65+ who started quetiapine, trazodone or mirtazapine -> 17,703 eligible included, including 375 on quetiapine -> after 1:4 propensity matching: 1500 on trazodone and 1500 on mirtazapine.
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Art Walaszek, MD @walaszek.art · 27/11/2025
Prescribing 1st-generation antihistamines (e.g., diphenhydramine, hydroxyzine, meclizine) to hospitalized older adults is associated w/ ⬆️risk of delirium, according to this study of 328k inpatient admissions in Canada. Just don't do it! #medsky agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Probability of delirium associated with the proportion of each physician's admissions that include a first-generation antihistamine prescription, using mixed effects logistic regression. The red line represents the effect estimate and the gray shading represents the 95% confidence interval.
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Art Walaszek, MD @walaszek.art · 27/11/2025
Good social policy has health benefits. In an analysis of the Health & Retirement Study, participating in SNAP is assoc w/ slower cognitive decline in adults 50+ yo. However, the protective effect was less in Black & Hispanic adults. #medsky agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Annual decline in global cognition, memory, and executive function in SNAP users and non-users by race/ethnicity.
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Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA @berosensteinmd.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
Pay more. Get less. www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/ne...
cbsnews.com
Blue Cross Blue Shield to end SilverSneakers coverage at YMCA, Life Time gyms
According to YMCA leadership, this impacts around 7,800 seniors who use the locations in the Twin Cities metro. Blue Cross Blue Shield said that YMCA locations in Greater Minnesota will not be impacte...
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Art Walaszek, MD @walaszek.art · 21/11/2025
Ageism is pervasive in media coverage of political figures. While raising concern about cognition may be reasonable, conflating age with cognitive or other impairments, is not.
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
The American Academy of Pediatrics @ameracadpeds.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
“Since 1998, independent researchers have conducted more than 40 high-quality studies involving over 5.6 million people. The conclusion is clear and unambiguous: There’s no link between vaccines and autism." -Dr. Susan Kressly, AAP President on recent changes to the CDC's website
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Art Walaszek, MD @walaszek.art · 27/10/2025
The New England Journal of Medicine (@nejm.org) and the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (@cidrap.bsky.social) will share regular public health alerts - information formerly provided by the CDC MMWR. #medsky www.statnews.com/2025/10/21/c...
statnews.com
NEJM and public health group are launching rival to CDC’s MMWR publication
Two institutions are coming together to create an alternative to the CDC’s vaunted Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Art Walaszek, MD @walaszek.art · 13/10/2025
What is the risk of stroke associated with risperidone use in persons living with dementia? New study (N=28k risperidone, 136k control) from UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink found ⬆️risk, esp. in those w/ previous stroke. Helpful for quantifying risk vs benefit of risperidone use. #medsky
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Art Walaszek, MD @walaszek.art · 20/09/2025
“Until we can again trust the recommendations made by our federal government, AAP will continue stepping up and working with our local, state and federal partners to make sure every child in every community continues to have access to immunizations.” #medsky www.aap.org/en/news-room...
AAP recommended child & adolescent immunization schedule
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Ken Covinsky @kencovinsky.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
What happens when older patient gets admitted to hospital from ER but hospital has no beds? Often they "board" on stretcher in ER Hallway Great article describes this terrible experience from patient perspective "Hallways Feel Like Homelessness" agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Hallways Feel Like Homelessness: The Geriatric Boarder Experience
Older adults who are admitted to the hospital but boarding in the Emergency Department (ED) can have varied experiences depending on whether they board in an ED room, a hallway, or in a room in a ded....
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Michael L. Barnett @mlbarnett.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
New paper w/ Brian McGarry, Ashvin Gandhi, and Drew Wilcock in @jamainternalmed.com! Hospitals are complaining across the US that patients are "stuck" waiting for rehab beds at nursing homes when they are medically stable and ready for discharge. What is going on?? jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Question Has hospital length of stay increased more for Medicare
Advantage beneficiaries than for traditional Medicare beneficiaries
since the COVID-19 pandemic?Findings In this cohort study involving more than 89 million
hospitalizations from 2017 to the third quarter of 2023, Medicare
Advantage beneficiaries experienced disproportionately greater
increases in extended hospital stays, especially among those
discharged to skilled nursing facilities.Meaning These findings suggest that the Medicare Advantage
plan design and practices may contribute to hospital discharge
delays, with implications for patient outcomes and hospital
capacity as enrollment continues to rise.
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Art Walaszek, MD @walaszek.art · 13/08/2025
The latest on healthcare professionals leaving the VA: Inspector general found: - 94% of VA facilities face severe shortage of doctors - 79% face shortage of nurses - 57% face shortage of psychologists 50% increase in shortages vs last year #medsky www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
theguardian.com
‘Severe’ staff shortages at US veterans’ hospitals, watchdog finds
Inspector general report comes as department has lost thousands of ‘core’ healthcare workers under Trump
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Dimitri Drekonja, MD, MS @dimitridrekonja.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
This study was published in Annals of Internal Medicine; kudos to the editor: “"I see no reason for retraction," Dr. Christine Laine, editor in chief of the Annals” More guts than all the broligarchs 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Cameron Gettel MD MHS @camerongettel.bsky.social · 05/08/2025
Just out in @agsjournal.bsky.social! We developed and piloted an AI + care coach intervention to support ED-to-home transitions for people with dementia or cognitive impairment + their caregivers. 🧠↑ caregiver self-efficacy 📉↓ caregiver burden Read more: doi.org/10.1111/jgs....
doi.org
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Art Walaszek, MD @walaszek.art · 02/08/2025
Front line medical staff are leaving the VA in large numbers, jeopardizing the healthcare of our veterans. #medsky www.militarytimes.com/veterans/202...
The VA has lost 751 doctors and 2129 nurses in the first 9 months of this fiscal year.
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Art Walaszek, MD @walaszek.art · 24/07/2025
Thanks to Wisconsin Public Radio's Larry Meiller Show for the opportunity to talk about aging well and addressing depression, anxiety, memory loss, and alcohol/cannabis use in older adults. #geronsky www.wpr.org/shows/larry-...
wpr.org
News from Wisconsin's West Coast, Tips for aging well
We visit with Reggie McLeod about the July/August issue of Big River Magazine, which features the latest news from the Driftless Area of Wisconsin. Then, Jill Renken of the Wisconsin Institute for Hea...
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
ACOG @acog.org · 21/07/2025
Today’s FDA panel on SSRIs in pregnancy lacked balance and failed to reflect the evidence. Untreated depression and anxiety can lead to serious health risks for pregnant patients—SSRIs can be lifesaving. Patients deserve access to evidence-based, compassionate care. Learn more: buff.ly/NcCZno8
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Edwin Park @edwincpark.bsky.social · 22/07/2025
Thread on today's Congressional Budget Office finally released cost estimates of the budget reconciliation law and its draconian #Medicaid cuts. But we are still waiting on detailed coverage estimates (1/x): www.cbo.gov/publication/...
cbo.gov
Estimated Budgetary Effects of Public Law 119-21, to Provide for Reconciliation Pursuant to Title II of H. Con. Res. 14, Relative to CBO’s January 2025 Baseline
Public Law 119-21 as enacted on July 4, 2025
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Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA @berosensteinmd.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
Medicaid suddenly not available to man who shoots himself in the foot.
From The Hill: Hawley seems to repeal Medicaid cuts he voted for. Author: Nathaniel Weixel
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Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA @berosensteinmd.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
Researchers' hold a 'science fair' for projects cut by the Trump administration www.npr.org/2025/07/09/n...
npr.org
Canceled grants get the spotlight at a Capitol Hill 'science fair'
On Tuesday, scientists held an event organized by House Democrats in which they stood in front of posters outlining their work — and the federal cuts that now threaten it.
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Reposted by Ben Rosenstein. MD, MA
Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
Steps to better bone health. #osteoporosis
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