Reuters (7/16, Niasse ) reports, “More than half of large U.S. employers plan to scale back health care benefits next year as rising costs from weight-loss and specialty drugs squeeze budgets, according to a new survey [PDF] released by consulting firm Mercer on Wednesday.” The survey found that “among employers with 500 or more workers, 51% said they planned to increase cost-sharing in 2026, including raising deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket costs for workers.” That percentage “is up from 45% of large employers who said they would increase cost-sharing for 2025.”

Related Links:

— “Many US employers plan to pare health benefits as weight-loss spending soars,” Amina Niasse, Reuters, July 16, 2025

The American Journal of Managed Care (7/16, Grossi) reports, “Becoming food insecure can trigger symptoms of anxiety and depression within just one month, and regaining food security can reverse those symptoms just as quickly, according to new research that offers compelling evidence of a direct, causal link between food access and mental health.” The research “tracked nearly 500 adults, showing food insecurity as a significant predictor of mental health issues.” The findings were published in PLOS Mental Health.

Related Links:

— “Causal Link Found Between Food Insecurity and Mental Health Symptoms in New Data,”Giuliana Grossi, American Journal of Managed Care , July 16, 2025

The Hill (7/16, Migdon ) reports, “States and mental health organizations are bracing for the closure of a specialized service within 988, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, for LGBTQ youth on Thursday under orders from the Trump administration amid its broader spending cuts and the dismantling of programs dedicated to diversity and inclusion.” The Trevor Project “launched an ‘emergency lifeline campaign’ following the announcement from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration last month that 988 would ‘no longer silo’ LGBTQ youth services beginning July 17.” Money “raised through the campaign will help the Trevor Project continue ‘to protect and support LGBTQ+ young people in the face of significant funding losses,’ according to the group’s website.”

Related Links:

— “LGBTQ advocates brace for Thursday closure of 988 lifeline service,” Brooke Migdon, The Hill, July 16, 2025

MedPage Today (7/14, Phend ) reports, “Vaping improved smoking cessation rates better than nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) among socioeconomically disadvantaged adults, a randomized trial from Australia showed.” Investigators found that “breath test-verified continuous smoking abstinence after 6 months nearly tripled with use of vaporized nicotine products compared with NRT during a quit attempt, with rates of 28.4% compared with 9.6%, a significant difference that Bayesian analysis suggested was 99% certain for superiority.” Additionally, “vaping was…better across subanalyses by age, sex, nicotine dependence, and mental illness and resulted in fewer patient-reported adverse events.” The findings were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Medical Economics (7/15, Shryock ) reports, “Low-income patients are more likely to have their health insurance claims denied and less likely to successfully challenge those denials than higher-income individuals, according to a study.” Investigators “found that patients from households earning less than $50,000 a year — as well as the health care providers who serve them — are significantly less likely to contest denied claims than those with higher incomes.” Moreover, “when they do challenge these denials, they are less successful in reversing them.” The findings were published in Health Affairs.

Related Links:

— “Low-income patients face uphill battle when fighting health insurance denials, Umass research finds,”Todd Shryock, Medical Economics, July 15, 2025