AUGUST 2022 eNews
HeartTalks Highlights Vaccines for Women with Heart Disease
WomenHeart hosted a HeartTalks on “Preventing Illness: Understanding and Accessing Vaccines for Women with Heart Disease” ([link removed] on August 23rd. During the webinar, SAC member Dr. Martha Gulati highlighted why women with heart disease are at higher risk for certain diseases and what vaccines they should be taking to stay healthy – beyond the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters. Policy expert Abby Bownas of the Adult Vaccine Access Coalition discussed the importance of equity and ensuring immunizations reach all communities, as well as the role of policy in ensuring vaccines are accessible and affordable. And WomenHeart Champion Bev Thompson shared how she works to spread the word to ensure the women in her community are protected from vaccine-preventable illnesses.
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The Link Between Mental Health and Heart Disease
A new blog from WomenHeart ([link removed] explores the direct link between heart disease and mental health, including issues of stress and depression. The link goes both ways — emotional disturbances such as depression or high levels of stress can cause heart disease. And being diagnosed with a heart condition can affect a patient’s mental health. The article provides resources on the topic and offers tips on what you can do to prevent stress from affecting your heart and to recognize and improve mental health conditions after a heart event.
New Law Advances WomenHeart’s Policy Priorities
The Inflation Reduction Act, a large legislative package recently signed into law, contained several policies that WomenHeart has supported and advocated for in recent years, in coalition with partner organizations. These include:
Extending the enhanced advanced premium tax credits (APTCs) to help people purchase health insurance on the exchanges.Establishing an out-of-pocket cap of $2,000 for those purchasing medications under Medicare Part D, including a smoothing mechanism so people don’t have to pay the full capped amount at once.Expanding access to free vaccines for adults who receive coverage through Medicare or Medicaid.
The bill did not include some key priorities that had been previously considered, including paid family and medical leave, closing the Medicaid coverage cap in states that didn’t expand Medicaid, and maternal health provisions from the Momnibus legislation. WomenHeart will continue to advocate for those policies.
Learn with Us on Social Media This Fall
September and October are busy months with several campaigns that aim to educate and raise awareness among women about health and heart disease. First up is National Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Awareness Month; Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off on September 15th; and October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month. Be sure to follow WomenHeart on social media – Facebook ([link removed] Twitter ([link removed] Instagram ([link removed] and LinkedIn ([link removed] – to see resources and messages about these campaigns and more! Donate NowVisit Our Website
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