Health

(WASHINGTON) — Just as SNAP benefits were reinstated for millions of Americans following the reopening of the federal government, many are now set to permanently lose them.

Nearly 42 million Americans, including low-income families and vulnerable households, rely on SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, to help pay for groceries or other household essentials.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been directing states to implement new guidance as part of President Donald Trump’s megabill signed into law in July, which will include new work requirements, decreased eligibility for refugees and states shouldering some of the cost of the program.

Estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) published in August suggest that, as a result of the changes, more than 3 million Americans could lose assistance within the next few years.

“I think millions of people are going to lose food. … There’s no question this is going to create more harm and suffering and hunger,” Joel Berg, CEO of the nonprofit hunger relief organization Hunger Free America, told ABC News.

New work requirements

Under the megabill, the upper age limit for those who need to meet work requirements was raised from age 54 to 64 for the first time for able-bodied adults without dependents

Additionally, exemptions were changed for parents or other family members with responsibility for a dependent under 18 years old to under 14 years old.

According to CBO estimates, about 1.1 million people will lose SNAP benefits between 2025 and 2034, including 800,000 able-bodied adults through age 64 who don’t live with dependents and 300,000 parents or caregivers up to age 64 with children aged 14 and older.

Exemptions were also removed for homeless individuals, veterans and young adults who were in foster care when they turned age 18. Meanwhile, exemptions were added for American Indians.

CBO estimates the removal of these exemptions will lead to a loss of benefits for 300,000 people among those groups.

Berg said these requirements will be harmful because people may have to leave work to visit a government office providing proof of work and potentially losing wages.

“It’s really work reporting requirements, and we know none of these requirements actually increase work,” Berg said. “It’s adding them for veterans, as if they haven’t given enough to the country. It’s adding work requirements for parents of teenagers. It’s adding work reporting requirements for homeless people. How homeless people are going to be able to get and keep jobs is really beyond me.”

Berg added that it’s important to dispel the myth that all Americans who are on SNAP don’t have jobs or participate in work programs.

Data from the 2023 American Community Survey shows the majority of American families receiving SNAP benefits had at least one family member working in the past 12 months.

However, work requirements can reduce program participation. A 2021 report from the National Bureau of Economic Research found SNAP work requirements could lead to up to 53% of eligible adults exiting the program within 18 months.

Asylum seeker restrictions

Under the megabill, refugees, asylum seekers and those granted legal protection for humanitarian reasons are no longer eligible for SNAP benefits, removing decades of federal precedent.

This includes trafficking victims who were previously certified by the Department of Health and Human Services and Iraqi or Afghan special immigrant visa holders who worked with U.S. forces or agencies.

Under CBO estimates, about 90,000 people in these categories will become ineligible for SNAP benefits.

The only non-citizens who can still receive benefits include lawful permanent residents, although they must wait five years after receiving their green card, with certain exceptions.

Additionally, Cuban or Haitian entrants under humanitarian parole, as well as people in the U.S. under the Compact of Free Association — a series of international agreements between the U.S. and three Pacific Island nations — are also eligible.

“This policy is both mean-spirited and counterproductive,” Naomi Steinberg, HIAS Vice President of U.S. Policy and Advocacy, said in a statement. “Resettled refugees and asylees have been granted legal protection to permanently live and work in the United States. Denying families who are just getting their feet on the ground in their new American communities is unspeakably misguided, especially when denying basic nutritional assistance undermines their ability to achieve self-sufficiency and stability as quickly as possible.”

States sharing costs

States will have to share in the cost of SNAP benefits under the megabill, a change from the federal government shouldering the cost of the program.

Under the megabill, states with SNAP payment error rates above 6% have to pay a share of 5% — starting in 2028 — up to a maximum of 15 % of SNAP benefit costs.

CBO estimates some states will keep their current benefits and eligibility, while others will modify and some will leave the program altogether. This will reduce or eliminate SNAP benefits for about 300,000 people between 2028 and 2034.

A Commonwealth Fund analysis found that about $128 billion in federal costs will shift to the states, and many will not have the funds to meet the required matches. This could force states to opt out of SNAP for their residents.

“They’re increasing administrative costs on states, which many states are going to use to reduce access,” Berg said. “That’s going to cause states to either raise taxes, cut something else, or cut food.”

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(NEW YORK) — A New Jersey man is believed to be the first documented death from alpha-gal syndrome, a meat allergy triggered by tick bites.

The man, a 47-year-old airline pilot, was otherwise healthy, according to a case study from researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey.

In summer 2024, he went camping with his wife and children. A few hours after eating beef steak for dinner, the man awoke with abdominal discomfort, which later led to diarrhea and vomiting.

His condition eventually improved and, although he spoke with his wife about consulting a doctor, they ultimately decided against it.

Two weeks later, in September, the man and his wife attended a barbecue in New Jersey during which he ate a hamburger.

Four hours later, the man was found unconscious on the floor of his bathroom. Paramedics attempted to resuscitate the man and transferred him to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. 

The cause of death was initially ruled as “sudden unexplained death” after inconclusive results. The man’s wife provided the autopsy report to a doctor, who forwarded it to an allergy specialist.

The specialist used blood samples to identify that the man had an extreme reaction to alpha-gal, in line with fatal anaphylaxis, or allergic reaction, according to the case study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in Practice.

When asked if he had been bitten by ticks, his wife said he had in the past and that, earlier in the summer, he has at least 12 or 13 “chigger” bites around his ankles. Researchers said that in the eastern U.S., what are sometimes referred to as “chiggers” are often larvae of lone star ticks.

Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is a serious, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that arises after people eat red meat or consume products with alpha-gal, a type of sugar found in most mammals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The syndrome is typically caused tick bites, most often from lone star ticks, which transfer alpha-gal into a patient’s body and, in turn, triggers an immune system response.

Although tracking is limited, it is estimated that more than 110,000 cases of AGS were identified between 2010 and 2022, the CDC said.

The actual number of cases is not known, but up to 450,000 people may be affected, according to the agency. In 2023, two studies from the CDC referred to AGS as an “emerging public health concern.”

AGS symptoms can include hives or itchy rash, nausea or vomiting, heartburn or indigestion, diarrhea, shortness of breath and severe stomach pain. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and typically occur two to six hours after consuming products with alpha-gal.

The CDC says the best way to protect against AGS is to prevent tick bites. This includes knowing where to expect ticks, such as in wooded areas; treating clothes and gear with products containing the insecticide permethrin; and walking outside in the center of a trail as opposed to a brushy area.

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(NEW YORK) — Food banks and pantries have been experiencing historic demand since SNAP benefits halted on Nov. 1 for many Americans due to the federal government shutdown.

That halt affected nearly 42 million Americans, many of whom are older or low-income, and use benefits to help pay for groceries and other essentials.

President Donald Trump late Wednesday night signed a funding bill to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt earlier said that full SNAP benefits will be paid out once the shutdown was resolved.

However, food assistance workers said the restoration of food assistance can’t come soon enough as they struggle to fill in the gap left behind by SNAP.

Cyndi Kirkhart, executive director at Facing Hunger Food Bank, said she’s been working at the food bank for 11 years and has never seen the surge in people she is seeing now, and that it is higher than what she saw during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Facing Hunger Food Bank — which serves 17 counties in West Virginia, Ohio and eastern Kentucky — said some locations in the southern part of West Virginia have seen a 1,800% increase in the number of families visiting.

“Typically, we do mobile pantry distribution, which are cars [lining] up [and] we load their car up with food,” she told ABC News. “At the most, we’ll see 250 families. The past week, solidly, we have seen 900 families at each distribution, at each site.”

Kirkhart said their mobile pantries have seen such demand that instead of sending large box trucks to load up supplies at the food bank, she has had to send tractor-trailers. She added that she only has two tractor-trailers, which puts a lot of pressure on drivers to load up and visit multiple distribution sites.

Kirkhart said her organization encourages individuals to go to the food pantries for food rather than the bank, but they will still serve people who visit the bank.

“We’ll still have maybe, over the course of a month, 50 people that will show up directly at the food bank for an emergency food box,” she said. “And these past two weeks at least, we have had 60 a day. … It’s non-stop.”

In Washington state, food banks are also seeing an exponential increase in visitors. Jordan Beaudry, development and communications manager at North Help Line — which provides emergency services including food aid — said there has been a surge at the two food banks the organization serves that has been years in the making.

Starting in 2022, “we saw our numbers practically double overnight, and it’s just been a steady increase since then,” he told ABC News. “We’re serving twice as many folks as we did three years ago, and that is sort of setting the stage going into this latest round of SNAP  cuts and the government shutdown. … We’ve seen just a massive increase in the amount of folks accessing services, particularly since the pause on SNAP benefits.”

The most recent demand began in October, when it was first announced that SNAP benefits may be halted in November, Beaudry said.

From July through September, the banks saw an average of 1,086 visitors per week for the first two weeks of the month, according to data provided by Beaudry. In October, the average for the first two weeks was 1,136 per week. Last week, the banks saw 1,329 visits.

At one of the food banks, Beaudry said the last Thursday in October was the highest number of people the organization has ever seen on a Thursday, with about a 14% increase in households visiting to receive food.

Similarly, Kristen Wild, president and CEO of hunger relief organization Operation Food Search, which serves 25 counties in Missouri and Illinois, said the pantries, shelters and community sites where the organization’s supplies are distributed are seeing increases in people visiting between 30% and 50%.

She described a distribution event last week during which Operation Food Search had prepared 700 meals to issue starting at 10 a.m. CT. An hour before the event, the line of cars was 500 long and more than 200 families had to be turned away.

“We’ve had agencies report to us that they have had to shut down earlier than their typical operating hours because they have run out of food,” she told ABC News. “We’re seeing agencies are being approached by people looking for food who’ve never needed to use a pantry in the past because the SNAP benefits were sufficient enough for them to get the food resources that they needed.”

The organization also runs a metro market program, which is like a mobile grocery store, that has seen a surge in customers.

The program charges for food at or below cost but has recently started issuing $15 vouchers to customers due to the increase in demand, Wild said. Workers have also had to replenish shelves multiple times throughout a two-hour metro market stop due to the increase in traffic.

Wild added that 90% of food assistance comes from federal programs like SNAP and about 10% comes from food banks and food pantries. The halt in SNAP benefits has forced food banks to go into “overdrive” to make up as much of the gap as possible.

“We’ve had terrific community support, both in terms of more food donations, more financial donations, so we can purchase more food, but we can’t make up for the full SNAP gap,” she said.

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(NEW YORK) — The Food and Drug Administration said Monday it will remove the “black box” warning from hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products for menopause.

The change comes after two studies in the early 2000s claimed that there were major risks associated with HRT, including breast cancer. This led to the FDA placing its highest warning label on the drugs, prompting a significant decline in usage.

The public health agency estimates millions of women have avoided HRT out of fear of cancer or heart risks, based on an outdated analysis of data.

“This is, in my opinion, one of the greatest mistakes in modern medicine — the demonization of hormone replacement therapy,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said on Monday.

An expert panel formed at the FDA in recent months reviewed the latest scientific studies and recommended the removal of the warning, Makary explained.

“Hormone replacement therapy may improve the health outcomes of women at a population level more than any other intervention, arguably, with the exception of, say, antibiotics or vaccines,” Makary said.

The timing of when women initiate HRT “is an important nuance that has been lost” and “one of the design flaws” of the early 2000s studies Makary said.

Current understanding is that the benefits of HRT outweigh the potential risks when taken before age 60 or within 10 years of the onset of menopause.

“This is really the result of doctors waving a flag in the air for decades of women who have said, ‘Hey, we didn’t feel like we got the right information,'” Makary said.

Consumers will see a different label on the products in several months, he added.

There are still risks associated with HRT and women considering it should speak with their doctor as it requires a prescription.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(NEW YORK) — Canada has lost its measles elimination status after struggling to contain a year-long outbreak, the country’s public health agency announced on Monday.

The Public Health Agency of Canada said it was informed of the loss by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) after more than 12 months of continuous measles transmission. Canada’s outbreak began in late October 2024 with more than 5,100 measles cases recorded, the health agency said.

Cases have been confirmed in most of Canada’s 10 provinces as well as the northwest territories.

Canada is able to re-establish its measles elimination status if measles transmission related to the current outbreak is “interrupted” for at least 12 months, according to health officials.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration announced deals on Thursday with pharmaceutical giants Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly that would lower the cost of GLP-1 drugs for many Americans, including those on Medicare.

The administration negotiated how much both the government and consumers would pay for the drugs, which are used to treat obesity and diabetes as well as other cardiometabolic conditions.

As soon as the public-private partnership TrumpRx launches, patients using the service will pay roughly $350 for a month’s supply of the injectable drugs, according to senior administration officials.

That price is set to scale down to $250 over the next two years for people paying completely out-of-pocket with no insurance.

Those using the daily pill versions of the drug, which yet to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, will have prices beginning at $150 for the starting doses, the senior administration officials said.

In comments from the Oval Office, President Donald Trump thanked the pharmaceutical companies and lauded the deal.

“This is a triumph for American patients that will save lives and improve the health of millions and millions of Americans,” he said.

Both companies are expected to come out with new GLP-1 pills that are set to be available starting sometime next year pending FDA approval.

The reported savings on what the government will be paying for the medications will help broaden the type of people eligible for the drug.

Those with severe obesity will soon be able to access the drug under Medicare. Medicare patients will have a $50 co-pay for the drugs and could see the new pricing as soon as mid-2026. Medicaid pricing and timing will be dependent by state as they opt in.  

Currently, federal insurance programs cover Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy — one of the GLP-1s for people who are overweight and have heart disease — but there is no medication for obesity alone covered by Medicare.  

“Until now, neither of these two popular drugs have been covered by Medicare for weight loss and they’ve only rarely been covered by Medicaid,” Trump said. “They’ve often cost consumers more than $1,000 per month and some a lot more than that. Americans have been spending as much as 520% for Zepbound and 1,400% more for Wegovy than patients in Europe.”

Under this announcement, people who are severely obese — considered to be a body mass index over 35 — will also be covered for the medications for a $50 co-pay, but it doesn’t include broad coverage for all people who are overweight or obese like many private insurance plans cover.

GLP-1 drugs currently cost roughly $500 out-of-pocket for those without insurance. 

During the Oval Office announcement, a guest fainted, causing the press conference to be temporarily paused.

In a statement, Karoline Leavitt said the person who fainted was a representative of one of the pharmaceutical companies, adding that the “White House Medical Unit quickly jumped into action, and the gentleman is okay.”

In a statement to ABC News, Novo Nordisk said the person who fainted was not one of their executives.

“CEO Mike Doustdar and EVP, US Operations, Dave Moore were the only two Novo Nordisk representatives in the Oval Office. We hope the gentleman who suffered a medical incident today is okay,” the statement read.

The deal is another of the Trump’s administration’s “most favored nations” agreements with pharmaceutical companies, a deal that comes after the president signed an executive order in May ordering his administration to pursue the deals to reduce the price of drugs for Americans.

“Today marks a pivotal moment in U.S. health care policy and a defining milestone for Lilly, made possible through collaboration with the Trump administration,” David A. Ricks, Eli Lilly’s chair and CEO, said in a statement. “As we expand access to obesity treatments for more Americans and advance one of the most innovative obesity pipelines, we remain focused on improving outcomes, strengthening the U.S. health care system, and contributing to the health of our nation for generations to come.”  

In a separate statement, Mike Doustdar, president and CEO of Novo Nordisk, said the deal will expand patient access and affordability.

“Unlike any other medicine in the GLP-1 class today, semaglutide is the only molecule whose respective FDA indications span obesity, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease and cardiovascular risk,” the statement read. “Novo Nordisk has always worked to secure affordable access to our innovative medicines, and today’s announcement will bring semaglutide medicines to more American patients at a lower cost, Importantly, this also expands obesity medication access in Medicare, which will allow people living with obesity to access authentic Wegovy.”

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(NEW YORK) — Eli Lilly’s next generation of weight loss drugs appear to show promise, possibly leading to even faster weight loss and added health benefits, early trial results suggest.

The pharmaceutical company presented the results for its newer drug at the annual ObesityWeek conference on Thursday.

Known as amylin analogs, these drugs slow digestion and curb appetite, similar to the more well-known GLP-1 drugs, but act through a different hormone.

Amylin is a hormone that is co-secreted with insulin through the pancreas and helps regulate blood glucose levels, appetite and gastric emptying, which is the process of food moving from the stomach to the intestines.

These drugs can treat type 2 diabetes and obesity by imitating the body’s natural amylin.

While the effects are similar to Eli Lilly’s GLP-1 drugs, Mounjaro and Zepbound, some studies have suggested that amylin analogs may lead to a lower loss of lean muscle mess relative to fat mass.

Early trial results of Eli Lilly’s amylin analog, known as eloralintide, helped patients who were overweight or obese — with at least one pre-existing condition related to obesity and without type 2 diabetes — lose 9.5% to 20.1% of their body weight.

This was compared to patients who lost 0.4% when taking a placebo, according to the trial results, which were published in the medical journal The Lancet.

Patients who were treated with eloralintide also saw improvements in blood pressure, fat levels in the blood stream and markers of inflammation.

Eli Lilly said it will begin phase 3 clinical trials after the promising results, with the aim to enroll patients by the end of the year.

“Obesity is a complex condition, and no single treatment works for everyone. To truly address each patient’s needs, we need therapies with different mechanisms of action so that each person can receive the treatment that offers the best balance of effectiveness and tolerability for them,” Dr. Liana K. Billings, lead author of the study and director of clinical and genetics research in diabetes and cardiometabolic disease at Endeavor Health in Skokie, Illinois, said in a statement.

She added that the early trial results underscore “the potential of amylin receptor agonists to expand our therapeutic strategies and better serve individuals living with obesity.”

Eli Lilly is not the only drug company testing amylin analogs. Novo Nordisk’s version, called cagrilintide, led to about a 12% weight loss over 68 weeks in early, previously published studies.

Novo is testing a combination of cagrilintide and semaglutide — the latter of which is known under the brand name Wegovy — that produced about a 22% weight loss in people with obesity but not diabetesin a previously published, late-stage clinical trial. 

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(NEW YORK) — Over the last week, Martina Santos said she feels like she’s been living a nightmare.

The 67-year-old from the Bronx, New York, is one of the nearly 42 million Americans who saw their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits lapse on Nov. 1.

Although the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it would partially fund the program using emergency funds, officials said it could take “a few weeks to up to several months.” Additionally, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that no benefits will be distributed until the government reopens.

The uncertainty of if or when SNAP benefits will be funded is leaving many Americans, like Santos, wondering whether she is going to pay rent, pay her bills or buy food.

“This is crazy. I’m nervous … thinking about how I can get the money to buy what I need right now, because I don’t have food stamps,” she told ABC News. “I need to make a decision if I pay my rent, when I pay my electricity or I buy food. It’s not easy.”

Santos, who volunteers at the nonprofit West Side Campaign Against Hunger, said she is asking her landlord if it’s possible to make a partial payment for the month of November.

She added that she’s going to a pantry this week because she doesn’t have much food in her house besides packets of beans and cereal, along with a gallon of milk her son bought for her.

In addition to food, Santos said the loss of benefits is particularly devastating because she uses them to purchase distilled water for her CPAP machine, which helps treat sleep apnea and, in turn, her high blood pressure.

“When I don’t use the machine, by the next day, I [wake] up tired, I don’t want to do anything, because I don’t sleep [well],” she said. “I want to wake up. How can I get out of this nightmare right now?”

Domestic violence survivors impacted by loss of SNAP benefits

Nicole, 42, from Long Island, New York — who asked that her last name not be used — started receiving SNAP benefits in 2024 after leaving a domestic violence situation.

She receives about $994 in SNAP benefits per month to help buy groceries for her and her three children — ages 12, 13 and 17 — which she said is a struggle.

“Food is so expensive right now. So, when you go into stores and you’re buying and trying to budget and save, it’s just not enough,” she told ABC News. “That’s the feeling that I get when I go food shopping. I’m a budget shopper. I try to look out for deals that they’re having and just stock up and be a bulk shopper.”

Nicole said she receives cash assistance and help from family, which has helped cover the cost of some groceries in the wake of SNAP benefits being halted, but added she has been occasionally checking her mobile app to see if the EBT card balance is still $0.

“I’ve been checking periodically just to see if it’s going to say that food stamps are going to be available. I just still have this little hope in praying that it will be there,” she said. “And I was thinking to myself today, like, ‘How long do you think it’s gonna go and thank God we’re getting the cash assistance and some people they just don’t have it. They just don’t have family.'”

She said she thinks this situation is going to last for a couple of months and said she is using this as motivation to hopefully get off of SNAP benefits for good.

Nicole Branca, CEO of New Destiny Housing, a nonprofit that provides housing to domestic violence survivors and their children, said 70% survivors that the organization serves receive SNAP benefits.

She said the loss of benefits can compound the physical and mental health struggles that many survivors already experience.

“Domestic violence survivors are particularly harmed by this loss of SNAP benefits because of the economic abuse that they’ve experienced,” she said. “Nearly 100% of DV survivors experience financial abuse as part of the abuse, so that means their abuser restricted their access to bank accounts, ruined their credit and didn’t allow them access to their own paycheck. And so we work with them to start from scratch.”

Branca continued, “It’s so hard to find the words to describe how devastating this is for our families, who are just starting to recover financially, emotionally, physically and the thought of not being able to pay for food on the table for their kids or having to decide between food and rent. It’s really taking a toll on our families.”

‘Anxious and concerned’

Elayne Masters, 68, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, started receiving SNAP benefits in 2017 after suffering a traumatic brain injury following a fall down a flight of stairs.

In addition to her injury, Masters also suffers from hypothyroidism, which occurs when the thyroid gland doesn’t make and release enough thyroid hormone in the bloodstream, as well as Lyme disease, an inflammatory illness usually caused by an infected tick bite.

Masters typically receives about $250 in SNAP benefits, saying it allows her to buy healthy foods that help improve symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, confusion and joint pain.

She said her various conditions are improved by a healthy diet, and she’s worried that she won’t be able to buy nutrient-dense food without SNAP benefits.

“Foods that are basically high amounts of produce, vegetables and fruits, help to decrease the problematic health symptoms that I have and when I’m eating a really healthy diet, I’m doing better, I’m seeing the doctor less frequently, I’m taking fewer medications. I’m more functioning,” she told ABC News.

“And when I’m not able to pay for those healthy foods, my health declines, my cognitive functioning declines,” Masters went on. “If I weren’t able to maintain those healthy levels of eating, because it affects me so dramatically, so it’s a huge, huge difference in my quality of life and my ability to be a productive part of society as well.”

Masters said she went to a pantry last Wednesday and received a pre-packaged bag of food after attending a meeting at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

She said she is “anxious and concerned” about being able to pay her electric bill, car insurance and house insurance within the next month.

“Winter is coming, and heating bills will be higher. If anything breaks down, I’m in trouble,” she said. “The holidays are coming, and I may not be able to finish gift shopping.”

In the past, to make ends meet, Masters said she has done things to stretch the shelf life of her food, such as cutting mold off a block of cheese, peeling the rotting layers of an onion to reach the layers that are still good or saving vegetable scraps to make her own broth.

“I’m starting to consider, okay, what kinds of things can I do that are going to help me stretch my dollars and some of the strategies that I’ve used in the past?” Masters said. “I may be able to skate through a month, but much beyond that, and it’s going to be difficult.”

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(NEW YORK) — When it comes to early detection, mammograms remain the only screening test proven to reduce deaths from breast cancer in average-risk women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, only about 75% of eligible U.S. women schedule regular screenings, according to a JAMA study published earlier this month.

Experts believe that misunderstandings about who needs screenings and how often may be part of the reason some women skip mammograms. Here are eight evidence-based facts about breast cancer screening to help set the record straight.

CLAIM: Only women with a family history need screening 

Although some women with family history of breast cancer may need earlier or more frequent screenings, all women need regular screenings, doctors said.

“Only about five to 10% of breast cancers are hereditary,” Dr. Aparajita Spencer, a breast surgical oncologist at CHI Memorial in Chattanooga, Tennessee, told ABC News. “Most women with breast cancer do not have a family history.”

CLAIM: A lump is the earliest sign of breast cancer

Although a lump is one of the most common symptoms of breast cancer, it is not the only sign and can be missed when performing self-examination.

“The whole point of the mammogram is to pick up the earliest signs of a breast cancer, which are usually calcifications, not really a mass,” Dr. Preeti Subhedar, breast surgery chief at Hackensack Hospital in New Jersey, told ABC News.

“When people come in with a mammographically or image-detected breast cancer, usually it’s fairly small and outcomes are really good,” she added.

CLAIM: Breast size affects your cancer risk

Subhedar said that breast size has nothing to do with risk.

“An average-risk woman has a 12% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer,” she said.

For high-risk women, this increases to over 20%, according to the American Cancer Society.

Spencer added that breast size and breast density are often confused, but they’re not the same. A mammogram will read dense breasts as having a higher proportion of glandular and fibrous tissue compared to fatty tissue. Mammary glands typically produce milk while fibrous tissue forms the breast.

This can slightly raise cancer risk and make tumors harder to catch, which is why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalized a rule in 2024 requiring providers to inform women if their breast tissue is dense and may require additional follow-up screenings.

CLAIM: Younger women don’t need mammograms

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends annual screening mammograms starting at age 40 for average-risk women. 

For women with a strong family history of breast cancer or a known genetic mutation, the American Cancer Society recommends beginning annual screenings with both a mammogram and a breast MRI at age 30, or even earlier if a close relative was diagnosed at a young age.

CLAIM: A negative mammogram means you don’t have breast cancer

Experts said a mammogram does not mean a patient doesn’t have breast cancer but rather that breast cancer wasn’t found on that specific mammogram. 

“Mammograms occasionally miss early-stage cancers,” noted Spencer. “There is always a chance that you have something that pops up between screenings. We can’t say 100%, which is why it’s really important to get those yearly screenings.” 

CLAIM: Mammograms can cause cancer because of radiation

The benefit of early detection far outweighs the tiny risk from the small amount of radiation, experts said.

The total lifetime risk for radiation-induced breast cancer is still very low at one in 5,000 — compared to about one in every eight women who will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, and roughly one in 43 women who will die from it. 

CLAIM: There are safe and effective alternatives to mammograms

“There’s no universal replacement for screening mammograms. That is why that is the gold standard,” Spencer said. 

Mammograms are safe — even during pregnancy when needed, she added. Other diagnostic tools including, an MRI and an ultrasound, may be used to provide additional information, but they do not replace the mammogram. 

CLAIM: A breast biopsy spreads breast cancer

Medical experts agree that breast biopsies are safe, and the benefit of getting an accurate diagnosis far outweighs the minimal risks.

“It is extremely, extremely important that we get a tissue biopsy when someone comes in with an abnormal mammogram because there’s a lot of biological information that we learn about a tumor from that biopsy,” Spencer said. 

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women after skin cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death, according to the American Cancer Society.

In 2024, more than 300,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer, and about 40,000 died from the disease. Today, more than 3 million breast cancer survivors live in the U.S. —  a powerful reminder of the importance of early detection, doctors said.

Allyson Heng, MD, is resident physician in neurology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.

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(NEW YORK) — Tens of thousands of children and families could be affected by dozens of Head Start programs potentially closing if the federal government shutdown extends past Nov. 1.

About 134 programs across 41 states and Puerto Rico will see their operational funding cease on Saturday, affecting nearly 65,000 kids, or 10% of all Head Start children, according to the National Head Start Association (NHSA).

Florida, Georgia, Missouri and Ohio may see the most impacts, potentially affecting more than 24,000 children and more than 7,500 staff members, NHSA data shows.

Head Start is a federal program run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that provides early childhood education, health, nutrition and family support services to low-income children and families.

Programs shutting down could mean that children under age 6 could lose access to preschool education, health services and referrals. Families could lose access to affordable childcare that allows parents to work, attend school or undergo job training.

“We are concerned that the longer a government shutdown runs, the more likely it is that Head Start programs might be faced with potential closures and having deep impacts on children and families that we serve,” Tommy Sheridan, deputy director of NHSA, told ABC News. “The longer the shutdown goes, the more that number will increase and, at the end of the day, children and families should never be put at risk because of political gridlock. However, that’s exactly what’s happening right now.”

Programs struggle to find funding
Sheridan said not all of the 134 programs affected will close in November. Some are reaching out to state and local leaders and some are asking private organizations for funding, which may cover costs for a short period of time.

He said there are 1,600 programs across the U.S. so, while a majority of Head Start programs will not be affected after Nov. 1, it is still a substantial number that will either be struggling to remain open or may have to close.

An HHS spokesperson told ABC News that Democrats are to blame for the government shutdown and that, when the shuthown is over, the HHS’ Office of Head Start will work to expedite grant awards.

Central Kentucky Community Action Council Head Start and Early Head Start (CKCAC), which serves 400 children in nine centers across six counties, will lose access to an $8 million federal grant on Nov. 1, Bryan Conover, executive director of CKCAC, told ABC News.

Although CKCAC’s Head Start policy council affirmed unanimously to allow the group to pursue a line of credit for about $1 million with a local bank, it will only allow operations to be maintained until Nov. 21.

“All 400 of those families could be put in a situation where, if we have to close our doors, they’re going to choose whether or not to take care of their kids or work,” Conover said. “And so there really is multiple ripples of pain that ceasing operations would cause, and we’re hoping beyond hope that this shutdown ends very soon, that we don’t have to go through those painful conversations.”

Conover said if the shutdown extends past Nov. 21, “it’s going to make for some very unfortunate Thanksgiving situations.”

“If we get to Nov. 22 and we don’t have funding available, and we have to close our doors and SNAP may not be in place yet, we’re going to have vulnerable families missing out on nutrition for their kids, let alone education, let alone therapy, let alone the other supports they need to be able to be kindergarten-ready and let alone the impacts on the families who are going to have to make choices to potentially work or stay home to provide child care,” he continued.

The Ohio Head Start Association said seven providers serving more than 3,700 kids are at risk of closing because their federal funds will be exhausted on Nov. 1. The association said closures could force 940 staff members out of work.

“Every day the shutdown continues, Ohio children and families are paying the price,” said Julie Stone, executive director of the OHSA said in a statement. “Head Start is not a political issue — it’s a lifeline. Congress must act now to restore funding, keep classrooms open, and protect the stability of families, the staff who serve them, and communities.”

Closures could affect childhood development
Dr. Lindsey Burghardt, chief science officer at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, said there could be negative effects on development from Head Start programs ending so suddenly.

She said these services help support children’s healthy physical and mental development through education, nutrition, having consistently available and responsible caregivers and having safe and clean places to play and learn.

Head Start programs may be the only way by which children receive nutritious meals, get health screenings or receive early intervention for developmental delays and special education.

“When you disrupt it, especially when you destabilize these services suddenly, I think you have the potential to disrupt healthy brain development, to derail the healthy development of all these other organ systems,” Burghardt told ABC News.

“And that’s important, because it can disrupt mental and physical health in childhood, but actually, really importantly, can disrupt health and well-being across those children’s life spans and have really long-lasting developmental implications,” she added.

Burghardt said the longer or larger disruption to these services, the more potential to negatively impact a child that could span throughout adolescence and decades later, when they’re an adult.

This can include poor academic and cognitive function as well as greater behavioral problems, Burghardt said.

The NHSA said research has shown Head Start programs have short-term and long-term impact, including less chronic absenteeism in middle school, improved high school graduation rates, increased higher education enrollment and completion and a decreased reliance on public assistance.

Sheridan said families, including parents and caregivers, may also feel negative impacts from Head Start programs shutting down.

“Families that are eligible for Head Start often work multiple jobs,” he said. “They might be in college or community college or a technical college or are in job training programs. …  So the families that are in Head Start, they’re doing everything that they can to try to better their situation and their child’s situation. They count on Head Start to be there so that they can navigate whatever they need to in order to be able to provide for their families.”

Sheridan went on, “Without Head Start, many parents will have no affordable child care option. They may be forced to leave their jobs. They may … reduce the hours that they might be working, not attend class, different things like that, horrible decisions that families do not want to have to make … and it’s going to be incredibly destabilizing and challenging.”

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