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The following information was released by the Illinois Senate Democrats:

Capping off years of advocacy and negotiations, State Senator Michael E. Hastings championed a law that will protect Illinois homeowners from unfair rate hikes similar to those endured in the last few years.

“For too long Illinoisans have been hit with rate increases that far outpace inflation and wage growth,” said Hastings (D-Frankfort). “From just 2021 to 2024, homeowners insurance costs in Illinois surged by nearly 50 percent, adding almost $1,000 a year to a typical family’s expenses.”

House Bill 4273 will prohibit a company selling homeowners insurance from increasing premiums by more than 10% without first notifying the consumer 60 days prior. This will give consumers the necessary time to shop around and find a better rate. Most importantly, the law will prohibit homeowners insurance premiums from being excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory. New standards implemented from the law will be enforced by the Illinois Department of Insurance, with set rules for hearings on newly filed rates.

The law will also ban cost shifting, a practice where losses or high-claim payouts in other states are shifted unfairly onto Illinois homeowners.

Hastings heard from residents who were blindsided last year by a 27% rate increase. Homeowners were left scrambling deciding how they would take on such an increase.

“Major carriers have imposed double-digit rate hikes, leaving many hard working families struggling to afford the very insurance meant to protect their most valuable asset,” said Hastings. “These are real families being forced to choose between paying for their insurance premium or for groceries at the store.”

House Bill 4273 was signed into law Tuesday and takes effect July 1, 2027.

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2026 AUG 03 (NewsRx) — By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Politics, Law & Government Daily — Staff editors report on the newly launched clinical trial, NCT07719374, which has the following summary description: “Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is a leading cause of death and long-term disability worldwide. In patients with suspected large vessel occlusion, rapid diagnosis and reperfusion therapy are critical, as treatment delays are associated with worse functional outcomes and increased mortality. Current French guidelines recommend brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the reference imaging modality because of its high diagnostic accuracy. However, MRI availability remains limited in many stroke centers, often resulting in delays in diagnosis and treatment. Conversely, computed tomography (CT) is more widely available and can substantially shorten time to reperfusion, although it may be less sensitive for early ischemic changes. The MAGRITTE study aims to determine whether an initial CT-based imaging strategy is more cost-effective than an MRI-based strategy for patients with suspected severe acute ischemic stroke within 6 hours of symptom onset. This is a prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial with two parallel groups enrolling 600 adult patients presenting with a high suspicion of acute ischemic stroke due to proximal large vessel occlusion (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] score ≥10). Participants will be randomized to undergo either CT with CT angiography or MRI with MR angiography as the first-line diagnostic imaging examination. Additional perfusion imaging may be performed at the investigator’s discretion. The primary objective is to compare the cost-utility of the two diagnostic strategies at 12 months, expressed as the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained, using EQ-5D-5L-derived utilities. Secondary objectives include lifetime cost-effectiveness modeling, 5-year budget impact analysis, comparison of functional outcomes, mortality, imaging-to-treatment and reperfusion times, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, diagnostic accuracy, management pathways, adverse events, radiation exposure, and healthcare costs. The study will provide evidence on whether a CT-first imaging strategy can improve the efficiency of acute stroke care while maintaining favorable clinical outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.”

As a matter of record, on July 23, 2026, NewsRx staff editors report that the available information provided by Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild on this trial include:

Tracking Information

Descriptive Information

Recruitment Information

Administrative Information

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)

The post Medico-Economic Evaluation of MRI Versus CT as Diagnostic Imaging Strategies in Patients With Suspected Ischemic Stroke: A Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Two-Arm Parallel Trial: Transfusion Medicine – Blood Transfusion appeared first on Insurance News | InsuranceNewsNet.

The following information was released by the Oklahoma House of Representatives:

Reps. Stacy Jo Adams, R-Duncan, and Chris Sneed, R-Fort Gibson, will lead an interim study examining the factors contributing to rising homeowners’ insurance costs in Oklahoma.

The lawmakers will bring together insurance professionals, contractors, builders, real estate professionals, adjusters, consumer advocates and homeowners to better understand why Oklahoma consistently ranks among the states with the highest homeowner’s insurance premiums.

“This issue hits close to home for me in more than one way,” Adams said. “As a customer-facing insurance agent and a state representative, I hear the frustration across the desk and across the district. I see customers opening their renewal notices and wondering why their homeowner’s insurance premiums have increased again. I also hear from constituents who simply want to know why it costs so much to protect the homes they’ve worked so hard to build. I want answers too.”

The study will examine property values, construction materials, labor expenses and severe weather losses. Adams and Sneed also plan to consider the cost of replacing roofs through insurance claims compared with similar work during new construction.

“Our plan for this study is to dig into the costs that may not be as obvious,” Sneed said. “We know property values have increased significantly, building materials and labor cost more and we know storms seem to love Oklahoma. There has to be additional factors driving these prices, and we intend to cover all our bases.”

Additional topics will include litigation and legal expenses, reinsurance, building codes, fraud and regulatory requirements.

“We are approaching this study without a predetermined conclusion,” Adams said. “Some factors may be outside Oklahoma’s control, while others may present opportunities for reform. Our goal is to follow the data, separate fact from assumption and identify practical solutions that could make a difference for Oklahoma families.”

The interim study period begins Monday, Aug. 3, and ends Friday, Oct. 30. Interim studies allow lawmakers to examine policy issues in greater detail outside the regular legislative session. The date and meeting details for the study will be announced at a later date.

The post ADAMS, SNEED TO STUDY RISING HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE COSTS appeared first on Insurance News | InsuranceNewsNet.

The following information was released by the Michigan State Government:

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a coalition of 21 states in filing a lawsuit (PDF) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to challenge a federal rule that once again illegally undermines the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and would make health insurance more expensive and harder to obtain for millions of Americans. The lawsuit seeks to block provisions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) 2027 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters, a federal rule that sets standards for health plans offered in 2027 and was opposed by the coalition in a March 2026 comment letter (PDF). Among other harmful changes, the rule expands eligibility for catastrophic health insurance plans that are ineligible for premium tax credits, offer only limited coverage, and can leave consumers facing significantly higher out-of-pocket costs than standard ACA plans. The rule also allows catastrophic plans to exceed ACA limits on maximum annual out-of-pocket costs, increasing the financial burden on consumers, and attempts to reinstate several provisions that a federal court recently found to be unlawful. The coalition argues these and other provisions unlawfully undermine the ACA’s goal of expanding access to affordable healthcare by increasing costs, reducing enrollment, and shifting financial burdens onto consumers, states, and healthcare providers.

“Instead of making healthcare more affordable and accessible when families need it most, the federal government is stripping coverage from thousands of Michiganders and destabilizing our entire healthcare system,” said Attorney General Nessel. “While the Trump administration has abandoned its duty to lower costs, I will not back down from defending the well-being of Michigan residents.”

Congress enacted the ACA to expand access to affordable health insurance, and more than 23 million Americans currently receive coverage through its marketplaces. The lawsuit follows the coalition’s challenge to the Trump administration’s similar 2025 ACA Marketplace rule. Last week, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts held a hearing on the parties’ cross-motions for summary judgment in that case, with a final decision expected at a later date. In related litigation, a federal court recently vacated several provisions of the Administration’s 2025 rule including provisions at issue in this case after finding that they violated the Administrative Procedure Act. The administration’s new rule setting standards for 2027 health plans, which is the subject of this lawsuit, brings back many of the same provisions and adds new changes that further undermine the ACA. HHS estimates the new rule will cause two million people to lose coverage in 2027 alone and a total of five million by 2030.

In this lawsuit, the coalition argues that the new rule:

Reimposes provisions that a federal court has already vacated including additional income verification requirements and penalties for consumers who do not complete tax-credit paperwork without addressing the Court’s legal concerns.

Unlawfully expands eligibility for catastrophic health plans beyond the limits established by Congress in the ACA.

Unlawfully allows plans to exceed ACA limits on maximum annual out-of-pocket costs.

Will increase costs, reduce enrollment, and shift financial burdens onto consumers, healthcare providers, and states.

Was adopted without adequate explanation or a meaningful response to the coalition’s comments, making it arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act.

Attorney General Nessel was joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

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The following information was released by the State of Delaware:

Attorney General Kathy Jennings today joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general and the Governor of Pennsylvania in filing a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to challenge a federal rule that once again illegally undermines the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and would make health insurance both more expensive and more difficult to obtain for millions of Americans.

The lawsuit seeks to block provisions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) 2027 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters, a federal rule that sets standards for health plans offered in 2027 and was opposed by the coalition in a March 2026 comment letter. Among other harmful changes, the rule expands eligibility for catastrophic health insurance plans that are ineligible for premium tax credits, offer only limited coverage, and can leave consumers facing significantly higher out-of-pocket costs than standard ACA plans. The rule also allows catastrophic and bronze plans to exceed ACA limits on maximum annual out-of-pocket costs, increasing the financial burden on consumers, and attempts to reinstate several provisions that a federal court recently found to be unlawful. The coalition argues these and other provisions unlawfully undermine the ACA’s goal of expanding access to affordable healthcare by increasing costs, reducing enrollment, and shifting financial burdens onto consumers, states, and healthcare providers.

It is outrageous and cruel, though sadly unsurprising, that the Trump Administration is once again trying to undermine the Affordable Care Act and make health insurance even more expensive for the American people,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “It is no secret that a huge proportion of Americans struggle to pay for health insurance as it is- if they can afford it at all. We will continue to fight, as many times as it takes, to safeguard American’s right to affordable care.”

Congress enacted the ACA to expand access to affordable health insurance, and more than 23 million Americans currently receive coverage through its marketplaces. Today’s lawsuit follows the coalition’s challenge to the Trump Administration’s similar 2025 ACA Marketplace rule. The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts recently held a hearing on the parties’ cross-motions for summary judgment in that case, with a final decision expected at a later date. In related litigation, a federal court last month vacated several provisions of the Administration’s 2025 rule including provisions at issue in this case after finding that they violated the Administrative Procedure Act. The Administration’s new rule setting standards for 2027 health plans bring back many of the same provisions and adds new changes that further undermine the ACA. HHS estimates the new rule will cause two million people to lose coverage in 2027 alone and a total of five million by 2030.

In today’s lawsuit, the coalition argues that the new rule:

Reimposes provisions that a federal court has already vacated including additional income verification requirements and penalties for consumers who do not complete tax-credit paperwork without addressing the court’s legal concerns.

Unlawfully expands eligibility for catastrophic health plans, which cover very little and leave consumers with huge out-of-pocket costs, beyond the limits established by Congress in the ACA.

Unlawfully allows catastrophic and bronze plans to exceed ACA limits on maximum annual out-of-pocket costs.

Will increase costs, reduce enrollment, and shift financial burdens onto consumers, healthcare providers, and states.

Was adopted without adequate explanation or a meaningful response to the coalition’s comments, making it arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act.

Joining AG Jennings in this lawsuit are the attorneys general of California, New Jersey, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

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NASHVILLE – Going back to school is an exciting time for students, educators, and parents. As the school year gets underway across the state, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) reminds consumers that education doesn’t stop in the classroom. TDCI’s Insurance Division offers insurance tips and reminders to help make your back-to-school season go smoothly.

“As the parent of young children, I know that the back-to-school season can be hectic for students, parents, and educators alike,” said TDCI Commissioner Carter Lawrence.

“During this busy time of year, I want to encourage Tennesseans to take a moment and consider our insurance tips, which I hope might provide greater peace of mind all year long. Individuals who have insurance questions should contact our team for assistance.”

Insuring a Teen Driver? Know The Facts.

If a teenager lives with his or her parents or legal guardians and doesn’t own the vehicle, the teen must be listed on their parents’ or guardian’s insurance policy.

Keep auto insurance policies up to date. If your college student will not drive for a year, take them off the policy. If the student will drive, keep them on the policy.

Also, if your college student has the vehicle at an away school, the company needs to know where the vehicle is garaged. (For example, if the family lives in Nashville, and the policy has that address, but the student has the car in Knoxville, the company needs to know.) Why? It could cause a rate change and, if not listed, could cause a coverage denial if the company finds out the car is garaged with the student and not the address on the policy.

Review current deductibles to determine if the deductible is affordable, should an individual need to pay it. On older vehicles, consider lowering or eliminating physical damage coverage — unless a lienholder, such as a bank, requires it.

Increase deductibles and have the teen drive the oldest vehicle to help lower insurance costs. Consult your licensed insurance agent to learn more.

SUVs, convertibles, and sports cars often come with higher insurance premiums.

Several insurance companies offer discounts to students with high grade point averages.

What to Do If There is an Auto Accident.

Unfortunately, sometimes accidents happen. If a driver is involved in a wreck, remember the following tips:

If someone is injured, call 9-1-1 immediately to request an ambulance. Make sure an officer comes to file a police report. This helps the insurance company process the claim.

Take pictures of the damage to submit once the individual contacts the auto insurance company to start the claim filing process.

File a claim with the insurance company as soon as possible.

Take the car to an auto shop—either one recommended by the insurer or a shop you prefer.

An adjuster will look at the vehicle to assess the damages.

The auto insurance company will determine how much to give toward repairs or, if a total loss, a new vehicle.

Covering College Students

College students who are away from home also need to be prepared. Remember:

Students can stay on their parents’ health insurance plan until they turn 26 years old.

Find a doctor and health facility in the area that are in-network with the health plan.

Keep auto insurance policies up to date. If the college student will not drive for a year, take them off the policy. If the student will drive, keep them on the policy.

If they have a car, make sure they always keep their auto insurance card with them or on their mobile device.

A student’s belongings in a dorm or apartment may be covered by his or her parents’ homeowners insurance policy. Ask your agent if the policy covers these items.

Unfairly Denied an Insurance Claim?

If your family experiences a claim denial, claim delay, or settlement disagreement, file a complaint at tn.gov/insurance, under “File A Complaint.” TDCI’s Consumer Insurance Services team serves to mediate claims between policyholders and insurers. In 2025, over $15.67 million was returned to Tennesseans through these efforts.

Call 615-741-2218 for insurance questions or more information or visit www.tn.gov/commerce/insurance-division.html.

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JILL ON MONEY

Wildfires, hurricanes, flash floods – if the past few years has taught us anything, it’s that “once-in-a-generation” events seem to be occurring a lot more frequently. That puts the onus on you to focus on a sleepy corner of your financial life that’s supposed to protect against these risks: your homeowners’ insurance policy.

There are three big exceptions to standard policies: flooding (more on this later), earthquakes, and general wear and tear of the dwelling. That said, most homeowner’s policies contain four pillars:

Coverage for your home’s structure if it is damaged or destroyed by fire, hurricane, hail, lightning or other disaster listed in the policy. Coverage for personal belongings, though expensive items like jewelry, furs and silverware usually have specific dollar limits if they are stolen. Liability protection: Coverage against lawsuits for bodily injury or property damage that policyholders, family members, or pets cause to other people. Additional living expenses: Coverage for hotels, short term rentals, restaurant meals and other living expenses if a house is inhabitable due to damage from a fire, storm or other insured disaster.

Wildfires: Covered, with caveats

Most policies provide coverage against wildfire damage, including smoke damage and looting after an evacuation. They also cover additional living expenses if your home is temporarily unlivable. Damage to your car would be covered by the comprehensive portion of your auto policy.

Floods: Never covered

Too many people learn this lesson the painful way: floods are not covered, period. It doesn’t matter if the water came from a hurricane, a burst dam, or a freak spring storm. To purchase flood protection, you need a separate policy, typically through the government’s FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

Before you try to outsmart the system, know that there is a 30-day waiting period before a new flood policy kicks in, so you can’t buy it the week a storm is bearing down on you. NFIP coverage tops out at $250,000 for your home’s structure and $100,000 for its contents; if you need more, ask about excess flood coverage from a private carrier.

Hurricanes: A potential double-whammy

Your homeowners policy covers wind damage – torn-off roofs, shattered windows, storm-driven debris – but it does not cover the flooding that often follows a storm. According to the Insurance Information Institute, nearly 90% of U.S. natural disasters involve flooding, and inland flooding from a weakening hurricane can be just as devastating as the storm surge itself. That means hurricane season prep really means a two-policy conversation: homeowners for wind, flood insurance for water.

What you should do right now

Grab your existing policy and review the declarations page. Understand the key elements, like your deductibles, your limits, and what disasters are named (and those that are excluded) in your policy. Your payout is only as good as your coverage limits, so this is worth an annual check-in, especially as rebuilding costs climb.

Next: Take photos or video of your home and belongings now, while the skies are clear, and store that inventory somewhere you can access it from anywhere. And if you’re on the fence about flood coverage because you aren’t in a “high-risk” zone, know that 20% of flood claims come from low- and moderate-risk areas. It’s genuinely one of the more affordable insurance add-ons out there, especially compared to the cost of rebuilding a home from scratch.

Insurance isn’t a fun thing to think about until you need it – and by then, it’s too late to address the gaps. Don’t fail this test – pull your policy, close the gaps, and get it done before the next disaster does it for you.

Jill Schlesinger, CFP, is a CBS News business analyst. A former options trader and CIO of an investment advisory firm, she welcomes comments and questions at askjill@jillonmoney.com. Check her website at jillonmoney.com.

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Jill On Money: Fire, flood, fail – Review your homeowners' policy now appeared first on Insurance News | InsuranceNewsNet.

JEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance has released preliminary information about health insurance plans and premiums for the state’s 2027 individual and small group markets.

The individual market includes plans for people who do not receive health insurance through an employer. The small group market serves businesses with two to 50 employees.

The department is reviewing insurance company filings to determine whether proposed rate changes are justified and whether plans comply with state and federal regulations. Public comments will be accepted through Aug. 31.

Final rates are expected to be posted no later than Oct. 31.

“While our review process is ongoing and final rates are subject to change, we encourage Missourians to start exploring their options now,” DCI Director Angela Nelson said. “Even as we continue to navigate federal uncertainty and a broader return to pre-COVID market conditions, Missouri’s market remains strong, ensuring Missourians continue to have meaningful choices for their health coverage.”

An initial review of the filings indicates at least two insurers will offer individual plans both on and off the federal exchange in every Missouri county. Eight companies are expected to continue offering individual coverage in the state.

Four insurance companies are expected to offer small group plans outside the exchange in 2027.

DCI officials said the department’s rate review process is intended to protect consumers by ensuring proposed changes are supported by Missouri-specific data before they take effect.

Federal medical loss ratio rules provide an additional safeguard by requiring insurers to spend most premium revenue on medical care or efforts to improve health care quality. Insurers must rebate excess funds to consumers when spending requirements are not met.

Under Missouri law, rates must be filed with DCI for all health insurance products sold in the state. The preliminary information released by the department applies only to Affordable Care Act-compliant major medical plans with effective dates beginning Jan. 1, 2027, or later.

Rates for other health insurance products also will be posted on the department’s website as they are filed and reviewed.

“With changing rates and plan structures, it is more important than ever for consumers to look closely at their health needs and preliminary coverage options,” Nelson said. “We encourage Missourians to review the initial filings on our website and take this opportunity to share their feedback before rates are finalized for 2027.”

Consumers may review proposed rates, submit comments and find additional information through DCI’s health rate filings webpage.

Missourians with insurance questions may call the department’s Insurance Consumer Hotline at 800-726-7390 or visit insurance.mo.gov/consumers.

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BY MARK GONGLOFF Quick, name a critical issue in this year’s midterm elections using just two words. Many of you probably said “food prices” or “Iran war” or “diarrhea lettuce.” And you might not be wrong. But there’s another, less obvious factor that could be even more decisive: home insurance.

Polls of American voters consistently show housing costs are among their top priorities, even if they’re not the top priority (those food prices). And soaring home insurance costs are making already expensive housing unreachable for some. Americans are starting to notice; 58% of voters say rising insurance costs will make them more likely to turn out in the midterms, according to a recent poll by the comparison site Insurify.

Large majorities of Americans claim to worry about climate change, but not nearly as many translate that worry into votes (see Trump, Donald, reelection of). At the same time, if you scan the list of what voters say is pushing them to the polls this year, you’ll find the issue of a hotter planet underlying many of them. Home insurance is one of the clearest examples.

“Polling data show growing awareness of the home-insurance crisis but not necessarily complete salience or permeation” of it as a political issue, Grace Adcox, senior climate strategist at the nonprofit polling firm Data for Progress, told me. “There’s a lot of room for people to become more aware.”

Home-insurance premiums have risen 46% since 2021, or nearly triple the rate of inflation, according to Insurify, as insurers reacted to a surge in expensive natural disasters. Some states have experienced far higher jumps; Florida’s increases were roughly double the national average, according to the nonprofit group Coalition for an Insurable Future. Nearly 80% of voters expect their home-insurance premiums to rise again in 2027, and they’re almost certainly right.

It’s easy for home-insurance premiums to get lost in the general inflation miasma affecting most of us. Unlike gasoline and food prices, which people see every day, many only confront their home-insurance costs once a year. Health and auto insurance affect a broader swath of voters, while home insurance is a nonissue for renters (except for when landlords pass on their higher costs).

But more than a quarter of voters in the Insurify poll specifically identified home premiums as influencing their vote. And the percentage of those voting based on overall insurance costs rises to 65% in Florida and 61% in California, two states infamous for soaring home premiums. Insurify’s results are also consistent with a 2025 poll by Data for Progress that found 78% of likely voters were at least somewhat concerned about rising property insurance costs. Party lines made little difference.

And home insurance is increasingly shoving itself in people’s faces, even in places that aren’t Florida or California. The number of billion-dollar weather disasters keeps rising, creating more opportunities for people to interact with their insurers, often in infuriating ways. The number of policy nonrenewals keeps rising.

In 15 states, monthly home premiums cost more than property taxes, according to LendingTree data. In 10 states, insurance is the biggest share of monthly housing costs. Those 10 states don’t include Florida or California. Instead, they’re places like Colorado, Nebraska and Texas, where climate-related hazards such as droughts, wildfires, floods and severe storms are on the rise.

The good news is that Americans have the political power to influence the outcome of this crisis. The bad news is most Americans are unaware of that fact. Nearly a third of voters in the Insurify poll had no idea how insurance rates were regulated in their state. The rest of their answers included such wild guesses as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and the US commerce secretary.

Only 17% of voters guessed correctly that state insurance commissioners regulate rates, when in fact all 50 states have commissioners. Some have more power than others, but all have influence. Eleven states elect their commissioners directly, and four of those are on ballots this year, in California, Georgia, Kansas and Oklahoma. All four experienced big jumps in insurance premiums last year.

Meanwhile, 33 of the 39 states in which a governor appoints an insurance commissioner have gubernatorial elections this year. Most of those candidates aren’t discussing home insurance much, even in places like Nebraska, where premiums have risen 20% in the past two years, giving it the country’s fourth-highest costs.

“There’s an education gap” about the impact of local elections on insurance costs that political leaders need to fill, Adcox said. “Voters not being aware of those races can be a barrier to getting them to show up to vote.”

The hotter the planet gets, the more chaotic and dangerous its weather will get and the more premiums will become part of the national political conversation. Those all-important food prices are also influenced by climate, as storms, droughts and heat waves affect crops. Gasoline and electricity prices would be less of an issue if we transitioned to cheaper renewable energy and hardened our infrastructure against extreme weather. It wears many disguises, but climate change is always on the ballot.

Mark Gongloff is a Bloomberg Opinion editor and columnist covering climate change. He previously worked for Fortune.com, the Huffington Post and the Wall Street Journal. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media.

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Nearly three years after the Maui wildfires, many survivors are returning to work, gaining health insurance and finding more stable housing, but thousands continue to struggle with food insecurity, mental health challenges and lingering physical health concerns, according to a report released Monday.

The report, “The Road to Recovery: Strengthening Health, Stability, and Resiliency Three Years After the Maui Wildfires,” is based on the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study, or MauiWES, one of Hawaii’s largest long-term disaster recovery efforts. More than 2,500 adults and children have participated since the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires, with University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO) researchers completing more than 4,000 health screening appointments.

Researchers said the findings show that while recovery is progressing, many survivors continue to face challenges that extend far beyond rebuilding homes.

“Maui’s experience offers both a warning sign as well as a roadmap,” said Ruben Juarez, UHERO-Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) Distinguished Professor of Health Economics and a lead researcher on the study. “The flames may last for days, but recovery is measured in years.”

Among adults who returned for follow-up visits, employment increased from 62% to 80.9%, health insurance coverage rose from 85.1% to 90.5%, and the share of participants living in temporary housing declined from 40.6% to 34.4%. At the same time, nearly 45% remained food insecure, about one-third were still living in temporary housing, and high levels of social support fell from 62.3% to 53.7%.

Juarez said those findings point to four pillars of long-term recovery: food and income security, stable housing, access to healthcare and follow-up services, and strong family and community connections.

“Housing, food, income and social support are health interventions,” he said. “They are not separate from healthcare. They determine whether people can heal, manage illnesses or rebuild their lives.”

The report also found that physical health concerns remain common among survivors.

Alika Maunakea, MauiWES co-director and professor at the University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine, said visible rebuilding across Maui does not necessarily reflect survivors’ health.

“The health and emotional consequences of a disaster are often less visible, and they don’t necessarily follow the same timeline as physical reconstruction,” Maunakea said.

Among returning participants, 27.1% had blood pressure readings in the Stage 1 hypertension range, another 31% met Stage 2 hypertension criteria and nearly 20% had lung function screening results below the expected range. Researchers emphasized those are screening results rather than clinical diagnoses but said they may serve as early warning signs for cardiovascular and chronic respiratory disease.

Maunakea cautioned the study reflects the health of its participants rather than every person affected by the fires, noting thousands more residents experienced the disaster.

“Our goal is not simply to study recovery,” he said. “It’s to connect every concern to appropriate care and sustained follow-up.”

The report found mental health challenges remain widespread, with nearly half of adult participants reporting symptoms of depression, about one in four screening positive for moderate-to-severe anxiety and nearly one-third experiencing PTSD symptoms. High social support also declined over the past year.

For Christopher Knightsbridge, a MauiWES mental health therapist based in Lahaina, those numbers mirror what he has witnessed while working with survivors every week over the past two years.

“What I see on the ground matches the data,” Knightsbridge said.

He described a community showing resilience while continuing to carry profound grief and exhaustion.

“Resilience doesn’t mean people have stopped hurting,” he said. “It just means they’re still doing their best to move on while carrying that pain with them.”

Researchers found adults with low levels of social support were far more likely to experience depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts than those with strong support networks, underscoring the importance of family, friends, schools, churches and community organizations in long-term recovery.

The findings were especially concerning in regard to children: about 40% of children in the study continued to show elevated symptoms of depression or PTSD, severe depressive symptoms increased from 11.8% to 15.1%, and low self-esteem doubled from 12.9% to 26%. Roughly one in four screened positive for a possible anxiety disorder.

“Children and most adults do not recover alone,” Knightsbridge said. “Healing after trauma happens through families, schools, culture, trusted adults and community.”

Researchers said the next phase of MauiWES will focus on connecting survivors with long-term medical and mental health care, expanding outreach and continuing health monitoring as Maui rebuilds in the upcoming years.

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