Trending News Today: Negative Emotions May Cause Cancer Patients to Adopt Healthier Behaviors

Last week, President Donald Trump cut Affordable Care Act subsidies that are given to insurance companies to reduce premiums for lower-income Americans. Politico reports that this move will likely be challenged in courts, as Democratic states seek injunctions and insurers seek to recover payments. Legal experts have said it is unlikely that a court will rule that the subsidies must continue without the support of the Trump administration. Without subsidies, it is likely that many insurers will leave the marketplace and force individuals to pay higher premiums, according to the article.

The order to end subsidies may drastically raise premiums for middle-income families and cost the government hundreds of billions of dollars, according to NPR. Since insurers still have to provide the discounts and will not get reimbursed, they will charge higher premiums to recoup lost money. While middle-class individuals will likely be charged more for coverage, lower-income individuals will be unaffected by the subsidy cut since they receive tax credits, according to NPR. Additionally, the Congressional Budget Office reported that ending $7 billion in subsidy spending will likely cost $200 billion over the next 10 years, according to the article.

Negative emotions—such as fear, stress, and anger—may be the catalyst for positive changes for patients with cancer, according to the Los Angeles Times. A new study suggests that these feelings could motivate patients to adopt healthy behaviors and drive them to set and achieve new goals. While increased levels of cortisol can have a negative impact on health, it was linked to increased exercise in certain women with breast cancer, according to the article. These findings suggest that stress and negative emotions may cause some patients to become healthier.