Welcome to iHeartRadio Communities, a public affairs special focusing on the biggest issues impacting you. This week, here's Ryan Gorman. Thanks so much for joining us here on iHeartRadio Communities. I'm Ryan Gorman, and we have a few very important conversations lined up for you. In a bit, we'll check in with the CDC to discuss heart disease, and we'll talk to the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services about
health insurance for children. But first, to get things started, I'm joined by Teresa Walters, the vice president of Health and Human Services at Music Cares. You can learn more at musiccares dot org. Teresa, thanks so much for coming on the show, and let's begin with an overview of how this organization came about in the work that you do.
Thanks Ran, it's such a pleasure to join you today. So Music Cares is the leading philanthropic organization and we
provide a safety net to music professionals. We were founded over thirty years ago by the Recording Academy and we were really born out of a recognition that humans behind the music need more support, and so over the course of the last thirty five years, music Hares has provided more than three hundred thousand services to music professionals, and we've distributed over one hundred and thirteen million safety net assistance.
So I'm sure many people listening when they think of the music industry and musicians, they think of Taylor Swift, right, But tell us a little bit about that process. You know, not everybody gets to that point. It can be a long and arch was difficult road, and during that time sometimes assistance is needed.
Right, absolutely, And I think what you raised is such an important misperception that's out there that those who work in the music industry are all financially secure, that there's a safety net, and that there's a lot of high visible ability success. But the reality is that for the overwhelming majority of people who help to bring music to life,
there's a lot of variability in this industry. And so Music Cares is really a life changing and in some cases, life saving resource for music professionals as they're navigating any number of unanticipated life circumstances. And there are three ways that we really help. The first is that we've got an incredible team of trained clinicians who offer customized care and financial assistance as music professionals navigate financial or medical,
mental health, and substance use hardships. And this means support for things like basic living needs, medical bills, therapy, substance use treatment, even equipment replacement if your gear is lost or stolen, because we know that lost or stolen gear can have a cat catastrophic impact on your ability to really make music and your bills. But secondly, we work with hundreds of healthcare providers throughout the United States to
offer free preventive healthcare services. So although many folks who do work in music have insurance coverage, they oftentimes have catastrophic or inadequate coverage, so that means they may not have coverage for things like dental cleanings, vision, hearing, vocal
or even physical therapy care. And then the last thing is we work with partners and experts across the US on a range of educational programming as well as weekly virtual support groups just to help us all navigate some of the complexities of a life and career in music.
I'm Ryan Gorman with Teresa Walter's vice president of Health and Human Services for Music Cares. You can learn more about all the work they do and support that work at musiccares dot Org. Are their qualifications for aid and if so, what would they be.
Yeah, thanks Ryan. So music Cares is available to everyone who works in music after five years employment or once you have credit on six commercially released recordings, and music professionals means everyone. So that's your singers and musicians, but it's also managers, crew engineers, tour bus drivers, folks at the label, even makeup artist. It's really everyone who helps to bring music to life. You're not required to be a member of the Recording Academy, even though we are
an affiliate of the Recording Academy. So regardless of your genre, your profession, how many days a week you play, and whether or not you're signed to a label, music Cares is here for you.
And I'm assuming there have been times where something like this, this safety net for those who are trying to make their way in this really difficult industry, it can be a game changer for them.
Yeah, it's so true, and there are literally tens thousands of individuals that Music Cares has provided safety net support to over the course of the last thirty five years.
Because confidentiality is absolutely paramount and we are a HIPPO compliant organization, you'll never hear us talking about individual stories unless it's in tandem with that music professional, But I can tell you on a daily basis, we are truly helping to save and change lives of music professionals, whether that means some basic things like helping to cover someone's rent after they lose a gig, or maybe even helping to cover a medical bill for a longstanding health condition
that they've had. We also help to refer and connect people to therapy as well as covering the cost. And then we also help people to access substance use treatment. And because we know of the demands of this industry, we've got options for both in and outpatient substance use. So if a one month's stay isn't the right option
for you, we've got other choices. And even for folks who may be really familiar with music Cares and some of the ways that we connect and help folks, there may be ways that you're less aware of, and so for example, at music Cares, we can help to cover childcare costs. We all know anyone who's a parent out there knows that there's such a significant portion of our household budget that gets taken up by childcare and We never want folks to lose work or lose a gig
because of difficulty in accessing childcare. But we also cover the cost of preventive screenings like mammograms or cervical cancer or colonoscopy. So we always want folks to take care of their health and really be sustained in this industry long term. And the last thing I'll just mention is that even if Music Heres isn't the right resource, we actually work with dozens of partners and so we can connect you with re sources that are out there to help.
Tell us about this initiative that you have. The Day that Music Cares. What's that all about?
Oh amazing? So the Day that Music Cares is something that's so important and so special to us here at Music Cares. It is our annual day of service. It is an opportunity for all of us in the music community, as well as our friends, family, and anyone who loves music to join around the world in a day of service. This takes place the last Friday in April, and you
can learn more by visiting the Music Cares website. We'll have more information coming out in the coming weeks and months, but this is a chance for music to really give back in all of the ways that matter to us, both individually and then collectively as a community.
I'm Ryan Gorman, joined by Teresa Walters, vice president of Health and Human Services for Music Cares. You can learn more about the work they do and support that work at Music Cares. What about the Resilience on the Road toolkit?
So we all know touring is a love hate relationship for so many people who work in music. It's this beautiful opportunity to connect with fans, to be out in the community, but it's also frankly, really challenging. It can be physically and mentally and socially isolating for so many people.
So we developed Resilience on the Road really as an opportunity to provide music professionals with tools and resources and tips to both prepare for touring and then to also stay physically, mentally and socially healthy while they're out on tour.
So we've got resources in there that are curated by experts, Wonderful things like little activities to help you be intentional about your day, stay healthy, find good ways to eat even if you're eating at a gas station, how to get some exercise, it's a wonder resource and would encourage folks to check that out. It's available in our website, Musiccares dot org.
I've got two more questions for you, and let me start with those who are in the music industry who feel like after hearing our discussion they could utilize some of the services you provide, what should their next step be?
So as a next step, they can visit our website musiccarees dot org. Or they can reach out for help directly to our email relief box which is Musiccares Relief at Musiccares dot org or call our one eight hundred number which is one eight hundred six eight seven four two two seven, and as part of that outreach, they'll be connected to a member of our health and human services team who can help them with next steps to access support.
And then for those who want to support the work that you're doing, how can they go about helping out wonderful?
There are so many ways to contribute to Music Cares. The first is that we really appreciate and value all financial contributions. So if you're interested in donated, please feel free to learn more at our website and you can make a donation there. There are also incredible ways to get involved with your friends and bring them to be a part of a fun event to contribute to Music Cares. The second that I would mention is spreading the word
and word of mouth. So many people who come to Music Cares have heard about us through a friend in the industry, and there's that sense of trust. So if you've used Music Cares, if you know of a friend or a colleague who's used Music Cares, please help us to spread the word. And then the last thing I'll mention is to please join us on the day that Music Cares and contribute to your community in an active service in whatever way feels valuable and impactful to you.
Again, everyone can learn more at Musiccares dot org. That's music cares dot org. Teresa Walters, vice president of Health and Human Services for Music Cares, with us here on the show. Teresa, thank you so much for the work you're doing and for taking a few minutes to talk to us. We really appreciate it.
Thank you so much.
Ryan.
All right, I'm Ryan Gorman here on iHeartRadio Communities and now let me bring in my next guest. I'm joined by doctor Jessica Lee, acting Chief Medical officer in the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services. Doctor Lee, thanks so much for coming on the show, and let's start with an overview of the two main programs we're going to discuss Medicaid and CHIP.
This is a great way to start, Ryan and Medicaid and TIPS for the children health insurance program offer three are low cost health coverage for eligible children's teams and adults. Medication took cover from more than thirty seven million children in this country. That's nearly half of all the children.
And for children and teams up to age nineteen. MEDICAT and TIP offer really comprehensive coverage, covering things like mental health services, doctor and hospital visits, prescriptions, vaccines, central visits, eye exams, and more. So it's really they're really key programs. And the health insurance in general is a critical item on the back to school tech clist.
What is the difference between Medicaid and CHIP.
Medication and are both programs that offer health coverage, and they differ in terms of the state. So each state has Medication and TOOK programs which provide this coverage, and eligibility for them generally depends on how many people are in a household and household income. So you know, the important thing here is that in most states, children up to age nineteen with family incomes up to eighty thousand
dollars per year for a family four may qualify. But families can visit our website and serve kidsnow dot gov to get information about their specific states and ways to enroll entoman DAT if they're eligible.
Are there other eligibility requirements outside of household income and things like that.
Because each state has their own program ability depends a bit about this on the state specific guidelines, but in general, it depends on how many people are in a healthhold and healthhold income, and so visiting that website or calling eight seven seven Kids Now is how families can find out more information for their specific states and what opportunities there are, either through Medicaid or tips, or if you no longer qualify for Medicaid or tips, visiting health healthcare
dots to see if they're eligible to enroll in a low cost quality health plan through that mechanism.
What have we learned about why it's so important for students to have health coverage? How does that impact students' academic performance?
We've learned so much about how important health insurance is for children to thrive both in school and in life. Children with health coverage are less likely in miss school due to illness, meaning they're not only better prepared to learn during the school day, but they can stay involved in after school activities, life, pubs, sports. Your miss school days also means fewer misdays of work for parents, and those benefits really continue on. Children with health insurance are
more likely to complete high school and graduate college. So it really is about setting up our children for success with health coverage there when you need it, but also getting them set up with all the things they need to make sure they're ready to go for the year through things like routine visits to make sure that they've gotten their routine eye exams, making sure that they're getting all the help that they need for many issues that many of our children are experiencing now, and making sure
that they're up to date with their immunizations, So not only setting them up to success from the start, but also providing some peace of mind. Parents can rest easier knowing that medical bills from routine or emergency care won't jeopardize their famili's financial security.
I'm Ryan Gorman, joined by doctor Jessica Lee, acting Chief Medical Officer at the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services. What types of services are covered by Medicaid and SHIP and what services are especially important for students.
The Medicaid and TIPS cover comprehensive range of services for children and teens. Services like well childs and other doctor visits, dental care, mental health services, behavioral health services I examined in more. I want to highlight a couple of the key services going into the school year. For example, vaccines. Vaccines play a critical role in keeping communities healthy and
keeping kids in school ready to learn. The Sarah Kindberg gardners with state required vaccines has declined in recent years, so now is a really important time for parents to be talking with their child doctors and nurse and nurse about how any routine vaccines can be caught up on a child if their child has missed them in the schedule, and also what they need to get ready for the year.
A couple of the services to highlight. Mental health and behavioral health services are particularly important right now because we know that many of our nation's children are experiencing anxiety, depression, and other symptoms MEDICAIDS and TIPS can help support children and teens through services like early screening and intervention and access to ESENSUL behavioral health services, including mental health services, which we know can help our children lead healthy lives.
I want to highlight one other services heading back into the school year, and that's vision care, which is an important covered service that helps children be ready to learn. So children with vision problems that aren't diagnosed can struggle with school learning and go on into adulthood with the same issues seen. Eye exams can help keep children's vision healthy and prevent problems from going undetected. So these are just a few of the key services and the range
of comprehensive care that's available under Medicaid and SIFTS. And why health insurance is a critical item on the back of school checklist.
I know you alluded to this earlier, but I wondered if we could dive into this one more time real quick. And families with eligible children in role in coverage and where can they find more information on all of that.
So you can find more information on our website inserve kidsnow dot gov that's conser with an eye as in health insurance, or by calling one eight seven seven kids. Now you can find additional information on programs in your space. And I want to emphasize that enrollment is open all year around, meaning that you can apply any time, but you don't want to wait for when you need it.
You want this supposed to be available to help make sure that our children are ready for back to school season, and also so that it's there when you need it, but you know, don't wait. Enrollments open all year so you can apply anytime. You can apply also online, by phone, by mail, or even in person with a state program, and the process now is faster than ever before. Many people can apply and find out if they qualify the same day. I want to highlight a couple things about this.
Even if you've applied before more eligible, you might be eligible now, and again, even if you're no longer eligible, your children may still qualify if you are already in rolls or your children are already enrolled. You also need to make sure that you're set up to renew your
coverage so that you avoid any gasing care. It's important to confirm that the address and file with your state Medicaid office is up to date, and that if you receive a renewal form, you still have that form right away to return it, so there.
Is a renewal process. Once a child is covered by Medicaid or CHIP, parents do have to make sure they maintain coverage.
Yes, you do have to make sure that you maintain coverage, and in general, renewals happen about once every year. But making sure that your addresses on file so that it's correct when the state does outreach to do your renewal form, and making sure that you keep an eye out for that form so you can return it right away are some of the steps that you can take to make sure that you keep your child enrolled in these services.
Are there any other common questions that you get about Medicaid and SHIP that we haven't covered yet.
I think people some of the common misconceptions include that Medicaid some people think medication and tips are only there for emergency care and for children up to age nineteen, it really is that comprehensive care that is available to set kiddupth so that you know they're they're optimized really to stress the school year and to thrive. I think some of the other common misconceptions are that if you know,
if parents aren't eligible. They might think their culture and aren't as well, and actually their children very well might be eligible. I think people also sometimes don't know that if they no longer qualify for Medicator tips, they can visit Healthcare dots of and see if they're eligible to enroll in low cost, high quality health.
Plans through that, Doctor Jessica Lee, acting Chief Medical Officer at the Center for Medicaid and Chip Services. You can learn more about everything we discuss and get more information by calling eight seven seven Kids Now. That's eight seven seven five four three seventy six sixty nine, or go to insurekidsnow dot gov. You'll see the fine coverage for
your family section again Insure kidsnow dot gov. Doctor Lee, thank you so much for taking a few minutes to come on and break all of that down for us.
Thank you so much for having me. Ryan.
All right, I'm Ryan Gorman here on iHeartRadio Communities, and now let me bring in our final guest. We're joined by doctor Janet Wright, director of the CDC's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. Doctor Wright, thanks so much for coming on the show, and I want to start with a specific condition. What can you tell us about heart valve disease.
Well, Ryan, let's go on a tour. Let's go into that beautiful heart of yours and ours. So each heart has four heart valves, and with every feat of the part, the valves open and close in the body and in life is to direct blood flow through the heart, out into the body and up to the lungs. Heart valve disease occurs when one or more of those heart valves, those little leaflets that blow back and forth, becomes thickened
or scarred. That may mean that the valve in does not open fully, obstructing blood flow, or it doesn't close tightly and it allows blood to leak backwards. That lowers the efficiency of a heart as a pump and a strain on the heart that is part valve disease.
So what's the difference between heart valve disease and heart disease overall? And then more specific conditions like heart attacks and strokes.
So heart disease is a broad term, and a heart valve disease is a type. Heart attacks come from progressive clogging of the arteries of the heart. But interestingly, there is an overlap. Who have very high cholesterol not only develop those clogs in their arteries, but they also have an accelerated degeneration of their heart valves, especially the aortic valves.
So we really like to think about the heart in a holistic way, and that's why the things that you would do to prevent heart disease overall, good exercise every day and healthy diet and no smoking, all of those things also help reduce the risk of heart valve disease.
Are there certain people who are most at risk for heart valve disease?
Yes, there are. Some individuals are born with a slightly misstatement valve that over time, many years of those heart beats going back and forth, those valves opening and closing, that they develop more severe forms of heart disease over the arc of their lifetime. We know that older people, especially over the age of sixty five, again likely because of wear and tear on the valve, are more likely
to have heart vowel disease. A group of people that where it's not as well known is that individuals who had radiation treatment to their chests for cancer may have undergone or may have sustained some damage to the valve that eventually, over several years, may result in heart valve disease, and then they're infectus pauses the bug that causes strep throat streptococcus and get into the bloodstream and sort of housekeeping on one of the vowel belieflets and cause some arms.
So those are some examples of folks at slightly higher risk.
I'm Ryan Gorman with doctor Janet S. Wright, the director of the CDC's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. What are some of the signs and symptoms of heart valve disease?
You know, Ryan, I mentioned I love the heart and I think it's a work of art, a thing of beauty. But I have to say that heart valel disease is sneaky. And by that I mean if symptoms can be subtle, they can also be very slow in developing, so they develop over years years, And most of us, I mean humans are resilience organisms. We pushed through, we sold you're on. People are so busy and we cannot say attention to
the way we feel. So let me make sure that your listeners know what the class symptoms of part valve disease are. First of all, the sense of fatigue that seems greater than it should be, you might brush it off as a bad night's sleep. But if there's a pattern of an increasing fatigue, that's a sign pychically, sense of shortness of breast or air hunger. When you climb stairs or go up the same hill that you're used
to climbing. If you're more sort of breath than you were in the past, register that and consider that a symptom to discuss with your doctor or nurse. Likewise, a sense of test heaviness or pressure with exertion, or flippy skippy heart one that's racing or missing a beat. And then, finally, a symptom of an advanced heart value problem is a sense that you're going to pass out or even a blackout. Any or all of those symptoms you should take and discuss with your healthcare team.
If you notice that you're experiencing those symptoms, or you notice something might be a little off with your heart or your body, what steps should you take.
I want to be very explicit about this because this is your way to protect yourself from harm from undetected heart valve disease. When you go to your visit for any reason, elbow issue, your ache, ask the doctor or the nurse to take a list into your heart. It takes only a few minutes. They are skilled in the art of hospital station. That means listening to the heart
and detecting sounds of potential heart art valve problems. If you go and you the person examines your chest but they don't say anything, ask the question out of my heart vowel sound or do I have a heart murmur? If the answer indicates the possibility of a heart valve problem, then you ask what's next? What should I do about that?
Aside from that when you go to the doctor getting your heart listen to, are there other proactive preventative steps that everyone can take to deal with the potential for heart valve disease?
Yes, And I want to be clear, I've got to say a few things, but I want everyone to know you cannot self diagnose heart valve disease. You have to have somebody put a stethoscope on your chest. That said. You can keep your heart healthy by doing the things that you've heard about a long time. Trying to eat a good healthy diet, being physically active, and being stressed,
not smoking. The annual checkups or regular checkups are really important and really important to carry your symptoms, your sensations, your impressions of the way you feel. Make sure you convey that to your healthcare team. In addition, having regular checkups at the dentist is incredibly helpful because terms exist in our mouths, and as I mentioned, they can get into the bloodstream. Go set up house keeping on heart
valve and cause some damage. If you are prescribed antibiotics for strep throat or for some other infection, make sure you fill that prescription and complete the entire course of treatment. That is your best way to keep those germs from causing harm to your heart.
I'm Ryan Gorman with doctor Janet s Right, director of the CDC's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. Can you talk a little bit about the CDC's efforts to raise awareness of heart valve disease.
Yes. Ryan, In fact, the reason we're on this track is that we know that at about five million people over the US are diagnosed each here, but we know that some subsets of the population are less likely to have their condition diagnosed. It's not that they're more likely to have it, but they're less likely to get diagnosed and treated. And among those groups are women more than men.
Individuals who are African Americans and or black, Hispanic or Latino and Asian individuals are again less likely to be diagnosed and treated. So I want to make sure your listeners know that if they belong to any of those groups, that they should know the signs and symptoms and most importantly ask for that stethoscope on the tests when they have an office visits.
What else do you focus on in the Division for Heart Disease and struct Prevention outside of what we're talking about today with hard valve disease, if you ask, we have.
Been intensively working on hypertension control. One out of two adults in the United stake one out of two of us as high blood pressure, and only one out of four of those with high blood pressure has it under
safe control. Control is absolutely possible with lifestyle and maybe with medications if needed, and it's really important for people to pay attention to their blood pressure, to monitor it at home, and trade those readings with their healthcare team to make sure they prevent cart attacts, STROKESMNTA, complications of pregnancy and more.
Again, Doctor Janet s Right, Director of the CDC's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, You can learn more at CDC dot gov slash Know your Heart at CDC dot gov slash Know your Heart. Doctor Wright, thank you so much for taking the time to come on the show. Really appreciate it much, Brian for getting the word out all right, and that I'll do it for this edition of iHeartRadio Communities. I'm your host, Ryan Gorman. We'll talk to you again real soon.