Op Ed: Making the Case for Rx Kids in the Upper Peninsula

SHF CEO Megan Murphy joined U.P. Health Plan CEO Melissa Holmquist this week to make the case for Rx Kids in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Their op-ed, published in the Mining Gazette and Mining Journal, examines why expanding this cash support program for pregnant women and new mothers matters for U.P. families -- and why philanthropic funders and health insurers are arriving at the same conclusion.

The piece draws on the realities U.P. families face: long distances to care, hospitals without labor and delivery capacity, and financial pressures that cause women to delay or skip prenatal appointments entirely. Rx Kids addresses the financial barrier directly, providing a lump-sum payment prenatally and monthly support through the first six months of a baby's life.

For SHF, the program represents exactly the kind of investment that produces returns across health outcomes and community wellbeing for years to come.

Read the full op-ed in the Mining Gazette and the Mining Journal.