Ghosts, ghouls and ghastly drug prizes when winning Halloween haikus

October 31, 2024

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</p> <p>If you dare, take a look at this year's winners of KFF Health News' sixth annual Halloween Haiku Contest. We received more than four dozen spooky submissions, but only a few made it to the top of the cauldron. Here is the winner and runner-up, illustrated by Oona Zenda. The judges' favorites were inspired by blood shortages, high healthcare costs and the exorbitant prices of prescription drugs. Keep an eye on KFF Health News social media accounts (<a rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://twitter.com/KFFHealthNews" target="_blank">X</a>; Instagram; and Facebook) for more of our favorites. Enjoy!</p> <h2><strong>1st place</strong></h2> <p>Vampires don't scare me. </p> <p>Empty blood shelves, that's fear. </p> <p>Roll up, save a life.</p> <p><em>—Crystal Decker </em></p> <h2><strong>2nd place</strong></h2> <p>What scares me the most </p> <p>Is not a ghoul or ghost </p> <p>But high healthcare bills.</p> <p><em>—Sasha Zitter </em></p> <h2><strong>3rd place</strong></h2> <p>No, not obvious. </p> <p>My costume is scarier: </p> <p>Drug price gouging.</p> <p><em>– Siri Palreddy</em></p> <p>While Halloween may be coming to an end, KFF Health News' coverage continues throughout the year. <strong>Send us your haikus</strong> at any time for possible inclusion in our morning briefing: </p> <h2><strong>2023 Halloween Haiku Contest Winners</strong></h2> <h2><strong>2022 Halloween Haiku Contest Winners</strong></h2> <p>
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