A Bite, a Bill, and a Bureaucratic Chill in Winning Halloween Haikus

By Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Staff
Illustrations by Oona Zenda
Oct. 31, 2025

Nearly 100 health care-themed haikus crept into our inbox this Halloween. See the winning poems and top runners-up from Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News’ seventh annual Halloween haiku contest, illustrated by Oona Zenda.

The judges’ favorites were inspired by tick migration, Medicaid work requirements, and rising copays.

Follow Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News’ social media accounts (, , and ) for more of our favorites. Enjoy!

1st Place

Checkups turn to fright.
Copays rise like witching flames.
My wallet screams “Boo!â€


— Arnav Shah

2nd Place

No rest after death.
Even the ghosts must work now
To get benefits.


— Kristen Hayashi

3rd Place

Questing legs, and teeth
Hitching rides on their blood-brides,
All ticks and no treat!


— Carrie Moores

While Halloween may be coming to an end, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News reporting continues year-round. Send us your haikus at any time for possible inclusion in our Morning Briefing: /contact-haiku/. 

2024 Halloween Haiku Contest Winners

A black and white cartoon of a witch donating blood. The person taking her blood is Dr. Dracula. Above them is a banner that says: "Dr. Dracula's Blood Drive." Haiku text at the bottom of the image reads: "Vampires don’t scare me. Empty blood shelves, now that’s fear. Roll up, save a life. –Crystal Decker"
(Illustration: Oona Zenda/Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News; Haiku: Crystal Decker)
A black and white cartoon of a scary medical bill frightening a ghoul and a ghost. Below the image, haiku text reads: "What spooks me the most Is not a ghoul or a ghost But steep health care bills. –Sasha Zitter"
(Illustration: Oona Zenda/Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News; Haiku: Sasha Zitter)
A black and white cartoon of a business man, with a name tag that says, "PBM," showing a $1,000 price sheet for a prescription drug. The PBM man scares a thief carrying eyeballs. The haiku text reads: "No, not eye-gouging. My costume is scarier: Pharma price-gouging. –Siri Palreddy"
(Illustration: Oona Zenda/Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News; Haiku: Siri Palreddy)

2023 Halloween Haiku Contest Winners

A black and white cartoon ink drawing shows two young children standing in an abandoned school nurse's office. One child is dressed up as a witch. She is sick and coughing. The other girl is dressed up as her cat, and holds onto her friend with concerned expression. They face an empty chair. A ghost nurse floats behind it, unable to help them. Below the drawing, a haiku reads: "Costumed coughs in school! / Kids seek care but find instead / A ghostly nurse chair."
(Illustration: Oona Zenda/Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News; Haiku: Madeline Steward)
A black and white cartoon ink drawing shows visitors on a tour bus pointing and screaming at a hospital building that has come to life. It has money signs for eyes and is holding medical bills. Below the drawing, a haiku reads: "Other countries ask: / Medical debt, what is that? / Hospitals say, "Boo!""
(Illustration: Oona Zenda/Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News; Haiku: Tom Cook)
A black and white cartoon ink drawing shows a person that has fallen into a 'bobbing-for-apples' trough gasping for air. In the water, they are surrounded by apples and medical bills. Below the drawing, a haiku reads: "Bobbing for apples. / Drowning in medical debt. Either way, get wet."
(Illustration: Oona Zenda/Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News; Haiku: Brynne McBride)

2022 Halloween Haiku Contest Winners

A black and white cartoon drawing of a witch lying on her back looking at her phone with a frightened expression. A black cat stands on her stomach and paws at the window, where viruses and bacteria are floating menacingly outside. At the bottom of the drawing, a haiku reads: "Covid, Ebola, / Monkeypox, seasonal flu – / Who needs Halloween?"
(Illustration: Oona Zenda/Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News; Haiku: Paul Hughes-Cromwick)
A black and white cartoon ink drawing shows two skeletons in a mirrored position looking at each other. One is a real skeleton while the other is a human in a costume. They are thinking. A spider holding a face mask is hanging between them. Below the drawing, a haiku reads: "Ghastly, grotesque, sick! / You mask up to trick-or-treat, / But not for covid?"
(Illustration: Oona Zenda/Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News; Haiku: Micki Jackson)
A black and white cartoon drawing shoes a headless horseman holding surprise medical bills while yelling, "surpriiiiiise!" Below him, a haiku reads: "Surprise billing curbs, / Like the famed headless horseman, / Remain incomplete."
(Illustration: Oona Zenda/Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News; Haiku: Michael L. Millenson)
Oona Zenda

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