Viewpoints: Measles Outbreak Is Worse Than People Realize; Cuts To Medicaid Are A Terrible Idea For The GOP
Editorial writers discuss these public health issues.
The New York Times:
The Texas Measles Outbreak Is Even Scarier Than It Looks
The news that an outbreak in Texas has caused the nation’s first confirmed measles death in a decade — an unvaccinated child — is as unsurprising as it is tragic. Spreading largely in rural Mennonite communities that typically have low vaccination rates, the outbreak has already grown to at least 124 cases since late January. Almost all of them are children. (Zeynep Tufekci, 2/28)
The New York Times:
Republicans Want To Gut Medicaid. They Might Regret It.
On Tuesday, House Republicans took the first step toward Medicaid cuts by passing a budget resolution that could mean up to $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid over 10 years. Now they have to actually identify specific cuts to the program — deciding which patients, providers and state governments will lose, and how much. (Michael Kinnucan, 2/28)
Bloomberg:
Cutting Medicaid Is A Mega-Risk For House Republicans
Republicans are taking a huge political gamble as they try to find money for tax cuts by threatening to slash Medicaid. As Congress has learned repeatedly, most recently in 2018, when the party in power messes with Americans’ health care, things don’t go well for them in midterm elections. (Mary Ellen Klas, 2/27)
Stat:
How The Trump Admin Can Fix What’s Broken At The FDA
With the right policies, advanced science, and strong leadership in government agencies, President Donald Trump has the power to save more American lives from rare diseases than any president in history. That might be a bold statement, but it is based on my prior conversations with him as well as his public statements and actions in his first term. And such leadership and change cannot come soon enough for so many in need. (John F. Crowley, 2/28)
The CT Mirror:
Lawmakers: Increase Access To Biomarker Testing
Imagine this: someone you love has just heard the words “you have cancer.” They are meeting with their oncologist – perhaps even me, or one of my colleagues – and come to understand that there is specialized testing that can help decide what treatments might best target their specific cancer. The oncologist plans to rely on something called biomarker testing to find a treatment so precise that it targets the specific biology in hopes to keep that cancer from destroying their vital organ functions. (Andy Salner MD, 2/28)
Stat:
Is X’s AI Grok Really That Good At Diagnosing Bone Fractures?
In January, a user on X posted about how Grok, X’s artificial intelligence tool, diagnosed their daughter’s broken wrist from an X-ray that her care team had misread. The post now has more than 14 million views and, in the ultimate X win, got a shout-out from Elon Musk, who declared, “Grok can diagnose medical injuries.” (Kalyan Sivasailam, 2/28)
