Viewpoints: Funding CHIP Is ‘Only Half The Job’; Scientists And The Fear Of Crispr
A selection of opinions on health care issues from around the country.
Los Angeles Times:
Republicans Fund Children's Health Insurance Program, But Leave Their Local Health Centers In The Lurch
Congressional Democrats and Republicans alike are congratulating themselves for finally passing new funding for the Childrens Health Insurance Program — and for another six years yet! The funding, which was part of the continuing resolution to end the three-day government shutdown, brought to a close the despicable failure to restore the authorization of CHIP, which ran out last Sept. 30. The delay threatened to take health coverage from 9 million low-income children and pregnant women. (Michael Hiltzik, 1/23)
Bloomberg:
Gene Scientists Don't Fear The Latest Crispr Snag
It can feel shocking when someone disparages a golden person, thing or technology -- and in recent years, no emerging technology has glittered as brightly as the gene-altering technique known as Crispr. So some investors were apparently jolted earlier this month when MIT Technology Review ran a news item headlined “Uh-Oh -- Crispr Might Not Work in People.” Any technology that’s never been tested in clinical trials runs that risk. With Crispr, there has yet to be a single human experiment in the U.S. or Europe. Human experiments are just beginning in China, but American researchers say they don’t have complete information on how those are turning out. Crispr still promises to transform agriculture, manufacturing and other endeavors, but making it “work” in people -- presumably by treating diseases -- presents a different challenge, since human lives are on the line. (Faye Flam, 1/23)
Los Angeles Times:
When Your Insurer Denies A Valid Claim Because Of 'Lack Of Medical Necessity'
We learned last week that roughly 3.2 million more Americans were uninsured in 2017 — hard data attesting to how Republicans' cold-hearted obsession with overturning Obamacare is playing out in the real world. According to the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index, the U.S. uninsured rate rose to 12.2% last year after plunging to a low of 10.9% by the end of 2016. Prior to Obamacare, the uninsured rate nationwide was as high as 18%. (David Lazarus, 1/23)
Stat:
To Thwart Flu Pandemics, We Need To Decode The Human Immune System
In the not-too-distant future, we predict that researchers will be able to harness the human immune system to prevent and control disease in ways previously considered unimaginable: one-shot vaccines that offer lifelong protection in everyone; a universal influenza vaccine that protects against seasonal and pandemic outbreaks of flu; vaccines against currently intractable infectious diseases; and, one day, vaccines against noninfectious chronic diseases, everything from cancer to heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. (Wayne C. Koff, Peter C. Doherty and Margaret A. Hamburg, 1/23)
USA Today:
Soda Taxes: If They're Good For Us, Why Are Americans Still Obese?
Once again, government meddling might be leading to unintended consequences. At the beginning of this year, Seattle’s new soda tax — 1.75 cents per ounce of soda — went into effect. At Costco, a now-taxed case of Coca Cola was $7.35 more than a same-size case of Diet Coke. ... While diet soda obviously beats regular soda on a caloric level, it’s not clear that it’s actually healthier. Ultimately, Seattle’s push might change buying habits — without making local residents any healthier. (Katrina Trinko, 1/23)
Des Moines Register:
Tiny Suicide Prevention Bill Could Save Iowa Teenagers' Lives
A young person commits suicide in the United States at the rate of one per hour and four minutes. It’s the second leading cause of death for people age 15 to 24. Four out of five teenagers who attempt suicide exhibit clear warning signs, according to the Justin Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to suicide prevention. ... Yet nothing in Iowa law requires that teachers and other educators be capable of recognizing these danger signals and getting appropriate help. That may change this year, as a result of legislation currently seeing bipartisan cooperation at the Iowa Statehouse. (Kathie Obradovich, 1/23)
Kansas City Star:
Gov. Eric Greitens' Budget Priorities: Slash Spending For Higher Education And The Poor
Missourians who have followed Gov. Eric Greitens for the past year will not be surprised by the governor’s new budget, revealed to the state Monday. Greitens — who frequently reminds voters of his courage and his service as a Navy SEAL — has decided to slash at two of the most politically defenseless groups in the state, students and the poor. The governor, for example, wants to save $40 million “through Medicaid cost containment initiatives” in the state’s social services budget. When asked to explain what those initiatives might be, the administration blinked, promising to come up with something eventually. (1/23)
Detroit Free Press:
How To Achieve 'One Detroit' For All
How do you measure the progress of a city? Civic actors in government, media, philanthropy and academia measure Detroit’s progress through data and reports. Percentages, indicators and evolving rates serve as the lens through which we mark our march through time. As the numbers rise and fall, especially in this period of transition, we increasingly ask ourselves will we ever see “one Detroit for all of us?” Unless we acknowledge the deep trauma that many Detroit residents have experienced, and continue to experience, the answer is no. Behind the numbers representing violent crime, poverty, foreclosure, eviction, infant mortality and addiction are real people who suffer — often in silence. (Chase L. Cantrell, 1/24)
Lexington Herald Leader:
Time For Prayers, And Gun Laws
Tuesday morning, two families sent their young teens off to another day of high school in Marshall County. It turned out to be their last. ... Healing should also include crafting laws that will allow other students to live out their natural lives, save their families and communities from this suffering. (1/23)
