Viewpoints: Changes To ACA, Medicaid Could Wipe Out Progress On HIV; Opioid Summit Missed Mark On Best Way To Respond To Epidemic

The Hill: A Lack In Affordable Care May Lead To HIV Resurgence
In just five years, from 2011 to 2015, the number of new HIV diagnoses among women in the U.S. fell by 16 percent and HIV-related mortality continues to decline due to the availability of high-quality treatment and prevention tools. But this progress is being jeopardized as women are losing access to affordable health insurance and necessary services. Recent actions by the Trump administration to dismantle the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) will reduce access to health care for many, and has placed dangerous restrictions on women’s reproductive rights. Additionally, proposed budget cuts to federal health programs will put women’s health at risk. (Susan Blumenthal and Ijeoma A. Egekeze, 3/7)

The Hill: White House Opioid Summit Failed To Deliver Any Real Solution
In some ways, the White House opioid summit provided hope that we could make progress in alleviating the opioid crisis. Some of the people who took a leadership role seemed to understand what we need to do in order to solve the problem. However, the summit fell short of reaching its full potential because of the unhelpful attitudes some of the key players projected. However, the collective attitudes of the people at the meeting who have been directly affected by the disease stood in stark contrast to what we have been hearing from Attorney General Jeff Sessions. He didn't wait for the Opioid Summit to tout drug policy reform as the best way to address the opioid epidemic. To him, this means escalating the war on drugs. (Lynn Webster, 3/7)

The Hill: Deaths From Drugs, Alcohol And Suicide Are Skyrocketing — What Can We Do To Respond?
The rise in deaths from drugs, alcohol, and suicide are now reaching numbers that threaten to desensitize us to their magnitude. In one year alone we saw 142,000 die — which equates to one every four minutes. These numbers are staggering and preventable; however, like many problems our country will face for health care, we have a choice as to how we respond. (Benjamin Miller, 3/7)

JAMA Forum: Redesigning Medicaid Managed Care
When it comes to health care, California is often considered a bellwether state. California has experienced the largest gain of any state in the number of individuals who are covered by insurance following the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It has also been a leader in the use of managed care. As of 2016, almost 23 million Californians (58% of the population) received care delivered through a health maintenance organization (HMO). This includes the state Medicaid program (Medi-Cal), through which 10.3 million beneficiaries (about 80%) receive services through managed care. Nationwide, 1 in 5 Medicaid beneficiaries who are in managed care reside in California. (Andrew B. Bindman, 3/7)

The Washington Post: We Still Haven’t Made Things Right In Flint
Lead causes irreversible damage to a developing brain, so it is especially harmful to children 5 or younger. Symptoms include developmental delays, dyslexia and behavioral problems. Thus lead exposure adds one more serious adversity to the multiple challenges associated with urban poverty, including nutritional deficiencies, reduced access to quality medical care, community violence and poor-performing public schools. Now, the heartbreaking data is starting to come in. It was recently reported that between 2013 and 2017, the portion of Flint’s third-graders who tested as proficient in reading at grade level fell from 41.8 percent to 10.7 percent. (Irwin Redlener, 3/7)

Stat: A Doctor Without Health Insurance? What Could Go Wrong?
When I finally couldn’t put it off any longer, and was barely able to get out of bed, I ended up in the emergency department I work in. A colleague, looking at my chest X-ray showing extensive pneumonia, asked why I waited so long to see a doctor. In tears, I tried to explain. Later, hospital bill in hand, the explanation became easier. The bill for my emergency department visit totaled $10,282.34. (Jessica K. Willett, 3/7)

JAMA: What Clinicians Need To Know About Vitamins And Mineral Supplements
Dietary supplementation is approximately a $30 billion industry in the United States, with more than 90 000 products on the market. In recent national surveys, 52% of US adults reported use of at least 1 supplement product, and 10% reported use of at least 4 such products.1 Vitamins and minerals are among the most popular supplements and are taken by 48% and 39% of adults, respectively, typically to maintain health and prevent disease. Despite this enthusiasm, most randomized controlled trials of vitamins and mineral supplements have not demonstrated clear benefits for primary or secondary prevention of chronic diseases not related to nutritional deficiency. (JoAnn E. Manson, 3/6)

Lexington Herald Tribune: It’s Time To Legalize Medical Marijuana In Kentucky
For years, Kentucky veterans have approached us with a question that has no good answer: “Why are my comrades in other states able to treat PTSD and pain with medical cannabis while I cannot?” Frustrated and confused, these men and women struggle daily with the effects of post-traumatic stress triggered by the horrors of war and chronic pain from injuries suffered in combat. (Alison Lundergan Grimes and Dakota Meyer, 3/7)

The Courier-Journal: Raising Kentucky's Cigarette Tax Is Good Health Policy
Health advocates are calling for a $1 per pack increase in Kentucky’s state tax on cigarettes because it will reduce tobacco use, particularly among youth and pregnant women. Less smoking means healthier babies and youth and a significant reduction in the health care costs paid by taxpayers. (William Hackler, 3/8)

The Courier-Journal: Cigarette Tax Increase Unfair To Kentucky Smokers And Businesses
As a long-time Kentuckian and business owner, I appreciate our elected officials’ efforts in Frankfort to identify new revenues, close budget gaps and fund important government programs. But large, targeted cigarette taxes rarely deliver the expected revenue and rely on a small group of Kentuckians – adult smokers – to pay more for government programs that benefit everyone. Having worked over 23 years in the retail consumer products industry, I’ve seen first-hand the unintended consequences tax increases can have on local businesses. (Gerald Stith, 3/8)

Seattle Times: Let’s Invest More Equitably In Homeless Programs That Work
I, like you, see the vestiges of a system that has failed to address the scale of the interrelated crises of affordability, addiction and homelessness. There is universal agreement that homelessness has reached a breaking point, and the status quo is unacceptable. But that shared understanding ends there. While neighbors, business owners, policymakers and service providers may agree that addressing homelessness is our city’s top priority, we may have widely differing views on how to solve this issue, how to fund chosen interventions and what outcomes to demand. (Lorena Gonzalez, 3/7)