Viewpoints: Time To Right A Serious Wrong And Ban Menthol Cigarettes; Problems With Single-Payer Go Beyond Costs
Editorial pages focus on these health topics and others.
Los Angeles Times:
Half Of All Underage Smokers Choose Menthols. We Need To Kick Kools To The Curb
When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned child-friendly flavors in cigarettes in 2009, it didn’t include menthol cigarettes. That was unfortunate because, like cherry and mocha, menthol hides the harsh taste of tobacco and as a result is popular with young and underage smokers. The FDA is expected to right that wrong this week by proposing to ban menthol cigarettes altogether, while also imposing new restrictions on the sale of flavored e-cigarettes at gas stations and convenience stores. Anti-smoking advocates say that a rule banning menthol cigarettes, provided it is not watered down or undermined, would be the most important tobacco reduction action the FDA has ever taken. Today, about a quarter of all the cigarettes sold are mentholated. (11/13)
The Wall Street Journal:
The False Promise Of ‘Medicare For All’
Health care was a priority for midterm voters, and for good reason. In nearly five years since ObamaCare’s major provisions came into effect, insurance premiums have doubled for individuals and risen 140% for families, even while deductibles have increased substantially. Hospitals and doctors continue to flee ObamaCare’s coverage network, to the point that almost 75% of plans are now highly restrictive. ObamaCare also encouraged a record pace of consolidation among hospitals and physician practices. All these developments will raise health-care prices, as fewer hospitals compete for payers. (Scott W. Atlas, 11/12)
JAMA:
Physical Activity Guidelines For Health And Prosperity In The United States
According to the recently released Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition and as summarized in this issue of JAMA, it is estimated that in the United States, nearly $117 billion in annual health care costs and 10% of all premature mortality are associated with failure to meet the levels of recommended aerobic physical activity. Only 26% of men, 19% of women, and 20% of adolescents meet the PAG recommendations, despite the fact that these recommendations are readily achievable by most individuals in the United States. ...By simply meeting these physical activity guidelines, billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives could potentially be saved, and millions more Americans could experience improved quality of life. Lack of physical activity may also be a threat to national security, as obesity disqualifies nearly one-third of individuals in the United States aged 17 to 24 years from military service. (Brett P. Giroie and Don Wright, 11/12)
The Hill:
New FDA Approved Synthetic Opioid Serves A Good Purpose
Now along comes Dsuvia, a new sublingual synthetic opioid (injected under the tongue from pre-filled syringes), that is ten times more powerful than Fentanyl, with a seemingly high risk for abuse, addiction and overdose death. At first glance, it would seem questionable that such a powerful opioid would be approved at a time when the FDA is trying to streamline approvals for opioids and make sure that they have completely justified medical uses especially when the abuse and addiction potential is high. Dsuvia fits this expectation to a tee. It was developed jointly with the FDA and the Pentagon for use on the battlefield. It was used for wounded soldiers when they were in agony and intravenous lines may not have been available or they were impossible to place. Dsuvia affords the battlefield surgeon or medic the opportunity to deliver instant pain relief where it might not otherwise be possible. (Dr. Marc Siegel, 11/12)
The Washington Post:
Study Suggests Low-Dose Aspirin Can Reduce Risk Of Ovarian Cancer
A study published last month offers some new hope for helping prevent ovarian cancer — in the form of a baby aspirin — and may add to the growing body of evidence that inflammation plays a role in the disease. But researchers caution that more study is needed. (Carrie Dennett, 11/12)
Stat:
Ethical Leaders: Use Science To Advance Gender Equity In Medicine
Medicine adheres to a strict code of ethics. Yet a large body of research demonstrates the industry’s ambivalence toward addressing rampant workforce gender bias. Compared to their male colleagues, female physicians face disparities in nearly every marker of achievement including, but not limited to, pay, promotion, recognition awards, grants, publications, and speaking invitations. Subtle slights, or micro-inequities, such as calling women by their first names and men by their professional titles in work settings, often support environments in which larger disparities exist. For example, one study showed that during recorded grand rounds introductions, women who introduced women used the speaker’s professional title nearly 100 percent of the time whereas men who introduced women used the speaker’s professional title only about half the time. (Julie K. Silver, 11/12)
Bloomberg:
Athenahealth Sale Is OK Ending For Elliott
Athenahealth Inc.’s sale plan is the best outcome for a messy situation. The health-care technology company announced on Monday that it was selling itself for $135 a share, or about $5.7 billion, to private equity firm Veritas Capital and Evergreen Coast Capital, the buyout arm of activist investor Elliott Management Corp. (Brooke Sutherland, 11/12)
Des Moines Register:
Iowa takes center stage in the fight against elder abuse
One in 10 older adults in the United States is abused or exploited every year. The abuse can be physical, psychological, or financial. In any form, it is unconscionable. The United States Department of Justice and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office are committed to ending it. (Peter E. Deegan Jr., Marc Krickbaum and Tom Miller, 11/12)
Des Moines Register:
Gov. Kim Reynolds Must Explain Her Plans To Fix Medicaid
There are more than 2.1 million registered voters in Iowa. About 40 percent of them did not vote in the midterm elections. The majority of the 1.3 million who did gave Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds four more years in office. They also gave her a GOP-controlled Legislature. This is troubling news for the Iowans who rely on Medicaid, the health providers who serve them and taxpayers. Despite many problems with privatizing management of the $5 billion health insurance program, Reynolds has refused to return it to state control. She has defended and perpetuated an experiment set in motion by her predecessor that relies on for-profit insurers to manage care for more than 700,000 people. Now Reynolds fully owns responsibility for this program, and she must explain to Iowans her vision for its future. (11/9)
