Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Clinton's Pneumonia Raises Questions About Her Overall Health As Well As Campaign's Transparency
Los Angeles Times: Pneumonia: What Does Clinton's Affliction Say About Her Health?
On Sunday, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s bout with pneumonia put this common, and commonly dangerous, infectious disease in the spotlight. When we posed some questions about pneumonia to physicians who specialize in lung health, primary care and women’s health, some surprising facts came to light. (Healy, 9/12)
The Wall Street Journal: Hillary Clinton To Release More Medical Records After Pneumonia Diagnosis
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said she was feeling much better after a pneumonia diagnosis and promised to release additional medical records this week, moving to contain concerns about her well-being and forthrightness after she stumbled exiting a 9/11 ceremony. The pneumonia diagnosis, belatedly disclosed by her campaign Sunday, has taken Mrs. Clinton off the road and off-message just as her campaign was working to focus on her agenda. (Meckler, 9/13)
The Hill: Clinton To Reveal More Health Info In Coming Days
Hillary Clinton's campaign plans to release additional information about the Democratic presidential nominee's health following her pneumonia diagnosis revealed Sunday. "In the next couple days, we're going to be releasing additional medical information about Hillary Clinton," spokesman Brian Fallon said on MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports." Fallon said that "there's no other undisclosed condition; the pneumonia is the extent of it." (Byrnes, 9/12)
Los Angeles Times: How Much Do Presidents And Candidates Need To Tell The Public About Their Health?
How much should presidential candidates tell the public about their health?Hillary Clinton, 68, was recently diagnosed with pneumonia, and the public didn’t know about it until two days later, when she abruptly left a Sept. 11 memorial ceremony feeling unwell and needing to be helped into a vehicle. If Donald Trump, 70, were elected, he would be older than any previous president at the start of his first term — and, like Clinton, he hasn’t released detailed records about his health beyond a doctor’s letter. Both candidates promised Monday to release more detailed medical records soon. (Pearce, 9/13)
The Washington Post: The Hidden History Of Presidential Disease, Sickness And Secrecy
In his second term as president, Dwight Eisenhower looked like an old man. He’d had a serious heart attack in 1955, requiring extensive hospitalization. Ike later suffered a stroke. In contrast to his seeming senescence, his successor, John F. Kennedy, seemed vibrant and flamboyant. The reality was that Eisenhower was not really that old — he was just 62 when first elected. And Kennedy wasn't actually that vigorous, and indeed was secretly afflicted by serious medical problems, including Addison’s disease, that his aides concealed from the public. (Achenbach and Cunningham, 9/12)
Stat: Want To Keep Healthy On The Campaign Trail? Good Luck
For veterans of the presidential campaign trail, getting sick is just part of the candidate’s job description. So while Hillary Clinton’s bout with pneumonia and faintness at a Sept. 11 memorial service has set off more speculation about her overall health, old campaign hands don’t seem nearly as fazed. “Candidates, like most in high stress/high travel jobs, are constantly dealing with annoying coughs, colds, whatever,” Stuart Stevens, Mitt Romney’s campaign manager in 2012, told STAT in an email. “It’s hard to take a day or two off and rest and that just makes it worse. It just happens. To everybody.” (Scott, 9/12)
