Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Different Takes: Hearing Aid OTC Availability Will Help Many; Polio Vaccination In Children Is Imperative
The Washington Post: The FDA Is Finally Shaking Up The Hearing Aid Market
Hearing aids are too expensive, too clunky and too hard to get, which means many Americans go without devices that would substantially improve their quality of life. That is why the Food and Drug Administration’s Tuesday announcement that it is finally shaking up the hearing aid market is such a big deal. (8/21)
The New York Times: Even A Single Case Of Polio Is A Threat
The case of a young adult paralyzed by polio in New York is not simply unexpected. It’s shocking. The last time polio was diagnosed in New York State was in 1990. And yet the virus has now also been found in wastewater samples in Rockland County, Orange County and New York City. (Mary T. Bassett, 8/21)
Los Angeles Times: Polio Is Back — Aided By Global Health Failures That Spread COVID And Monkeypox
A case of polio in an unvaccinated man was recently announced in New York state, followed by the discovery of polio in wastewater in New York City. That means a vaccine-preventable disease has re-emerged in the United States, one of the world’s most resource-rich countries, more than 40 years after it was eliminated here. (Abraar Karan and Bonnie A. Maldonado, 8/22)
The Star Tribune: Reforms Vital After CDC's Fumbling
A North Dakota native has been named to a new and vital health care post. The nation ought to wish her well because the task before her is daunting: overseeing the overhaul of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) after its frustrating response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (8/21)
The Star Tribune: Health Care Changes Will Hurt Many Americans
U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith and Reps. Angie Craig, Betty McCollum, Ilhan Omar and Dean Phillips are taking credit for helping lower costs for Medicare beneficiaries, which is desirable, but the Minnesota Democrats fail to mention the harm the legislation will do. (Glen Taylor, 8/20)
Houston Chronicle: Texas' Years-Long Medicaid Waiver Waitlists Fail All Texans
Brundidge and her family are one of the untold number of Texas families who have been forced to leave in order to get the disability services they needed to thrive. A Houston Chronicle investigation into the years-long waitlists for these critical services, Medicaid waiver programs funded through a combination of state and federal funds, estimated that there are 200,000 Texans waiting for care. (8/21)
Dallas Morning News: Postpartum Health Care Is At Risk In Texas Thanks To More Partisan Politics
In a state with one of the highest maternal mortality rates, the last thing we need is another foolish political fight getting in the way of health care. But that’s exactly what is happening when it comes to extending Medicaid coverage for postpartum women, including new mothers, from two months to six months in Texas. (8/22)
