Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Still All-In On RFK Jr., MAHA Activist Endorses Dems Who Champion Movement's Policy Priorities
Politico: Why A MAHA Mom Who Loves RFK Jr. Is Backing Democrats Who Don’t
One of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s most prominent supporters is making good on her threat to endorse some Democrats just days before the midterm elections. The Democrats on Zen Honeycutt’s list aren’t just any Democrats. Her Moms Across America Movement is backing progressive firebrands such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, as well as candidates in crucial battlegrounds, like Rep. Chris Pappas, who’s running for Senate in New Hampshire. (Haslett and Friedman, 11/1)
AP: Top Healthcare Worries Weigh On Older US Adults Before The Midterms
Barbara Weigand could not have prepared more for retirement. She stayed healthy and saved diligently for years. This year, though, a shoulder surgery and a bladder cancer diagnosis have really tested her finances. She recently withdrew $4,000 from her retirement account to cover medical expenses associated with her cancer treatment. (Hussein, 10/31)
Stat: The 4 Biggest Ways The Midterms Could Change Health Policy, According To Policymakers, Lobbyists, And Experts
No matter what happens on Election Day, the midterms will have sweeping implications for American health care. The future of essential health policies, the politics surrounding health issues, and insight into the inner workings of the remade federal health infrastructure will all be affected by Tuesday’s outcomes. (Payne, 10/31)
The Wall Street Journal: Investors Are Betting A Blue Wave Will Help Hospitals. Don’t Count On It.
Healthcare investors have found their favorite election wager: hospital operators. But they would do well to remember what happened the last time an opposition party won the House vowing to roll back a president’s healthcare agenda. (Wainer, 11/1)
CNN: A Record Number Of Health Professionals Are Running For Office. Could They Help Heal US Politics?
At least 125 doctors, nurses and public health experts are on the ballot for Tuesday’s midterm elections — an unprecedented number from fields that historically offered fewer paths to elected office than boardrooms and courtrooms. (Christensen, 11/1)
Also —
Stat: Election Stress May Raise The Risk Of Heart Attacks. Here's How
The reminders to vote in Tuesday’s midterms are ubiquitous. Some health scholars have another reminder: that elections, especially divisive ones, can stress the heart. Studies have found a significantly higher chance of arrhythmias in the weeks just before and after elections, and an increased rate of hospitalizations for heart attacks right after voting day. (Cooney, 10/30)
In other news from Capitol Hill —
NBC News: Sen. Chris Murphy Hospitalized After Stroke
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. is “awake and alert,” his team said, after being hospitalized following a stroke on Saturday. The senator “started experiencing numbness in his arm while at his son’s hockey game,” Allison Herwitt, Murphy’s chief of staff, said in a statement on Sunday. (Thorp V and Marquez, 11/1)
