Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Extreme Heat Warnings, Advisories In Place For Southwest, California
The Washington Post: Sweltering Heat To Bake Southwest, California Before South, Southeast
Temperatures are soaring as we head into the weekend beneath an intense and sprawling heat dome that will bring triple-digit heat to 45 million Americans in the coming week. Heat advisories and excessive heat watches and warnings blanket the map in the Desert Southwest and California, with the heat set to expand into the central United States this weekend. By early next week, the stifling heat dome will shift to the eastern Lower 48, baking the Ohio Valley, Midwest, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Highs could run 10 to 15 degrees above normal, with readings peaking in the upper 90s and heat indexes topping 100. (Cappucci, 6/9)
In mental health news —
Fortune: Workplace Mental Health Benefits Can Reduce Sick Days, Increase Productivity—And Even Provide Savings For Employers
Two-thirds of Americans, 66%, have experienced some anxiety- or depression-related symptoms over the last six months, according to a recent Fortune survey conducted by the Harris Poll at the end of May. ... The effects of mental health issues, particularly depression, can be extensive—not only for patients, but for their families and even employers. Workers with ongoing depression are typically 35% less productive. Plus the cost of absenteeism, reduced productivity, and medical expenses related to ongoing and unresolved depression totals an estimated $210.5 billion per year, according to data from the American Psychiatric Association. (Leonhardt, 6/9)
NBC News: Most Police Departments Make Recruits Undergo Psychological Evaluation. Federal Law Enforcement Agencies? Not So Much
It’s long been the norm for big city police departments to require potential officers to sit through psychological evaluations before they get badges and guns. But the thousands of agents assigned to the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other agencies under the Justice Department don’t need psychological assessments to police American streets, documents obtained by NBC News reveal. That means the federal agency tasked with forcing local police departments to reform their standards, including telling cities like Baltimore and New Orleans to have applicants sit through psychological evaluations, isn’t following its own instructions. (Weichselbaum, Siegel and Rappleye, 6/10)
Bangor Daily News: Mother Says Mental Health System Failed Presque Isle Man Killed In Police Shooting
Jacob Poitraw begged for help to deal with his mental illness for years, but lost his battle on Sunday when he died after police shot him. Poitraw’s mother, Renee Duarte, remembered her son on Thursday as an average kid who wanted to help anyone in need. Law enforcement sought Poitraw, 25, Sunday after he allegedly threatened people with a rifle. He threatened police, led them on a chase, rammed a cruiser several times and was subsequently shot, according to Presque Isle Police Chief Laurie Kelly. He had a history of burglary and probation violations and had served time in prison. (Brewer, 6/10)
KHN: Long Wait For Justice: People In Jail Face Delays For Mental Health Care Before They Can Stand Trial
Beau Hampton’s long wait for psychiatric treatment began last year, after he was accused of attacking his foster father and charged with a misdemeanor. The 18-year-old Hampton, who has a long history of mental illness, sat in jail east of Atlanta for four months waiting for an expert to evaluate whether he was mentally fit to stand trial. In February, a state psychologist found Hampton incompetent. (Miller and Grapevine, 6/10)
In other health and wellness news —
NBC News: Geico Must Pay $5.2 Million To Woman Who Got HPV From Sex In Man's Insured Car, Court Rules
Geico must pay a Missouri woman $5.2 million after she caught HPV from unprotected sex with her then-boyfriend in his insured automobile, a state appellate court ruled. In an opinion published Tuesday, the Court of Appeals for the Western District of Missouri affirmed the multimillion-dollar payout against the insurance company, best known for its ubiquitous TV ads that frequently feature a talking gecko. The woman — identified in court papers only as "M.O." — said that she "engaged in unprotected sexual activities in Insured's vehicle" in November and December 2017 and that he "negligently caused or contributed to" her catching the human papillomavirus (HPV), a common sexually transmitted infection, court papers said. (Li, 6/9)
The New York Times: Walking May Prevent New Knee Pain For Some, Study Suggests
A promising new study suggests that walking could ward off knee pain for people with osteoarthritis. Researchers surveyed over 1,000 people ages 50 or older with knee osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis in the United States. Some had persistent pain at the outset, while others did not. After four years, those who started off without frequent knee pain and walked for exercise at least 10 times were less likely to experience new, regular bouts of stiffness or aches around their knees and had less structural damage in their knees. The study suggested that people with knee osteoarthritis who are bowlegged might particularly benefit from walking. (Blum, 6/8)
USA Today: How Many Calories Should I Eat A Day? Guidelines For Men, Women & Kids
Few things are as essential as nutrition, yet few things can feel as nebulous. Even the question of how to lose weight, once regarded as basic, is contested by experts, who say there’s more to it than simply eating less and exercising more. How many calories should you eat a day? There is no single answer to this question either, experts say. It depends on a number of variables, including your gender, age and weight among others. But the U.S. Department of Agriculture puts out rough calorie ranges as part of its dietary guidelines report, published every five years. Here is how many calories the USDA says you should eat. (Mayorquin, 6/8)
Also —
NPR: Median Rents Have Crossed The $2,000 Threshold For The First Time
A new report from Redfin shows that nationally listed rents for available apartments rose 15% from a year ago. And the median listed rent for an available apartment rose above $2,000 a month for the first time. Rents are up more than 30% in Austin, Seattle, and Cincinnati. In Los Angeles the median asking rent is $3,400. Even in formerly affordable cities such as Nashville it's now $2,140, up 32% from last year. "Housing is getting less affordable for everyone at every level," says Daryl Fairweather, the chief economist for Redfin. She says after the last housing crash we didn't build enough homes for a decade. And that lack of supply is the biggest force pushing up home prices and making it harder for people like Drotar to afford to buy a home. (Arnold, 6/9)
