Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Longer Looks: Opioids, European Health Care And White Nationalism
The New Yorker: Trump Misdiagnoses The Opioid Crisis
During the 2016 Presidential campaign, when Donald Trump was asked about the opioid crisis he often mentioned that he first learned about the severity of the situation in New Hampshire, which he visited several times ahead of that state’s primary. In 2014, after West Virginia, New Hampshire had the second-highest rate of death from opioid and heroin overdoses, at twenty-two out of every hundred thousand residents. (Amy Davidson Sorkin, 8/13)
The Economist: The Fix For American Health Care Can Be Found In Europe
Mitch McConnell was visibly distraught after the Republicans’ “skinny repeal” of Obamacare was defeated in the Senate, but he was not too out of sorts to get in a dig at Europe. The majority leader wondered acidly what ideas Democrats might have for fixing American health insurance, and noted that most Democratic senators had voted “present” on a bill proposing that America should embrace a single-payer system. (8/10)
The Atlantic: Is It Unhealthy To Be Overweight?
Is being a little bit overweight bad for you? Could it lead to an untimely death? It’s a question with real consequences. Many overweight people feel locked in a fruitless battle with their size. (Olga Khazan, 8/14)
Stat: White Nationalists Flock To Genetic Ancestry Tests. Some Don't Like The Result
It was a strange moment of triumph against racism: The gun-slinging white supremacist Craig Cobb, dressed up for daytime TV in a dark suit and red tie, hearing that his DNA testing revealed his ancestry to be only “86 percent European, and … 14 percent Sub-Saharan African.” The studio audience whooped and laughed and cheered. (Eric Boodman, 8/16)
Vox: 4 Fixes For The Astonishing Lack Of Vegetables In The American Diet
Doctors and health advocates have been urging Americans to choose broccoli over brownies for years, to no avail. So it’s abundantly clear that we now need to find other ways to incentivize and entice people to make different choices at the market.There is some good news here. A variety of strategies — from subsidizing produce to enlisting celebrities to market it to enabling doctors to write prescriptions for it — are being tested across the nation. (Julia Belluz, 8/15)
The Atlantic: Do Lactation Consultants Push Breastfeeding Too Much?
After I had my daughter via cesarean section, I diligently tried to breastfeed. I kept my baby latched as directed, and maintained skin-to-skin contact. But milk was not coming in, and my baby was not happy about it. (Lindsey Hunter Lopez, 8/15)
