Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Longer Looks: Saving Lives Or Money; American Deaths; And Male Birth Control
The New York Times Magazine: Can Doctors Choose Between Saving Lives And Saving A Fortune?
The United States is a sore-thumb outlier among 11 wealthy nations in medical spending. We spend 18 percent of our G.D.P. on health care, while Australia, Canada, Denmark and Japan seem to make do with about half that amount. Yet life expectancy in the United States is the lowest in the group, and infant mortality is the highest. Our out-of-control prices have a stifling effect on the economy. Companies that pay a portion of health insurance for their workers may find themselves burdened by cost. (Siddhartha Mukherjee, 4/3)
FiveThirtyEight: More Americans Are Dying From Suicide, Drug Use And Diarrhea
In recent years, there’s been a focus on how much we’re spending on health care in the U.S., but to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s Ali Mokdad, the more distressing problem is how little we seem to be getting for all that money. Generally, U.S. mortality is higher than almost every other wealthy country, for nearly every disease, he said. (Ella Koeze and Anna Maria Barry-Jester, 4/2)
Politico Magazine: When Our President Put His Doctor In Charge Of Everything
Putting someone unqualified in charge of a massive system such as the Romanian Ministry of Health could lead to amateurism, improvisation and, eventually, mission failure. In our case, it did—twice. This seems to be the case right now in Washington: A person with impressive credentials in terms of running small medical units, Dr. Ronny Jackson, has suddenly been catapulted to the top of a government agency dealing with veteran affairs—thanks in no small measure, it seems, to his robust defense of Trump’s personal health. (Marius Stan and Vladimir Tismaneanu, 3/31)
Vox: The 3 Most Promising New Methods Of Male Birth Control, Explained
While a pill for men certainly isn’t coming to the pharmacy anytime soon, there is reason for (muted) hope. Several promising products are quietly making their way through clinical trials. A topical gel that blocks sperm production is the furthest along in development, followed by a hormonal pill contraceptive and a nonsurgical vasectomy. (Julia Belluz, 4/4)
The Atlantic: DACA Helps Reduce Teen Pregnancy
Trump might want to rethink his quest to end DACA for another reason: The program seems to greatly improve the lives of its beneficiaries, in ways that, ultimately, are good for America as a whole. According to a new paper, DACA led to a big drop in teenage birth rates among undocumented youth. (Olga Khazan, 4/4)
