Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Longer Looks: The Future Of Repeal; Medical Marijuana & Lady Gaga
The New Yorker: Is Health Care A Right?
Is health care a right? The United States remains the only developed country in the world unable to come to agreement on an answer. Earlier this year, I was visiting Athens, Ohio, the town in the Appalachian foothills where I grew up. The battle over whether to repeal, replace, or repair the Affordable Care Act raged then, as it continues to rage now. (Atul Gawane, 9/25)
Vox: How Republicans Could Still Revive Obamacare Repeal After Their September 30 Deadline
Even if the new budget resolution isn’t used to revive Obamacare repeal, the GOP could have yet another chance to bring it back — by passing yet another budget with new reconciliation instructions next year. So far from cleanly ending the story of Obamacare repeal, the September 30 deadline will likely only lead to a new period of uncertainty. (Andrew Prokop, 9/26)
The Atlantic: When Will The Economy Start Caring About Home-Care Work?
Home-health and personal-care work is one of the country’s fastest-growing occupational sectors. But it is one marked by low pay and meager benefits, a problem that might become more urgent as the U.S.’s population continues to age. On top of that, care workers face high rates of wage theft, tax and benefits misclassification, and employer fraud, according to a new report from the National Employment Law Project (NELP), a think tank and advocacy organization. (Annie Lowrey, 9/22)
FiveThirtyEight: The War Over Obamacare May Never End
I don’t think the Obamacare wars are over — or even close to over. We tend to think there are only two possible futures for the Affordable Care Act: It remains in place or Republicans in Congress repeal it. But there are really four paths. (Perry Bacon, Jr., 9/22)
Rolling Stone: Why The GOP Is Pushing For Medical Marijuana Research
Some Utah residents are working overtime to get medical marijuana on the state’s ballot next year. They seem to have just gotten a surprising new Republican ally in their effort – Senator Orrin Hatch. (Matt Laslo, 9/22)
The Atlantic: Lady Gaga's Illness Is Not A Metaphor
The pop star this month informed the world that she suffers from fibromyalgia, which causes chronic muscle pain. In the documentary, she visits the doctor, she curls up on a couch, she cries in agony. On Instagram, she prays while holding a rosary. The caption is a lengthy apology to her fans for having to postpone upcoming performances due to her condition. (Spencer Kornhaber, 9/21)
Vox: Why Puerto Rico’s Power Outages Could Prove Very Deadly, In One Chart
We often take electricity for granted, and don’t typically associate it with public health. A lot of the ways they’re tied together are hidden. But when the power is out, it becomes painfully clear how much the medical, public health, and sanitation systems rely on the electrical grid to keep people safe and healthy. (Julia Belluz, 9/25)
Politico: Senior Medicine: When ‘More’ Isn’t Better
Dr. George Taler still makes house calls, driving his scuffed green Toyota sedan from one apartment to another, carrying a blue satchel with a laptop, hand sanitizer and a few medical tools. Inside each apartment, he practices medicine with old-fashioned care, spending half an hour with each patient. He takes out a stethoscope, a blood pressure cuff, a pulse oximeter. And if all goes well, when the visit ends, the patient ends up getting less—not more—medical care than if she'd shown up at a medical office. (Art Allen, 9/27)
