Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Antibiotic Resistance Is At Crisis Level; Drugs Like Ozempic Could Change Obesity Treatment
The Washington Post: Drug-Resistant Bacteria Are Proliferating. We Need New Antibiotics.
Antibiotics, drugs that kill bacteria or slow their growth, have been a mainstay of medicine since the 1940s. Yet bacteria can evolve to fight back. They can prevent antibiotics from entering their cells, for example, or pump out the drugs. (1/18)
The New York Times: I Lost Weight On Ozempic. Here’s What The Debate Gets Wrong.
When Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford entered medical school in the early 2000s, obesity medicine was not part of the curriculum, even though obesity rates in the United States have been steadily rising since the 1980s. (Lulu Garcia-Navarro, et al, 1/19)
The New York Times: Does The War Over Abortion Have A Future?
In decades past, as the calendar turned to January, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade would come into view. Abortion opponents would be planning to acknowledge the date with the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. Supporters of abortion rights would schedule seminars or meet for quiet conversations about whether and when the Supreme Court might actually go so far as to repudiate the decision it issued 50 years ago on Jan. 22, 1973. (Linda Greenhouse, 1/18)
The CT Mirror: Tackle Food Deserts To Address A Health Crisis
Although type 2 diabetes primarily affects adults, children across the nation are developing the condition at alarming rates. Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body builds up a resistance to insulin which is needed to help the body regulate blood sugar. This disease can be life-changing and an extreme threat to a person’s health and well-being. Therefore, preventing diabetes in children is essential. (Mollie McManus, 1/19)
Stat: Med School Rankings Should Include An Economic Mobility Index
What are the attributes of a great medical school? U.S. News & World Report’s ranking system says the best American medical schools score high in areas that include the quality of the school’s curriculum (based on the opinions of deans, school administrators, and hospital residency directors); grade-point averages and standardized test scores of incoming students; student-to-faculty ratios; federal research activity; and the proportion of graduates who specialize in primary care. (David Lenihan, 1/19)
Stat: Biopharma Leaders Helped Save Democracy. Now What?
The rule of law must be upheld for free societies and free markets to flourish, and only a well-functioning democracy offers the levers for rational majorities to prevail. Americans support causes and candidates. We debate and organize. Then we vote, respecting the outcome, knowing that soon enough, we’ll have the sacred right to do so again. But what if a determined minority set out to damage democracy’s levers and undermine the integrity of the vote? (Paul Hastings, 1/18)
Stat: Upcoding By Medicare Advantage Plans Must Be Reined In
At the start of 2023, an estimated 2.5 million Americans age 65 and older began using Medicare Advantage programs. Some made this choice in response to aggressive marketing campaigns. One unexpected “benefit” of these plans is an offer by the insurance company sponsoring the plan to send a nurse or physician’s assistant, often from a startup company, to an individual’s home. (Robert M. Kaplan and Paul Tang, 1/19)
