Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: A Different Take On Addiction Recovery; Would You Sign Up To Vote At The Doctor's Office?
Scientific American: We Need More Meds, Not Beds, To Help People Recovering From Addiction
As overdose deaths take more than 100,000 U.S. lives annually, the medical profession needs to reexamine our country’s inpatient addiction treatment system, one that is often well-intended but not always rooted in evidence, particularly when it comes to treating patients with opioid addiction. (Zoe Adams and Sarah Wakeman, 10/22)
USA Today: Registering Voters At Medical Facilities Would Be A Good Rx For Democracy
This might strike you as an odd pairing ‒ health care and democracy ‒ but as former secretaries of state from opposing political parties and an emergency physician on the front lines of health care, we have witnessed firsthand how health and civics intersect. (Trey Grayson, Miles Rapoport and Dr. Ali Raja, 10/21)
Newsweek: I'm An ER Doctor. I've Seen The Damage Of Trump's Health Care Policies
I have been an emergency doctor in the same small rural community for over 20 years. I've witnessed medicine with and without the Affordable Care Act (ACA)—also known as Obamacare—as well as before, during, and after Donald Trump was president. So when Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio), former president Trump's running mate, said during the vice presidential debate that Trump "saved" the ACA, I thought I had heard wrong. On the ground, in the ER, that was not the reality at all. (Rob Davidson, 10/21)
Newsweek: Project 2025 Would Reserve Good Health For The Rich. We Can Help
Health care in America is often a tale of two nations. For many Americans—particularly white and wealthy ones—the U.S. can offer some of the best, most groundbreaking care in the world. (Judy Chu, Nanette Barragan and Steven Horsford, 10/22)
Stat: Opioid Settlement Billions Are At Risk Of Being Wasted
The opioid and overdose crisis is a national tragedy, claiming more than 1 million lives since 1999. In the past three years, more than $55 billion has flowed into state, county, and city coffers from opioid manufacturers, distributors, and chain pharmacies as a result of their collective role in instigating and perpetuating this public health crisis. This urgently needed infusion of funding has the potential to turn the tide on the epidemic. (Justin Berk, Dennis Bailer and Brandon D.L. Marshall, 10/23)
