Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Abortion Rules Based On Lies Must Be Corrected; Should Insurance Cover IVF?
Chicago Tribune: Lies About Abortion Have Dictated Health Policy
During the last 50 years, lies and intentional misinformation have dictated abortion health policy in the U.S. Abortion has been demonized and characterized by utter falsities; it has gone under the radar for far too long. (Tamara Kay And Susan Ostermann, 12/5)
The Colorado Sun: Coloradans Seeking IVF Need Help Getting Health Care Coverage
The American health care system has long been broken, a sentiment I was reminded of when a dear friend shared her struggles securing health insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization in Colorado. (Trish Zornio, 12/5)
The New York Times: The Chronic Illness Debate Is More Mainstream — But Still Mysterious
One effect of the coronavirus pandemic has been to normalize a debate about mysterious chronic illnesses that previously hovered at the fringes of American public discourse. (Ross Douthat, 12/2)
The New York Times: What Euthanasia Has Done To Canada
In recent years, Canada has established some of the world’s most permissive euthanasia laws, allowing adults to seek either physician-assisted suicide or direct euthanasia for many different forms of serious suffering, not just terminal disease. (Ross Douthat, 12/4)
Stat: Digital Approaches Can Improve Youths' Mental Health Care
In the face of a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health, urgent measures are needed to help those in need. Many struggling youths and teens do not receive age-appropriate, timely, and affordable mental health care today. (Greg Yap and Derek Xiao, 12/5)
The Star Tribune: Above Average Is Still Failing On Boosters
Seniors are among those most vulnerable to becoming severely ill or dying from COVID, a trend that has accelerated since 2020. "Today, nearly 9 in 10 COVID deaths are in people 65 or older — the highest rate ever," according to a Washington Post analysis published this week. (12/3)
Stat: Congress: Boost Funding For Nutrition Research And Coordination
You are what you eat. Every year, new scientific discoveries make clear that food is critical to health. In recent years, nutrition research trials have shown that a Mediterranean diet reduces cardiovascular disease; ultra-processed foods increase weight gain; omega-3 fatty acids improve IQ in preterm babies; cocoa prevents heart attacks; and vitamin D supplements do — well, almost nothing. (Bill Frist and Dariush Mozaffarian, 12/2)
