Viewpoints: As More People Covered, Fewer Doctors?; ‘Shameful’ GOP Lawsuit
A selection of opinions on health care from around the United States.
Los Angeles Times:
The GOP's Shameful Lawsuit Against Obamacare
[T]he courts are likely to toss out the case because the dispute is political, not legal. ... Republicans have sought to undermine and destabilize the Affordable Care Act by attacking the benefits it provides to Americans on the lowest economic rungs. This lawsuit, which would affect millions who earn near-poverty-level wages, follows a case brought by conservative activists that seeks to end insurance subsidies for more than 13 million low- and moderate-income Americans in 37 states. We get that Republicans are intractably opposed to the healthcare law, but it is particularly shameful that they should take it out on the Americans most in need of the help. (11/24)
The Washington Post:
When Health Coverage Expansion Means Longer Waits For A Doctor
One concern about the Affordable Care Act is that as more Americans get health insurance and start using it, those who already have coverage will have to wait longer for care. Recent research with a focus on Massachusetts suggests this may actually happen, but may not last long. Several years after the coverage expansion in that state, access to care for other, previously covered residents appears to be no worse than before the expansion. (Austin Frakt, 11/24)
Los Angeles Times:
Ex-Health Net Member Learns To Deal With Medi-Cal
There are a lot of people who resent having to buy health insurance under Obamacare. Presumably their only weakness is Kryptonite. Then there are those who desire Obamacare coverage but have been forced out of the program and into plans for low-income people. They now face difficult choices because a growing number of doctors won't accept them as patients. ... It's one of the lesser-known aspects of the federal Affordable Care Act that anyone whose income drops below a certain level will be automatically shifted to Medicaid — or Medi-Cal in California. (David Lazarus, 11/24)
The Wall Street Journal:
Poll: Ebola Was a Bigger Story Than the Midterms
If you have any doubts on how concerned Americans became about the small number of Ebola cases in the U.S., check out this chart. When the Kaiser Family Foundation surveyed the public for our Kaiser Health News Index, we found that the public followed Ebola in the U.S. more closely than any other story over the past month–and much more closely than the midterm elections. (Drew Altman, 11/24)
The Journal of the American Medical Association:
Modern Drug Development: Which Patients Should Come First?
The goal of drug development is to expeditiously bring safe, effective medications to the patients who need them most. In parallel with the traditional phases of drug testing, drug manufacturers must choose the patient populations and the indications for which drugs will first be studied. Historically, novel agents ordinarily have been introduced in patients with advanced disease states. ... Recent trials in cardiovascular and cancer medicine, however, have challenged this approach; many novel drugs now seek to establish safety and efficacy in early disease settings. The shift in initial target population raises questions regarding optimal protocol. (Dr. Muthiah Vaduganathan and Dr. Vinay Prasad, 11/24)
The Philadelphia Daily News:
Mental Health A Monumental Prison Problem
America just can't get it right when it comes to mental illness. Decades ago, we shut down most of the country's psychiatric hospitals because they had become locked, Dickensian wards of cruelty and neglect for those with acute depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other conditions. ... Instead, we declared, America would provide treatment in the community, rendered with the compassion, dignity and humanity that had been lacking in our psychiatric houses of horror. The intentions were good. The execution has been a travesty. (Ronnie Polaneczky, 11/24)
