Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Baby Formula Shortages May Be Coming Back; Millions Set To Lose Medicaid Coverage
The Washington Post: Baby-Formula Tariffs Are About To Return, Risking Fresh Shortages
Americans keep having to learn and relearn the same sorry lesson: Protectionism makes our supply chains less resilient, not more. This may again become painfully evident when tariffs on baby formula return in two weeks. (Catherine Rampell, 12/15)
Newsweek: 15 Million Americans Are About To Lose Their Health Care. Congress Must Act
Disaster is likely to strike, as state Medicaid agencies struggle to reevaluate the eligibility of more than 82 million people. Federal researchers project that Medicaid will terminate 15 million people—seven times the largest previous annual loss of Medicaid coverage. (Derrick Johnson, Marc H. Morial and Sonia M. Perez, 12/15)
San Francisco Chronicle: Medical Deepfake Disinformation Is Coming. We Aren’t Ready
When thinking of malicious deepfakes in medicine, one might imagine a deepfake video portraying Dr. Anthony Fauci spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. But deepfakes misrepresenting prominent leaders is only one possibility. Cyber researchers are already imagining hypothetical scenarios where deepfakes sabotage the very tools doctors and scientists use in the field. (Annie Ostojic, 12/15)
Chicago Tribune: What’s Most Troubling About Long COVID? America Doesn’t Know Enough About It.
By no means is COVID-19 a bygone worry, but on so many levels, life as we knew it has resumed. This is not the case, however, for the subset of Americans enduring what is known as “long COVID.” (12/15)
The Washington Post: Should Mask Mandates Return?
After a brief lull, coronavirus cases are again on the rise. At the same time, hospitals are inundated with patients infected with RSV, influenza and other viral infections. New York City health officials have strongly recommended masking, and the Los Angeles area is considering a return to mask mandates. (Leana S. Wen, 12/15)
The Tennessean: How Better Communication Can Drive Better Health Outcomes
The phrase “health literacy” describes a person’s ability to seek, comprehend and effectively use information when making decisions about their health care. Unfortunately, not everyone has this ability. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says nearly 9 out of 10 Americans have limited health literacy. (Sharon Moore-Caldwell, 12/15)
Stat: A Physician Grapples With The Art Of The 'Deceased Note'
My grandmother died in the hospital, alone, the day after she was “found down” at home by emergency medical services. Two years later, I summoned the strength to review her medical records, including the deceased note. (Trisha S. Pasricha, 12/16)
