Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Banning Mifepristone Undermines FDA Authority; Abortion Ban Exemptions Are A Farce
Stat: Supreme Court Mifepristone Case Threatens Medical Innovation
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court announced it will soon weigh in on a case that challenges how the Food and Drug Administration regulates mifepristone, a drug it approved almost 25 years ago that is used to terminate pregnancy. The case, the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, is disguised as a dispute over safety. In reality, it’s about whether the courts will go along with overturning, for political reasons, the authority of the FDA as the scientific arbiter of approval of new drugs and restrictions on their distribution. (Eva Temkin and Grace Colon, 12/14)
Los Angeles Times: A Texas Case Shows How Cruel And Illusory Abortion-Ban Exceptions Can Be
A historic drama playing out in Texas ended Tuesday when the Texas Supreme Court held that Kate Cox, a woman 20 weeks pregnant with a fetus with trisomy 18, an almost always fatal abnormality, could not legally end her pregnancy in her home state. (Mary Ziegler, 12/13)
Stat: Medical Exceptions To Anti-Abortion Laws Offer False Hope
Imagine being in the midst of your pregnancy, and you learn that your baby is unlikely to live for more than a few fleeting moments after birth. There is no cure for their condition. Nothing can prevent their death. Most people think they will never be in such a situation. And most people are right. But Kate Cox’s case in Texas this week serves as a stark wake-up call to the nation: This could happen to you or someone you care about, and medical exceptions to anti-abortion laws won’t offer a safe haven. (Abigail Wilpers, 12/13)
USA Today: US Can Fight Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity. Start With Kids
In America today we have a Type 2 diabetes epidemic. In America today we have an obesity epidemic. They are directly related, and both epidemics are getting worse. As chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, I intend to do all that I can to address this crisis. (Senator Bernie Sanders, 12/14)
Stat: Europe Offers A Roadmap For The U.S. On Obesity Coverage
It’s no secret that the obesity epidemic in the United States has reached alarming levels, with rates surpassing 40% of the population. Despite a robust focus on wellness and exercise in the media, post-pandemic America continues to rank among the global leaders in obesity rates. Estimates indicate that treating obesity will be expensive, but those sums pale in comparison to the estimated direct and indirect costs of $1.7 trillion that obesity places on the U.S. health care system today. In 2018, research found that obesity is the No. 2 cause of preventable death in the United States. (George Hampton, 12/14)
The New York Times: My Life With Long Covid
Every morning, I wake up in my Brooklyn apartment, and for two seconds, I can remember the old me. The me without pain, the me with energy, the me who could do whatever she wanted. Then I’m shoved back into my new reality. (Giorgia Lupi, 12/14)
