Viewpoints: Calif. Anti-Vaxxers Find A Work-Around; What’s Become Of Maternity Care In Rural America?
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Los Angeles Times:
Anti-Vaxxers Have Found A Way Around California's Strict New Immunization Law. They Need To Be Stopped
Two years ago the state Legislature passed a law banning so-called personal belief exemptions that many parents were using to keep their children from being vaccinated because they believed — wrongly — that vaccines were linked to autism and other serious health problems. But even as the number of personal belief exemptions fell to zero, the number of medical exemptions has skyrocketed. That's fishy. (11/8)
The Washington Post:
Rural America’s Disappearing Maternity Care
Life in rural America can be tough, with challenges starting right from birth. Increasingly, rural women lack access to maternity services, jeopardizing their health and that of their newborns at a time when U.S. maternal mortality is rising. Giving birth is hard enough, but racing 100 miles to the nearest hospital down winding country roads is a particularly harrowing way to experience labor. Evidence confirms what common sense suggests: Drive time affects outcomes. A Canadian study shows that the babies of mothers who travel more than an hour to give birth are more likely to require intensive care or to die within their first year of life. (Katy B. Kozhimannil and Austin Frakt, 11/8)
Miami Herald/Florida Times-Union:
Make Plan For Florida Nursing Homes Realistic
Florida Gov. Rick Scott acted decisively with his administration’s rules to protect nursing home residents from power outages. The tragic deaths of 14 residents at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills nursing home in during Hurricane Irma shocked the nation — and rightfully so. ... Scott was right to make sure that nursing homes have enough backup power in hurricanes. But his rules were unrealistic, according to a Florida court. ... Moving away from the initial, but understandable, knee jerk reaction, the nursing home industry ought to be consulted in order to come up with a workable solution. Cost is a factor, as well. Many nursing homes operate on a slim profit margin. (11/9)
JAMA:
Evidence Supports Action To Prevent Injurious Falls In Older Adults
With the aging of the population, the occurrence of falls among older adults is increasing in the United States and worldwide. In 2014, the incidence of falls among people older than 65 years was 672 per 1000 population in the United States, and the incidence increases with age. Among people older than 85 years, the fastest growing segment of the US population, fall incidence was 820 per 1000 population in 2014. In addition, the risk of falls increases substantially among individuals as they develop dementia. (Eric B. Larson, 11/7)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Battle Over Veterans’ Health Care Comes Down To VA Choice
To address problems of long wait times at Veterans Health Administration hospitals, in 2014 Congress established the Veterans Choice Program, which provides private health care options for eligible veterans at government expense. ... Advocates, however, had long warned that private-sector options increase the cost of veterans’ health care. Now this has proven true. (Michael Blecker, 11/8)
Arizona Republic:
House Passed 24 VA Reform Bills, But There's More Work To Do
We promise our veterans health care and additional services through the Veterans Administration. Many who work at the VA do an excellent job and are committed to providing quality care. Unfortunately, a lack of accountability and oversight has led to a plague of poor care for our veterans. (Rep. Andy Biggs, 11/8)
