Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Climate Change Intensifies Fungal Infections; GOP Plan To Make Medicaid Eligibility Needlessly Difficult
Bloomberg: Deadly Fungi Are Here, And They're Spreading
Fungal pathogens are the underdogs of the medical world — largely understudied and underfunded — partly because fatal disease most often occurs in immunocompromised populations or developing countries. The most common infections known to the public are minor — athlete’s foot, thrush, ringworm — and so the idea of a deadly fungus is limited to science fiction, such as the video game-turned-TV show The Last of Us. (Lara Williams, 5/22)
The New York Times: The Republican Plan To Bury Medicaid Users In Paperwork
The proposed House bill reverses what has been a quiet revolution in Medicaid — making it easier for people who are eligible to obtain benefits. Over the past 15 years, reforms have included simplifying applications, eliminating confusing paperwork and automating processes, especially when it comes to renewing benefits. Surveys show that the public supports such service improvements. (Pamela Herd and Donald P. Moyniham, 5/22)
Bloomberg: Medicaid Work Requirements Can Save Money With Serious Reform
For weeks, Republicans in Congress have been haggling over cuts to Medicaid, the health-care program for the poor. Some lawmakers see an opportunity to offset the cost of extending $5 trillion in tax cuts, a priority for the White House. Others worry their constituents could lose access to critical care. (5/21)
The New York Times: Why Are So Many People Sure Covid Leaked From A Lab?
In April the Trump White House paved over the informational public health website Covid.gov with what can only be described as a splashy propaganda page. “LAB LEAK,” it shouted in large font at the top, movie-poster style, with Donald Trump’s image positioned between the enormous capital letters as an A-list star investigator. The tagline: “The true origins of Covid-19.” (David Wallace-Wells, 5/21)
The Washington Post: FDA's New Approach To Covid Vaccines Could Have Been Way Worse
When I heard that the Food and Drug Administration was announcing a new framework for coronavirus vaccine approval, I expected the worst. After all, the FDA answers to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has called the coronavirus shots the “deadliest vaccine ever made.” Kennedy recently said he wants placebo testing for all new vaccines, stoking fear that this requirement would apply to updated covid shots and hinder their availability this fall. (Leana S. Wen, 5/21)
Stat: FDA Must Catch Up To Genetic Therapies For Young Children Like Baby KJ
In 2018, my daughter, Mila, became the first person in the world to receive a medicine designed for one person, an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) called “milasen.” Last week, the world received the breaking news that a baby named KJ had received the first personalized CRISPR treatment — one that may save his life. Just as technology is revealing thousands of genetic conditions behind previously unexplained symptoms, Mila and KJ’s stories are proving an entirely new way of treating those who suffer from genetic disease. The new era of individualized medicines is here. (Julia Vitarello, 5/22)
The Baltimore Sun: The Takeaway From Biden's Prostate Cancer
It should come as no surprise that the recent revelation that former President Joe Biden has an aggressive form of prostate cancer drew a broad spectrum of reactions from the sympathetic to the scrutinizing. And perhaps that was best exemplified by President Donald Trump who in an Oval Office chat with reporters on Monday initially described the situation as “very sad” but then spoke of how it might have been diagnosed sooner and how “the same doctor” failed to document Biden’s cognitive decline. (5/21)
