Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Ending Roe Is Making Women Forgo Pregnancy Altogether; Total Abortion Bans Are Deadly
Los Angeles Times: How Abortion Laws Are Hindering Wanted Pregnancies
The post-Dobbs antiabortion laws have reached far beyond mothers trying to end their pregnancies voluntarily. They are also inhibiting access to healthcare for women like me who want to have a viable pregnancy. The political advocates responsible for the new laws proclaim themselves to be protecting human life, yet their laws can have the opposite effect. (Jennifer Shinall, 3/16)
The New York Times: Tennessee Must Change Its Abortion Law
Before the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, I did not consider myself an abortion provider. Ninety-five percent of my work as a high-risk obstetrician was helping women through complex pregnancies to achieve healthy outcomes for both them and their babies. (Sarah Osmundson, 3/16)
The New York Times: The Aftermath Of A Pandemic Requires As Much Focus As The Start
By the end of 2021, Americans were dying three years sooner, on average, than they were before Covid-19, with life expectancy falling from 79 years to 76 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent statistics. (Atul Gawande, 3/16)
The Tennessean: Time To Drag Hospital Pricing Out Of The Shadows
It's been more than two years since a rule promulgated during the Trump administration requiring hospitals to disclose their prices took effect. Yet according to a new study, most hospitals aren't complying. (Sally C. Pipes, 3/15)
Stat: The Cancer Moonshot Needs Economists, Finance Experts
In February, President Biden announced the reboot of the Cancer Moonshot and vowed to reduce cancer mortality by 50 percent in the next 25 years. It’s a goal that’s both lofty and achievable — but only if the advances in science are accompanied by progress in controlling costs and innovations in financing cancer treatment. (Jeff Levin-Scherz, 3/16)
Cincinnati Enquirer: Smoking Linked To Mental Health Issues, Stress
We have known about the physical effects of smoking for several years. However, there is an increasing body of knowledge linking smoking to mental health issues and stress. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking is more common among adults with mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, than in the general population. (Greg Kesterman, 3/15)
The New York Times: This Conversation Changed The Way I Think About Dementia
I’ve seen and experienced the toll dementia takes on a loved one. And I’m far from alone: One in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. But the symptoms and decline usually happen in private, which can make figuring out a way to live with the illness isolating and frustrating — both for people with dementia and the people who care for them. (Lulu Garcia-Navarro, 3/16)
