Viewpoints: Expiring ACA Tax Credits Will Devastate Livelihoods; GLP-1s Don’t Cure Every Ailment
Opinion writers tackle these public health topics.
Chicago Tribune:
When Health Insurance Tax Credits Disappear, So Does My Family's Peace Of Mind
Since 2021, enhanced premium tax credits have been the difference between having health insurance and going without for more than 350,000 people in Illinois. Over 105,000 of them are like me — entrepreneurs and self-employed workers trying to build something. But these tax credits expire at the end of the year, and Congress is stuck in gridlock while the clock runs out. (Juan Ochoa, 11/13)
The Washington Post:
The Ever-Expanding Benefits Of GLP-1s Warrant Closer Scrutiny
The medications aren’t just for diabetes and obesity, but they also aren’t for every ailment. (Leana S. Wen, 11/11)
Undark:
Weaponizing Wastewater Laws To Block Abortion
Nearly four years ago, I learned that there was fetal tissue stuck in my cervix. It had been there for nine days. This news came a few weeks after an ultrasound confirmed an eight-week pregnancy but failed to detect a fetal heartbeat, meaning I was experiencing a miscarriage. To help expel the tissue, my doctor prescribed the drug misoprostol, and that night, I inserted the four white hexagonal pills and spent the next 12 hours writhing in pain. (Melanie Benesh, 11/13)
Stat:
SNAP Must Be More Accessible To Seniors Who Struggle With Tech
As the government shutdown ends, SNAP’s status remains complicated. Even if and when things return to “normal,” many people who are entitled to benefits will continue to be locked out. The digital divide is keeping eligible seniors out of SNAP. (Javaid Iqbal Sofi, 11/13)
Bloomberg:
Mayor Eric Adams Introduces A New York Twist On Finland's Baby Boxes
Two weeks before his election as mayor, Zohran Mamdani held about the cutest press conference you can imagine: Surrounded by babies, and backed by a blue climbing structure, he announced that he would launch citywide “baby baskets,” welcoming the 125,000 babies born in New York City each year with a free collection of essential supplies. Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, who sponsored a pilot program of 500 “Born in Brooklyn” baby boxes in 2022, introduced Mamdani, saying, “This is a sacred act to have a baby … We want to make sure the last thing you are thinking about is a box of diapers.” (Alexandra Lange, 11/12)
