Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Facility Fees Often A Surprise; US Needs Remembrance Day To Heal From Covid Losses
The Boston Globe: Hit With A Hidden Fee On Your Doctor’s Bill? Health Care Consolidation May Be To Blame
My phone dinged. I looked at the screen and saw I had received an email from Anthem, my medical insurance provider. I had recently moved to Boston and had gone to see a new dermatologist for my rosacea. But before that, I did my homework. I spent the last three years as a health and benefits consultant, helping employees and employers understand their medical insurance benefits. So I assumed I understood my health benefits. I spent days making sure the dermatologist I chose was in-network. I called five different dermatology offices to check whether their doctors were in-network. I double-checked with Anthem to confirm that the doctor I chose was actually in-network. Once I was satisfied, I made an appointment to see a dermatologist at Brigham Dermatology Associates. (Danielle Zhou, 6/9)
Los Angeles Times: Why We Need A National Day Of Remembrance For COVID Victims
With the rollback of mask mandates and increased demands for a return to “normal,” survivors feel left behind, their grief unseen. Worse yet, many face the outright denial of their loss, especially when they read social media posts that claim the death rates are exaggerated or that the virus is nothing but “a hoax.” Or that age, infirmity or some other disease besides COVID is to blame. Last summer, the U.S. surgeon general issued an advisory regarding the “urgent threat” to public health posed by misinformation about COVID. Despite that, counterclaims and falsehoods have continued relatively unchecked, compounding the grief of families and hindering an already incomplete mourning process. (Sarah E. Wagner, Roy R. Grinker and Joel C. Kuipers, 6/10)
Newsweek: Why America Doesn't Trust The CDC
People don't trust the CDC. Here's one example illustrating why. Two weeks ago, with no outcomes data on COVID-19 booster shots for 5-to-11-year-olds, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) vigorously recommended the booster for all 24 million American children in that age group. The CDC cited a small Pfizer study of 140 children that showed boosters elevated their antibody levels—an outcome known to be transitory. (Marty Makary, 6/10)
Newsweek: Break Government Officials' Monopoly On Public Health
Public health initiatives in the United States are suffering from a crisis of trust. Recent polls show that only a third of the public trusts insurance and pharmaceutical companies, while just 56 percent trust the government health agencies that are meant to regulate these industries. Another survey during the COVID-19 pandemic showed that only around half of Americans have a "great deal" of trust in the CDC, while a mere third have such trust in the Department of Health and Human Services. (Austin Stone, 6/10)
The Washington Post: Cancer Etiquette: How To Talk To People With A Dreaded Disease
“Cancer etiquette” might seem like an odd concept, but we desperately need direction here. It’s easy to recognize the wrong things to say — especially after the fact — but what are the right ones? As Josette Snyder, a cancer care nurse at the Cleveland Clinic, has written, it’s about “interacting with someone with cancer in friendly, empathetic and appropriate ways. It’s showing that you acknowledge what he or she is going through — both physically and emotionally.” Still, it’s not always easy to be “appropriate.” We may be taken by surprise by devastating news, or stumble into it accidentally — such as by commenting on someone’s new haircut only to learn the hair loss is because of chemotherapy. (Steven Petrow, 6/9)
Stat: Pursuit Of Profits Is Driving Drug Companies To Break The 340B Law
Seventeen drug companies, including some of the world’s largest, are flouting a 30-year-old federal program that supports hospitals serving patients with low incomes and those who live in rural communities. Both the Trump and Biden administrations have deemed these actions unlawful. But these drugmakers continue to ignore the law, sapping resources from the nation’s health care safety net and threatening the health of the patients who rely on it for care. (Maureen Testoni, 6/10)
Scientific American: Blaming Gay Men For Monkeypox Will Harm Everyone
In Chicago last month, thousands of gay men gathered for the first time in three years for the annual International Mr. Leather conference, a four-day-long affair where men from all over the world gathered to strut their stuff in leather gear, have lots of sex, and compete to be named International Mr. Leather. IML is like the Miss America pageant, except those working the runway are clad in harnesses. (This year, the honor went to Gael Leung Chong Wo of Belgium.) (Steven W. Thrasher, 6/9)
