Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Finally, A Few Fireworks Fly At Presidential Debates Around Priorities Like Health Care; Keep Asking Questions About Health In The White House
The Washington Post: A Debate That Actually Covered The Issues? This Time, We Don't Have To Imagine.
Imagine a debate that drove the political pundits crazy and warmed the hearts of policy wonks and voters curious about how politicians might solve problems. What would it be like to have presidential candidates score few points against each other but lay out in some detail what they’d do about family leave, housing, climate change, voting rights and a slew of other issues? You don’t have to imagine. That pretty well describes the fifth Democratic presidential debate on Wednesday night. It covered a much broader range of concerns than the earlier encounters, including an extensive set of queries on foreign policy. While the contenders tangled over a few issues — notably, as always, health care — they avoided fireworks, cracked the occasional joke (Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota especially) and spent far more time in vehement agreement than they did in loud disagreement. (E.J. Dionne Jr. , 11/20)
The Columbus Dispatch: A Question Of Health In The White House
The presidency is a job unlike any other and imposes physical and mental demands like no other. So when the White House says President Donald Trump used a rare free Saturday afternoon to pop in at Walter Reed National Medical Military Center for an unscheduled “partial physical,” the public is right to have questions. (11/21)
USA Today: Trump Health Hypocrisy After Clinton Smears: Speculation Is Dangerous
When I heard about President Donald Trump's unexpected weekend visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, honestly, my first thought was the stress and strain of impeachment coupled with his Big-Mac-KFC diet finally got the better of him.Instead, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham issued a statement saying, “Anticipating a very busy 2020, the President is taking advantage of a free weekend here in Washington D.C. to begin portions of his routine annual physical exam at Walter Reed.” Grisham would later add via tweet that “further speculation beyond the extensive & honest info I put out is wholly irresponsible & dangerous for the country.” But how “routine” was this medical visit? And can you blame many of us for asking? (Kurt Bardella, 11/19)
The Hill: Presidential Candidates Should Use Their Platforms To Elevate Oral Health
The debate over “Medicare for All” has sucked the oxygen from many other important health policy issues. Though 28 million Americans lack health insurance in the United States, there is an untold crisis of more than four times that population — 114 million Americans — without dental coverage. Millions of Americans are suffering from decaying teeth, gum disease, and chronic pain. Yet, in the Democratic presidential debates thus far, barely a word has been spoken about this crisis. When we spend so much time talking about health care, why is oral health so easy to ignore? (Arielle Kane, 11/20)
Des Moines Register: Background Checks Can Reduce Abuse In Nursing Homes
This fall, the Senate Finance Committee, led by our own Senator Grassley, is expected to unveil a bill to address abuse and neglect in nursing homes and other long-term care settings. The bill is long overdue, given countless government studies addressing these horrific problems and specifying solutions.Lawmakers are set to announce a series of policies to provide more funding for detection and reporting of elder abuse. Will they also take meaningful steps to prevent abuse in long-term care settings? (Dean Lerner, 11/20)
The Hill: Could Health Data Privacy Kill You?
Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported on Project Nightingale — a controversial initiative spearheaded by Google’s parent company Alphabet and its health-care cloud-computing customer Ascension Health. Millions of patient records had been copied to Google servers and were viewable by hundreds of Alphabet employees. This was done without the knowledge of the patients or their physicians. (Piers Nash, 11/20)
The CT Mirror: Being A Woman Of Color In Connecticut Is Bad For Your Health
Being a woman of color in Connecticut is bad for your health.As a nurse working in an inner-city hospital, I have seen this first hand. I have seen women delay or forgo prenatal care because they do not have insurance. I have seen women who are here illegally ignore cancers growing inside them for years because of fear of medical providers, or fear of deportation. (Molly Montano, 11/21)
