Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: FTC Must Allow Distribution Of Cancer Screening Test; Fixing The Youth Mental Health Crisis
Newsweek: More Testing Can End The War On Cancer. Washington Can Help
Medical research shows one in two women and one in three men in America will develop cancer in their lifetimes. Far too often, people in physicians' offices throughout the United States hear the following heartbreaking words from their doctor, "I'm sorry, but it's too late." Amid all the cancer research, there is now a breakthrough blood test that detects different types of cancer, most of which currently have no other means for early detection, that could be in patients' hands if the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) did not stand in the way. (Melanie Campbell, 12/17)
Chicago Tribune: One Way To Tackle America’s Youth Mental Health Challenge: Change Billing
I wiped down tables at an inpatient child and adolescent psychiatric unit when the intercom rang. A few minutes later, four adult security guards arrived. Their purpose? To restrain an enraged teen. I felt conflicted, unsettled yet aware that the teenager posed a risk to self and others. I also wondered how these escalated situations were prevented in the past, recalling moments when a trusted staff member calmed patients on the verge of outburst. Unfortunately, personalized preventive measures like this are less feasible as mental health care workers for youth are in short supply across the U.S. (Tony Liu, 12/20)
Stat: After Rebuke Of Bankruptcy Settlement, 'Sacklers Don’t Deserve A Pass'
Your neighbor’s kid is still sitting in jail for selling heroin — to people who were initially hooked by OxyContin. Your friend who lost both her brother and niece to addiction fueled by the false notion that OxyContin was virtually nonaddictive still struggles with misplaced guilt over their tragic deaths. Your local support group leader has to pick and choose which funerals to attend because there are so many: more than 1 million families have now lost loved ones to overdose death since 1996, the year OxyContin was introduced. (Paul Pelletier and Beth Macy, 12/19)
The Baltimore Sun: Perpetual Stress Is Taking A Toll On All Of Us
As the head of Bridges, which sponsors 25 ministries in six states (one in Germantown), I’ve seen our local leaders learning how to live and function during a dangerous malady which is impacting millions of people. But I don’t mean COVID-19; I mean the PTSD that results from it. And it’s far from “post.” The PTSD we’re dealing with is ongoing, it’s Perpetual Traumatic Stress Disorder. (12/20)
Stat: Clinical Labor Pricing Updates Can Address Staff Shortages, Financial Strain
The ongoing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on primary care physicians are jarring. Fewer than 30% of primary care physicians are reporting that their practices are on solid financial footing. Coupled with worsening staffing shortages and burnout, the challenges facing physicians have never been more evident. The pandemic has compounded the financial strain caused by unbalanced and outdated Medicare payments. A big reason is that clinical labor pricing has not been updated in nearly 20 years. (Sterling N. Ransone, Jr., 12/20)
The New York Times: The Medicaid Reentry Act Could Save Lives
Each year, more than 650,000 people are released from state and federal prisons. Nine million others churn through local jails. For many, the transition back to the outside world poses an acute risk. Studies have shown a decline in the health of the recently released, who experience significantly higher rates of death and hospitalization compared to the general populace. The first two weeks can be especially dangerous. Among the most common killers of this population are suicide, cardiovascular disease, homicide and, topping the list, drug overdoses. A 2007 study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that the formerly incarcerated in Washington State were around 129 times as likely to die of an overdose in the first two weeks after their release as other state residents. The opioid epidemic has hit this cohort extra hard. (Michelle Cottle, 12/20)
Stat: "Move Fast And Break Things" Doesn't Work For Health Care Companies
Entrepreneurs at tech startups are likely to hear the Mark Zuckerberg adage that it’s important to “move fast and break things.” The concept that moving quickly to get ahead of competitors and get products in customer hands is appealing, but it doesn’t work across all industries. Health care is one of the fields where moving too fast and “breaking” things could have disastrous results. Theranos is just one example where this type of philosophy was a horrendous idea. (Elizabeth Ruzzo, 12/17)
