Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: The Link Between 'The Odyssey' And Testosterone Screenings; Capping Healthcare Costs Won't Fix The Crisis
Stat: The Tie That Binds 'The Odyssey' And Military Testosterone Screening
The past week has brought us two similar ideas of masculinity, separated by 4,000 years. When Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the initiation of testosterone screening in all U.S. servicemembers 30 and older under the title “The High T Department of War,” his vision was as clear as an IMAX projection of Odysseus: a warrior in his physical prime, lethal in battle, unquestionably ascendant in the home, anointed by god. (Elizabeth Dray, 7/21)
The New York Times: This Is Not The Answer To Soaring Health Care Costs
A government bureaucrat doesn’t know how much your medicine or doctor’s visit should cost. (Lorens Helmchen and Tony LoSasso, 7/20)
The New York Times: This Is Why Our Fresh Produce Keeps Making Us Sick
Cyclospora outbreaks are just a small part of a much larger food safety crisis linked to fresh produce. (Timothy D. Lytton, 7/20)
Stat: Barriers May Keep Merck’s New Cholesterol Drug From Success
A long-awaited moment in preventive cardiology arrived last week, when enlicitide (which Merck is selling under the name Lipfendra) was approved by the FDA to lower blood cholesterol levels. (Vishal Khetpal, 7/22)
Stat: Hospital Executives Must Be Responsible For AI Governance
Walk into almost any U.S. hospital today and you will find AI doing some of the important work of medicine: drafting clinical notes, flagging sepsis, screening imaging, conducting prior authorizations, and answering patient messages. Adoption is moving fast, and the benefits are real. But there’s a problem. (Peter Pronovost, Justin Norden and Kedar Mate, 7/22)
