Viewpoints: Many Hospitals Not Being Transparent; Abortion Rights Advocates Must Revamp Approach
Editorial writers delve into these public health topics.
The New York Times:
How Much Does Your M.R.I. Cost? Buy It First To Find Out
Martin Schoeller, a photographer who is best known for his portraits of famous and powerful people, aims his lens at a different population: ordinary Americans who have been crushed by exorbitant hospital bills they didn’t see coming. (Martin Schoeller, 8/2)
The New York Times:
You Can Support Abortion Rights And Feel A Pregnancy Is More Than A Clump Of Cells
The demise of Roe v. Wade is causing harms that extend well beyond abortion patients. In places where abortion is heavily restricted, women with ectopic pregnancies and those experiencing inevitable miscarriages have reported delays in care that have risked their health, life and future fertility. Some have struggled to get medications to treat miscarriage because those drugs are also used for abortion. (Greer Donley and Jill Wieber Lens, 8/2)
Newsweek:
'Inflation Reduction Act' Main Impact Is To Cut Health, Not Inflation
The new deal would use the "savings" from imposing price controls on drugs to extend the already-enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which took effect last year. This would lead to a massive loss of life, due to foregone medical innovation, and a reduction in the quality of care, due to the government gaining more control over people's insurance coverage. (Tomas J. Philpson, 8/2)
The Charlotte Observer:
Gov. Cooper: NC Hospitals Should Step Up Instead Of Holding Up Medicaid Expansion
It’s rare and positive in politics when elected leaders are willing to change their position on issues in the face of overwhelming facts. But that’s what Republican legislative leaders have done on Medicaid expansion. After years of opposing it, Republicans now support it. That’s a big deal. And it’s real progress that they’re now saying what we’ve said for years: Medicaid expansion will help save rural hospitals, take pressure off businesses, increase mental health care, and provide insurance for hundreds of thousands of working North Carolinians at no cost to the state. It will save lives and livelihoods. Of course, as usual, there’s a hitch. (Gov. Roy Cooper, 8/2)
Stat:
Hospitals, Health Systems Play Vital Roles In Real-World Data Efforts
Since the start of the pandemic, the health care and life sciences sectors have relied more heavily on real-world data and real-world evidence as they work to develop new drugs and devices and survey the world outside of clinical trials. Hospitals and health systems are key to these efforts. (Victor Wang, 8/2)
Stat:
Climate Change Provisions Are Key To The Budget Reconciliation Act
Last week’s surprise agreement between Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) makes the pending budget reconciliation act —now called the Inflation Reduction Act — perhaps the most important health care bill considered by the Congress since the Affordable Care Act of 2010. (David Blumenthal, 8/1)
Stat:
Fast Science Can Be Good Science, Especially With Lives At Stake
Drug development has been conducted at the same slow and incremental pace for so long that some have worried that speeding it up would mean cutting corners and sacrificing patient safety or the accuracy of data collected. (Ron Peck, 8/1)
