Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Medicine Has Come So Far, And Now Politics Threatens Our Lifesaving Research; Government Doesn't Know What's Best For Children
Stat: New OMB Rule Threatens To Politicize Science, Undermine U.S. Research
Childhood leukemia, a likely death sentence when I was a medical student, is now survivable for most children. Cancer immunotherapy is extending life for many who would have died a decade ago. New technology is letting us repair genetic diseases at their source. The same American scientific research enterprise that produced these breakthroughs also gave us GPS, the modern semiconductor, and the early architecture of the internet. (David J. Skorton, 6/12)
The CT Mirror: Parents And Doctors Should Decide What Healthcare Kids Receive, Not DC
Somewhere in Connecticut right now, a kid is raising their hand in math class, trying out for the varsity soccer team, or arguing with their parents about their bedtime. Their parents are doing what parents do; they’re showing up at their soccer games, helping them with their homework, and staying up too late reading about whether a recent cough is just a cough. (Alice Miller and Marie-Fatima Hyacinthe, 6/11)
The Washington Post: Licensing Rules Cost Nurse Practitioners Thousands
For more than 30 years, nurse practitioner Marcy Markes has cared for patients in intensive care units and small-town clinics across Missouri. She holds degrees from the University of Missouri and runs an allergy and asthma clinic in Columbia. Missouri has a serious health care access problem, and its residents would be better off if experienced providers like Markes were free to provide the care they are licensed to give. Instead, a state law requires nurse practitioners to contract with a physician, which by some estimates can cost an average of $7,000 per year. The price tag for Markes to practice? $50,000 a year. (Donna G. Matias, 6/10)
The Guardian: Those Tedious Errands, Tasks And Chores That AI Wants To Replace? They Help Keep You Fit
There is a seductive fantasy being floated by AI executives that all the efficiency their products will bring us will lead to humans finally returning to their essential, best selves. Picture it: when this day arrives, we’ll spring from our chairs, push aside our keyboards and, supposedly, do all things we’ve been meaning to do: hike, cook and finally take a pilates class. (Manoush Zomorodi and Keith Diaz, 6/11)
Stat: Religious Engagement Is Key To Ebola Response
Ebola can be called the disease of compassion: It “spreads through acts of care” like tending to a sick loved one and burying those who died of the disease. It is also a disease in which mistrust, misinformation, and fear run rampant, leading to attacks on health care facilities and frantic efforts to recover bodies of Ebola victims. (Olivia Wilkinson and Katherine Marshall, 6/12)
