Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Misconceptions About Patient Privacy; DOJ's Suit Against Insurers' Mega-Mergers Makes Case Against Single-Payer
The Washington Post: Five Myths About Patient Privacy
Shortly after the recent massacre at an Orlando nightclub, the city’s mayor declared that the White House had agreed to waive federal privacy rules to allow doctors to update victims’ families. News of the waiver was widely reported, but as the Obama administration later clarified, both the mayor and the media were “simply mistaken.” No waiver was granted because none was needed. The confusion amid the tragedy in Orlando underscores widespread misconceptions about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. Here we shed light on a handful of myths that bedevil doctors and patients alike. (Charles G. Kels, 7/28)
The Hill: Obama Justice Department Makes Case Against Single-Payer Healthcare
They didn’t mean to, but officials at the Obama Justice Department have laid out the case against government-run healthcare. In filing suit against mammoth health insurance mergers, they’ve explained that reduced competition limits options for consumers, raises costs, and threatens access to care. That’s exactly why a single-payer system would be a disaster for America. (Hadley Heath Manning, 7/28)
Boston Globe: Wider Access To Hepatitis C Drugs Is Humane And Pragmatic
When Gilead Sciences Inc.’s Sovaldi became the first of the more effective medicines to hit the market, in 2013, its $84,000 list price — $1,000 a pill — caused sticker shock for payers nationwide. Fearing their budgets would be drained by a rush of people who wanted to get well instead of living with uncertainty, many insurers limited access to Sovaldi. Even from a cold-blooded accountant’s perspective, it was a foolish policy — providing months or years of medical care for someone suffering from cirrhosis costs much more. (7/29)
The Hill: Do You Know Who’s In Charge Of Your Health Care Decisions?
When it comes to Medicare, most seniors rightfully assume that the representatives they elect to Congress are the ones making critical decisions that affect their health care. After all, it’s one of the largest government programs in our country accounting for more than $500 billion in federal outlays and responsible for the health of America’s seniors. What many patients and voters don’t realize, however, is that there is another body in Washington whose power and influence over the future of this program is growing: The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). (David Williams, 7/28)
Lexington Herald Leader: Reject Medicaid Changes That Will Deny Care
Having no health insurance, or inadequate basic coverage, means premature death. The Medicaid expansion and Kynect significantly reduced the number of uninsured coming to our institutions. This allowed for more attention to preventative medicine, education for staying healthy, and continued contact with patients so that they did not need to return to hospitals or emergency rooms. Kentucky should not take a step backwards. (Rev. John Stowe, 7/28)
Louisville Courier-Journal: Increasing Awareness Of HIV Prevention Drug
It’s been called a game changer, this little blue pill that when taken daily can decrease the risk of contracting HIV by as much as 92 percent. But why aren’t more people in Louisville aware of it? Groups around Kentuckiana are answering just that as they strive to bring PrEP to the forefront of HIV prevention efforts while trying to save lives in the process. (Amanda Beam, 7/29)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Low-Cost, Effective Contraception Is The Best Way To Reduce Abortions
If a program is proved effective at reducing teen births and demand for abortions, shouldn’t anti-abortion activists be the first to get behind it? The results of separate programs in Colorado and among nearly 10,000 women in a Washington University study indicate that easing access to long-range, reliable contraception can dramatically reduce unintended pregnancies. (7/28)
Des Moines Register: Your Tax Dollars At Work ... Spreading Diseases
This country's federal government requires anyone seeking legal, permanent residence here to be vaccinated against 14 diseases, including measles, polio and seasonal flu. Because immunizations protect public health, the mandate for newcomers makes sense. What does not make sense: The same government fails to require workers at Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities to be vaccinated. These individuals have extensive contact with the public and are at higher risk for contracting contagious diseases, yet may not be protected against any of them. (7/28)
The Hill: Marijuana Legalization Might Be Fix To Nation’s Opioid Problems
Proponents of marijuana prohibition have long alleged that experimentation with pot acts as a “gateway” to the use and eventual abuse of other illicit substances. But the results of a just released national poll finds that most Americans no longer believe this claim to be true. According to survey data compiled by YouGov.com, fewer than one in three US citizens agree with the statement, “the use of marijuana leads to the use of hard drugs.” Among those respondents under the age of 65, fewer than one in four agree. (Paul Armentano, 7/28)
Georgia Health News: Georgia Needs To Put Its Foot Down On ‘Step Therapy’ For Diabetics
More than 1 million people in Georgia live with diabetes and are at risk for developing chronic, debilitating and potentially permanent nerve pain, known as diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Currently, the American Diabetes Association estimates that more than 60 percent of Americans with diabetes also suffer from diabetic peripheral neuropathy. ... Left untreated or uncontrolled, DPN can cause irreversible damage, including complete loss of lower extremity sensation that can result in amputation. Fortunately, Georgia lawmakers are recognizing the seriousness of DPN. Last month, the General Assembly held Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Alert Day in order to raise awareness of this dangerous condition. (Jonathan Ownby, 7/28)
