Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: More Research Needed To Know If Cannabis Is Actually Healthy; Where is The Measles Outrage?
Bloomberg: Is Pot Actually A Healthier Than Alcohol? New Data On Cannabis
The evidence is mounting that your daily toke can be bad for your heart. A large new study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that the more often someone partakes in cannabis, the higher their risk of heart disease, heart attack or stroke. Daily users had a 25% higher chance of having a heart attack and 42% higher odds of a stroke than non-users. (Lisa Jarvis, 2/28)
Los Angeles Times: Florida Shows How To Bungle A Measles Outbreak
As life-saving as the COVID-19 vaccines have been, the measles vaccine has been an even greater success story. Before the vaccine was developed in 1963, outbreaks that occurred every two to three years were killing 2.6 million people worldwide a year, most of them children. Others developed pneumonia, or suffered brain injury and deafness from measles-associated encephalitis. (2/28)
The Washington Post: How To Protect Yourself From America's No. 1 Killer
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 5 deaths is attributed to the condition. (Leana S. Wen, 2/27)
Kansas City Star: Commentary: Our Sons’ Agony Taught Us The Importance Of Medical Aid In Dying
We are two moms whose only sons, Miguel Carrasquillo and Andrew Flack, lived in Illinois and died young from cancer. Our boys, both in their 30s, made emotional videos pleading to die peacefully from aggressive cancers. As similar as our two stories are, our sons experienced very different deaths. (Nilsa Centeno and Suzy Flack, 2/28)
Stat: Medicare Advantage Isn’t Working — For Anyone
In 2023, enrollment in Medicare Advantage, the version of Medicare run by private insurers, surpassed 50% of eligible beneficiaries for the very first time. Going by this headline, or perhaps the predictable flood of advertisements for plans during the fall’s open enrollment period, you might be fooled into thinking 2023 was MA’s best year yet. In fact, the opposite is true. (Wendell Potter and Philip Verhoef, 2/28)
Roll Call: Congress Will Improve Military Housing
Sewage overflows in restrooms, methane gas leaks, mold, brown tap water, extreme temperatures, bedbugs, rodents and cockroaches. These are just some of the conditions that our servicemembers have been subjected to in their barracks. (Rep. Mike Rogers, Rep. Mike Waltz, Rep. Jim Banks and Rep. Don Bacon, 2/27)
