Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: No Health Care Solution Until Trump Admits Problem; CDC's Hep B Vax Shift Is Worse Than It Seems
CNN: Trump’s First Problem On The Economy And Health Care: Admitting He’s Got A Problem
President Donald Trump has a fresh chance this week to act on a priority voters continually say they want fixed — but over which he’s in denial. The high and rising prices of health care, groceries and housing are a leading impediment to the lives of millions of Americans. But Trump, not unusually for presidents, seems more interested in his own political goals and obsessions. (Stephen Collinson, 12/8)
The Washington Post: The CDC's Change To Hepatitis B Vaccination Is Even Worse Than It Seems
There is no evidence that the birth dose is unsafe, and no evidence that waiting until two months offers any advantage to safety or efficacy. (Leana S. Wen, 12/5)
The CT Mirror: Work Requirements: The Deliberate Tear In Medicaid's Safety Net
With the longest U.S. government shutdown now over, the One Big Beautiful Bill (BBB) Medicaid work requirements are moving forward, with plans to take effect in January 2027. While policymakers assure work requirements will promote responsibility among able-bodied adults, one thing remains clear: many politicians do not know what disability actually looks like. (Elizabeth Caldwell, 12/5)
Stat: HHS Pediatric Gender Dysphoria Report Authors Speak Out
The Department of Health and Human Services recently published its final version of “Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices.” The review confirmed what several European health authorities recognized as early as 2019: the assumed benefits of pediatric medical transition are profoundly uncertain, while the risks are significant. As the authors of the HHS review, we understand that some may be skeptical of our conclusions. After all, the report was commissioned by an administration whose policies are unpopular with many in the medical community. (Evgenia Abbruzzese, Alex Byrne, Farr Curlin, Moti Gorin, Kristopher Kaliebe, Michael K. Laidlaw, Kathleen McDeavitt, Leor Sapir and Yuan Zhang, 12/8)
Stat: What My Continuous Glucose Monitor Can Never Capture
A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) can tell you when my glucose spikes, but not that I delayed correcting it because I was in a high-stakes meeting. It can record the number after I under-bolused for lunch, but not that I did it because I was running on three nights of broken sleep from overnight CGM alarms. It can show a perfect flatline, but not the pre-emptive vigilance, the mental load, the constant micro-calculations it took to get there. (Mark E. Paull, 12/8)
