Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Nurses Can Revolutionize Health Care; Medicare Needs To Eliminate Vaccine Copays For Seniors
Stat: Look To Nurses To Help Accelerate The Transformation Of Health Care
The chaos and crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic have forced remarkable transformations in the U.S. health care system. Nurses — as they have done in public health emergencies from the frontlines of war to the frontlines of deadly infectious diseases like tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Ebola — have been innovators in helping reshape clinical practice throughout the Covid-19 response. (Lynda Benton, Robyn Begley and Debbie Hatmaker, 8/20)
Dallas Morning News: Seniors On Medicare Are The Last People Who Should Have To Pay For Basic Vaccines
There’s at least one clear lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic: Vaccines work. And we also learned that vaccines are especially important for seniors, who tend to be more susceptible to a host of diseases — not just COVID-19 — than the under-65 population. Because vaccines are considered preventive care under the Affordable Care Act, most private and employer-based health insurance covers the entire cost of vaccinations with no out-of-pocket expense for patients. Medicaid likewise will cover most or all of the cost of vaccines. (Merrill Matthews, 8/20)
Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Payment Should Be Retooled To Focus On Prevention
Vaccinated Americans are angry for a good reason: We have access to a safe and inexpensive source of prevention, and yet despite the availability of vaccines, 25% of Americans will refuse the shots, and many will suffer or die. The anger is familiar for healthcare workers, who regularly see patients suffer or die due to lack of access to preventive care. Healthcare is struggling on this front, but one adjustment to the system could help. (Abigail Hardin, 8/19)
Stat: That 'Damn Machine': Mechanical Ventilators In The ICU
I walk in to Mr. W’s room to say hello. He is 73 years old and has been in the hospital for three months, ever since he was diagnosed with Covid-19 and developed pneumonia. He smiles at me when I introduce myself but can’t speak because of the tube down his trachea that delivers every breath he receives from the mechanical ventilator at his bedside. He is no longer contagious, but he is still critically ill, stuck on the ventilator, weak and struggling to take a breath by himself. (Hannah Wunsch, 8/20)
