Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Our Politicians Will Always Find Something Else More Important Than Healthcare; Closure Of Strait Of Hormuz Is Hurting Food Production
The Cap Times: Healthcare Is Again Becoming A Forgotten Issue
Perhaps it's understandable. Wars are raging. Prices for everything from gasoline to tomatoes are soaring. Chaos is the order of the day in the nation's capital. Who's got time to talk about the country's broken and failing healthcare system? So here we are, kicking the healthcare can down the road for another several years, even though the system's costs are once again outpacing ever higher inflation, millions more are without even basic coverage for doctor and hospital bills, and smaller, rural health centers are going broke. (Dave Zweifel, 6/10)
The Washington Post: The Global Food Supply Is Overly Reliant On This One Choke Point
If the closure of the strait continues into the summer, the World Food Program estimates that the number of people worldwide who face food scarcity could grow by 45 million. This deadline is especially acute for fertilizer, which must be applied at specific moments in the crop cycle. A delay of even a few weeks forces farmers to reduce application or abandon it altogether. Food prices are already rising, and crops planted with less fertilizer will produce smaller harvests in the fall. The suffering a food shortage could inflict will hit months after the news cycle has moved on. (Mark Gee, 6/10)
Stat: Even In Abortion-Protecting States, Teens Face Unnecessary Barriers To Care
Millions of adolescents live in states where they believe they have access to abortion care if they require it. They may be startled, if the time comes, to discover they have little option but to travel hundreds of miles for the mere possibility of care, resulting in limited health care options, higher-risk procedures, and worse mental health outcomes. (Sunaya Krishnapura, 6/10)
Slate Magazine: There’s A Terrible Reason Why This Ebola Outbreak Is Different
The demise of USAID did not cause this Ebola outbreak. But it is a gift to Ebola. It likely delayed its detection and hampered efforts to deliver tests and treatment to the affected areas. It has broken down meticulously constructed networks of trust and generally slowed the response to the virus. (Jill Filipovic, 6/9)
The Wall Street Journal: The CDC’s Flawed Logic On Ebola Restrictions
While acting CDC director Jay Bhattacharya signed the initial Ebola travel restrictions, the subsequent expansion to include green-card visa holders was signed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The administration has publicly given no scientific rationale explaining why citizenship or immigration status would alter risk of infection or transmission. Pathogens don’t recognize passports. (6/9)
