Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Proposed $2.3T Tax Cuts Will Decimate Medicaid; Conn. Offers Model For Protecting Abortion Care
Stat: Medicaid Is Facing Existential Threats
There is every indication that incoming President Trump and congressional leadership will look to slash federal health care spending — primarily Medicaid — to pay for tax cuts for wealthy Americans. House Republicans recently released a list that proposes $2.3 trillion in Medicaid spending cuts. Many of these proposals aim at changing Medicaid’s fundamental financing structure from an entitlement to a welfare program. This change would be almost impossible to undo and comes without any viable replacement. (Carmel Shachar and MaryBeth Musumeci, 1/16)
The CT Mirror: What Connecticut Is Doing To Protect The Right To Choose
Growing up as a female in the United States of America, I was always told that a woman could do anything a man could do. Now, as a young American woman, I see that this is not the case. I am fearful. With all of the freedoms put in place by the constitution, I would expect to have the right to my own body, and not expect others to make decisions for me. Biological men have this luxury. (Deven Taggart, 1/16)
The New York Times: The Decline In Geriatric Care Hurts Us All
There is about one geriatrician for every 10,000 older Americans. And it’s getting worse. The number of board-certified geriatricians has fallen from about 10,000 in 2000 to barely 7,400 in 2022. (Pamela Paul, 1/16)
Stat: A Key Bottleneck In The U.S. Physician Shortage
If you’ve ever faced long waits for a doctor’s appointment, or traveled hours for care, it might surprise you that as recently as the turn of the century, policymakers sounded the alarm regarding a glut of U.S. physicians. In 1980, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (now the Department of Health and Human Services) issued a pivotal report, “Graduate Medical Education National Advisory Committee Report,” that documented the surplus concerns that persisted for about 20 years. Today, to the contrary, the U.S. faces a dramatic physician shortage. (Nicole C. McCann and Rochelle Walensky, 1/15)
The New York Times: This Jail In Rural Maine Is A Model For Treating Opioid Addiction
Maine has one of the highest rates of opioid use disorder in the nation. But a program at a rural Maine jail initiated by an addiction medicine specialist, Alane O’Connor, is offering hope and saving lives. (Alane O'Connor, 1/16)
