Viewpoints: Reproductive Care Is More Than Abortions; Vaccine Skepticism And Cynicism Are Not The Same

The New York Times: Don't The Lives Of Women And Girls Matter?
When he returns to the White House, President-elect Trump is widely expected to slash funding for women’s health organizations around the world, and people on the left and the right alike are focused on what that means for abortions. (Nicholas Kristof, 1/11)

The New York Times: RFK Jr. Is A Vaccine Cynic, Not Skeptic. 
The news media labels Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a “vaccine skeptic.” He’s not. I’m an actual vaccine skeptic. In fact, everyone who serves with me on the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory committee is a vaccine skeptic. Pharmaceutical companies must prove to us that a vaccine is safe, that it’s effective. Then and only then will we recommend that it be authorized or licensed for use by Americans. (Paul A. Offit, 1/13)

The New York Times: The Terrifying Realization That An Unresponsive Patient Is 'Still In There'
A provocative large study published last year in The New England Journal of Medicine suggests that at least one in four people who appear unresponsive actually are conscious enough to understand language. As a doctor who sometimes sees patients like this, these findings are, in a word, terrifying. (Daniela J. Lamas, 1/11)

Stat: Too Often, Mental Health Treatment Simply Isn’t Very Good 
Although the Biden-Harris administration is coming to an end, some of its work will continue. The administration has invested tens of billions of dollars to expand federal and state mental health and substance use services through the Safer Communities Act, the American Rescue Plan, and other legislation. In the fall, they significantly extended these efforts by finalizing rules to extend mental health parity laws. This amounts to one of the most significant federal government investments in the behavioral health sector in history. (Nick Allen, 1/13)

Stat: We Need More Research On Asthma And Allergies In Asian American Kids
At our allergy clinic a couple of years ago, we saw a 9-month-old Filipino boy whose skin was completely blanketed with eczema. Pus seeped from raw, open sores where he scratched too much. He was already diagnosed with cashew and peanut allergies, and he was seeing us after an emergency room visit for a reaction to hummus. It was difficult to console his parents. Worse still, patients like this infant are becoming increasingly common. (Charles Feng, Latha Palaniappan and Anna Chen Arroyo, 1/13)

Also —

Chicago Tribune: How Illinois Could Turn Medicaid Into A Program That Works
“You missed your appointment. Please reschedule.” My friend sighed as the telehealth system disconnected. He’d recently switched to Illinois Medicaid, and seeing a doctor now seemed harder than getting Taylor Swift tickets. His rescheduled visit? With a physician assistant who couldn’t refill his pain medication. Technical issues, they said — but I knew better. (Maria Gross Pollock, 1/13)

The Boston Globe: Mass General's Growth Comes At Expense Of Affordable Health Care
Why do health care costs keep increasing? One reason is the deliberate expansion of large health care systems, which maximizes their market power to increase bills to private insurers, Medicare, the Commonwealth, and patients. (Robert Kuttner, 1/11)