Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Rural Health Care Doesn't Need To Keep Getting Worse; Lessons On How Red-Baiting Set The U.S. Behind On Health Care
The Hill: Rural Health Could Be A Powerful Issue In The 2020 Election
As former senators from rural states, we’ve seen firsthand the importance of providing affordable, quality care to those living in rural areas. The isolation that exists in some parts of South Dakota and Maine means residents have limited access to care. Many patients must travel great distances to even reach a hospital. Yet more and more rural hospitals are closing around the country. In fact, 106 of them have shut down since 2010. It is staggering to think of these challenges when, compared to people living in urban and suburban areas, rural Americans are generally older and poorer, more uninsured or underinsured, and therefore less healthy. (Former Sens. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), 6/12)
The Washington Post: How Red-Baiting In Medicine Did Lasting Harm To Americans’ Health Care
The battle for universal health care has come a long way. Today, the House Ways and Means Committee is holding a hearing on Medicare-for-all, and the plan has recently gained support from high-ranking Democrats, including several presidential contenders. It’s traction that would have been unimaginable even a decade ago. Even so, the fight for Medicare-for-all will be a war. (Merlin Chowkwanyun, 6/12)
The New York Times: ‘We Either Buy Insulin Or We Die’
Insulin has become so unaffordable that Type 1 diabetics are pushed to take risks, like rationing and buying from strangers online. The video Op-Ed above reveals the lengths to which they go to get a nearly century-old drug and how Americans are dying from a perfectly manageable autoimmune disease. Patent laws and existing regulations allow the top three manufacturers to continuously increase prices without consequences. (Robin Cressman, Nicole Smith-Holt, Laura Pavlakovich, Paulius Podziunas and Laura Juncadella, 6/13)
Stat: We Need The CARE Act To Stop The Opioid Pandemic
Last month, the White House stated that it was time to “start talking about solutions.” I disagree: The time to start doing that was years ago. Fentanyl, which has become a major player in overdoses since Trump took office, is our nation’s deadliest killer, yet little has been done to combat it. ... Getting our national overdose rate to zero will require comprehensive policy reform. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) are attempting to do just that with the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act (S. 2700), which would begin treating the opioid crisis like the public health emergency it is. (Ryan Hampton, 6/13)
The Hill: There Is A Huge Disparity In Diagnosing Alzheimer's In Black Americans
The occurrence of Alzheimer's disease in African Americans is 64 percent higher than in whites. It is also the 4th leading cause of death among African Americans. This could be attributed to the fact that African Americans are more likely to have the presence of risk factors often associated with increased vulnerability to the disease. These include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stroke and type 2 diabetes mellitus. (Ishan C. Williams, 6/12)
The New York Times: Donald Trump’s Medical Malice
That this medical rumormongering has begun so early in the race may be a sign of Republican desperation. My fellow pundits are already turning to a favorite phrase and calling this a “dog whistle,” but that’s not fair to dogs or whistles. It’s too generous an assessment, suggesting that Trump’s meaning will go over many voters’ heads. No, it will go straight into their brains, making them wonder if Biden suffers from some medical condition that Trump and other Washington insiders know about but that they don’t. (Frank Bruni, 6/11)
The Hill: Clarifying Some Of The Mixed Messages Surrounding Cannabis And Opioids
The belief that expanding cannabis access plays a role in mitigating opioid use and abuse came under fire this week after a newly published paper in the journal PLoS ONE failed to replicate observational findings initially documenting this trend. ... But before jumping to any conclusions based upon the findings of any single paper, it is important to acknowledge that dozens of additional peer-reviewed studies exist on this topic. Most, but not all, of this literature supports the cannabis substitution theory. (Paul Armentano, 6/12)
JAMA: HIV Screening And Preexposure Prophylaxis Guidelines: Following The Evidence
The 2 new USPSTF Recommendation Statements underscore the remarkable progress in preventing and treating HIV infection. Together, the health gains in HIV treatment, the resulting reduction in transmission, and PrEP provide the necessary tools to end the HIV epidemic. Success in the next chapter in confronting this epidemic demands that these tools be widely accessible and used. The USPSTF Recommendation Statements should help make this happen. (Paul A. Volberding, 6/13)
The New York Times: The World’s Malnourished Kids Don’t Need A $295 Burger
Raúl is a happy preschooler, tumbling around among 4- and 5-year-olds, but something is off. It’s not his behavior, for it’s the same as that of the other little kids. Rather, it’s his face. The baby fat is gone, and although he’s only 3 feet 5 inches tall, the height of an average 5-year-old, an older face seems grafted on. Sure enough, Raúl turns out to be 9. Malnutrition has left his body and mind badly stunted. (Nicholas Kristof, 6/12)
The Wall Street Journal: An Abortion Red Herring In Alabama
When the University of Alabama decided to return a $21.5 million donation to investor Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr. and remove his name from its law school, Mr. Culverhouse claimed it was retaliation for his speaking out against Alabama’s new abortion law. But the university’s decision had nothing to do with abortion. Mr. Culverhouse made the gift last September, but it ended up being conditional. (Steven J. Arango, 6/12)
