Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Social Security's 'Disabled Adult Child' Cutoff At 22 Doesn't Make Sense; How AI Can Help Psychologists
The Washington Post: Social Security ‘Disabled Adult Child’ Benefits Use Outdated Age Limit
The cutoff at age 22 reflects an outdated assumption about how adulthood unfolds. (A. P. D. G. Everett, 2/10)
Stat: How AI Is Making Me A Better Clinical Psychologist
Most of a clinician’s difficult thinking happens alone. After a session that raises questions, the therapist mentally replays the encounter, notes personal reactions, and consults the literature to see whether others have described similar situations. (Harvey Lieberman, 2/11)
The Washington Post: This Drug Treats Myopia. I’m Sick Of Telling Patients They Can’t Have It.
As I’m a pediatric ophthalmologist, parents whose children have myopia all ask me the same question: “Can you stop this from getting worse?” And I must explain that while I can prescribe off-label treatments, the Food and Drug Administration has kept a proven pharmaceutical option out of reach — despite telling the manufacturer exactly what evidence it needed and then rejecting that very evidence when it was delivered. (David G. Hunter, 2/10)
CIDRAP: The HPV Vaccine Prevents Cancer. The New ACIP Wants To Re-Examine That.
The HPV vaccine is the only medical intervention that prevents six distinct cancer types across both sexes. Its population-level impact is still building—vaccinated cohorts have not yet aged into peak cancer incidence, and the 86% to 88% reductions in cervical cancer documented across multiple countries represent only the beginning. If this working group engages honestly with the accumulated evidence, it will arrive at the same conclusion every prior review has reached. The concern is not that the evidence will be examined. The concern is that the process has been engineered to reach a different conclusion. (Jake Scott, MD, 2/10)
The Wichita Eagle: WSU Cancer Scientist Pays Out Of Own Pocket To Continue Research
If my research is successful, we will better understand how some cancers spread throughout the body — and, hopefully, be able to stop them. If my research is successful, we will better understand how some people get heart disease — and, hopefully, be able to prevent it. (Moriah Beck, 2/10)
