Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Tennessee Abortion Law Has No Life-Saving Exceptions; Is The Pandemic Over Or Not?
The Tennessean: Law Will Punish Doctors For Saving Women's Lives Via Abortion
The Tennessee trigger ban on abortion makes it a crime to terminate a pregnancy for any reason. There are no exceptions to the law − not for rape, incest or even in cases where the life of the mother is in danger. Instead, the law contains only a narrow affirmative defense. (Chloe Akers, 9/19)
The Washington Post: Biden Is Right. The Pandemic Is Over
President Biden’s off-the-cuff comment during a “60 Minutes” interview that “the pandemic is over” has sparked outrage from all sides. Republicans are accusing Biden of hypocrisy as he asks Congress for more covid-19 funding, while some on the left point to the disease’s continued death toll as evidence that the pandemic is nowhere near its finish line. (Leana S. Wen, 9/19)
Los Angeles Times: No, Mr. President, The Pandemic Isn't Over
On “60 Minutes” on Sunday, President Biden declared “the pandemic is over.” Well into our third year of battling COVID-19, we all wish that were true. But unfortunately, that is a fantasy right now. All the data tell us the virus is not contained. Far too many people are dying and suffering. And new, worrisome variants are on the horizon. (Eric J. Topol, 9/19)
The Tennessean: Organ Transplants: Black Patients Are Overrepresented On Waitlists
The words “Your kidneys are failing” mean two stark choices face the patient who hears them: go on dialysis for the rest of your life or until you can receive a lifesaving kidney transplant, the best treatment for kidney disease. Black Americans hear these words more than any other demographic in the United States. (Carlton Adams and Marty Sellers, 9/19)
Scientific American: Voice Training Is A Medical Necessity For Many Transgender People
When we do not affirm a transgender person’s identity, we may place that person at greater risk for anxiety, depression and suicide. It should be no surprise then that one’s voice can have a powerful bearing on quality of life for members of the transgender community.(Z Paige Lerario, 9/19)
Stat: Hospital Financing In Black And White
During our training as doctors, we have rotated through safety-net hospitals, elite academic medical centers, and private clinics. The resources for patient care and comfort were sumptuous in some facilities, spartan in others. (Gracie Himmelstein, Joniqua Ceasar and Kathryn E.W. Himmelstein, 9/20)
Modern Healthcare: What's Ailing Healthcare In America?
Healthcare leaders want to know more than whether Congress will develop and pass legislative proposals that help the industry and, by extension, improve patient care. They want to know when, because the timing is critical. (9/19)
