Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: The Battle For Abortion Rights Rages On; Nonprofit Hospitals Need To Refocus On Community
USA Today: Abortion-Rights Battles Are Plenty In Iowa. The Majority Is With Us
When I walked into Planned Parenthood North Central States as its new president and CEO a year ago, I wasn’t known for taking easy jobs or the paths of least resistance. As each state across our five-state affiliate faces unique challenges that have only intensified after the fall of Roe v. Wade, I knew this role would be no different. (Ruth Richardson, 11/30)
The New York Times: How To Put ‘Community’ Back In The Mission Of Community Hospitals
Nonprofit hospitals have been caught doing some surprising things, given how they are supposed to serve the public good in exchange for being exempt from federal, state and local taxes — exemptions that added up to $28 billion in 2020. (Amol S. Navathe, 11/30)
Stat: Pregnancy Discrimination Could Be Enabled By AI
In June 2023, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) went into effect. The federal law requires employers to give pregnant employees reasonable accommodations, such as getting appropriately sized uniforms or having closer parking. Another federal law, included in the December 2022 consolidated appropriations bill, now requires employers to provide break times for parents who need to pump breast milk during work hours. It is hard to believe that such basic yet vital protections were only codified in the 2020s. Yet, the reality is that navigating pregnancy and employment remains a significant challenge in today’s society. (Anya E.R. Prince, 11/30)
Newsweek: President Biden Must Stand Firm Against The WTO And Protect American Research And Jobs
Scientists have made incredible progress over the past decade-plus—and patients across the world have benefitted. We've conquered hepatitis C. We've turned HIV into a manageable disease for those who have it, and a preventable one for those who don't. We've unleashed ways for the body's own immune system to fight cancer. We've developed a host of new vaccines. (Howard Dean, 11/29)
The Eagle: 150,000 Kansans Waiting 10 Years For Health Care Is Too Much
We like winning. The three of us have won in athletics, business and civic life. Together, we guide the Kansas Health Foundation. We are all about winning here, too. We want Kansas to be ranked number one in health. Right now, Kansas is 31st and has been declining since the 1990s, when we were among the top 10. To lead the nation in health, or even just to stop our slide, our state and communities must solve problems faster and more effectively. (Junetta Everett, Patrick Woods and Ed O'Malley, 11/30)
Stat: Diagnostic Tests Are Hitting Their Mathematical Limits
Worried about your health? You can now avail yourself of noninvasive diagnostics that claim to screen for rare birth defects, cancer-associated mutations, and even Alzheimer’s. Even before the Covid pandemic, a 2018 paper reported that new genetic tests, many of them for increasingly rare conditions, were being released at the rate of 10 a day. These tests can be both sold direct to consumer and ordered by your physician. (Manil Suri and Daniel Morgan, 11/30)
