Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: The Cancer Moonshot Should Be Blind To Class Lines; In Kentucky, A Face-Off On Abortion Policy, Politics
KevinMD: The Cancer Moonshot Should Not Occur On Class Lines
Cancer. The ominous word instantaneously triggers fear and anxiety. According to the American Cancer Society, cancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States, accounting for one in four deaths. Despite the attention cancer has garnered, an inequality exists. Patients without Internet access may not learn about possible therapeutic interventions. As we proceed with the “Moonshot” to better control cancer, we must assure that all patients reap its benefits. (Rachel Mintz, 1/29)
Louisville Courier-Journal: Bevin Vs. Beshear: It's About Power
Gov. Matt Bevin tore into Attorney General Andy Beshear this week claiming, wrongly, that Beshear was backing away from his promise to defend Kentucky’s recently passed anti-abortion ultrasound law. Bevin’s false attack, though, wasn’t about the AG's constitutional obligations or protecting the unborn. It was about 2019. Mark this date on your calendar: Nov. 5, 2019. That’s when the governor and attorney general will be on the ballot for re-election. (1/27)
Lincoln Journal-Star: Being Pro-Life Is More Than Being Pro-Birth
Thanks to the Women’s March on Washington, which predictably devolved into a pro-abortion rally, and in the wake of this week’s annual March for Life, the debate over “abortion rights” in the U.S. is beginning anew. (Cynthia M. Allen, 1/30)
The Washington Post: D.C. Is Disregarding The Sanctity Of Life. Congress Must Act.
The D.C. Council last year made a serious error when it passed the Death With Dignity Act, legalizing physician-assisted suicide in the District. Now it is Congress’s duty and constitutional obligation to ensure the act does not stand. Those who argue that the D.C. Council, in its capacity as the local government, has spoken for the citizens of the District ignore a central and crucial fact: The awesome responsibility of acting as the state for the citizens of the District lies not in the hands of a local government, but with Congress. Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 of the Constitution vests Congress with exclusive legislative jurisdiction. (Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and Jim DeMint, 1/27)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Connecting Healthcare
It’s estimated that as much as a third of expenditures in healthcare are waste, and we spend nearly 20% of GDP on healthcare. This is a huge bullseye for efficiency gains that computers and the internet have brought to nearly every other industry. But our status quo is in the early technology adopted—it’s in the pagers, fax machines, dumb clients, and servers cooled in the basement. It’s in the habits of entrenched providers picked up decades earlier in medical school before the adoption of technology-enabled healthcare. This is the canvas innovation has to work with. The new technology is out there, but our industry has an adoption problem. (Niko Skievaski, 1/27)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A Call For State Leadership On Disability Reform
Rooted in pre-Americans with Disabilities Act thinking, the nation’s core programs for individuals with disabilities, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) fail to reflect its aspirations: ensuring that those with impairments integrate into employment and society to the fullest extent their abilities allow. Why the failure? Partly because states view these programs as federal responsibilities and have avoided developing their own solutions. (Richard V. Burkhauser, 1/28)
The Kansas City Star: Murder Highlights Mental Health Needs In Kansas
In December, Brandon Brown’s story reached its sad climax in a Kansas courtroom, where he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The Star introduced you to Brown in June 2015. Brown, then 30 years old, had been in and out of treatment for mental illness for most of his adult life. He eventually landed in a nursing home in Kiowa County near the Oklahoma border. (1/29)
Lexington Herald Leader: Shamed, Disrespected, Injured Vets Offered Little But Drugs
My husband, Steven, is a retired Navy SEAL who during his 20-year career engaged in over 250 combat operations. He was awarded the Silver Star and three Bronze Stars, among other honors. He retired about two and a half years ago and was diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and a myriad of physical ailments. Most of what I’ve read about PTSD in veterans lumps TBI with PTSD, but TBI should perhaps stand alone in treatment and support. (Sabrina Brown, 1/27)
The Health Care Blog: Data For Improving Healthcare Vs Data For Exasperating Healthcare Workers
The phrase “healthcare data” either strikes fear and loathing, or provides understanding and resolve in the minds of administration, clinicians, and nurses everywhere. Which emotion it brings out depends on how the data will be used. Data employed as a weapon for purposes of accountability generates fear. Data used as a teaching instrument for learning inspires trust and confidence. (Tom Burton, 1/29)
