Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: The Latest Assault On Vulnerable Families; It's Time To Change The Military Stance On People With Disabilities
The New York Times: The Trump Administration’s Latest War On Vulnerable Children
According to Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families, enrollment in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program has declined by 2.4 million since January 2025. This suggests that the number of uninsured children is on the rise, Joan Alker, the executive director of the center, noted on X. (Jessica Grose, 9/9)
The Washington Post: The Military's Stance On Disabled Americans No Longer Makes Sense
Too often, disabled Americans like me are dismissed before entering the room or, in my case, the pool. I have muscular dystrophy — and I have represented the United States in sports and later in federal civil service. I am disabled, but I am not incapable of serving my country. (Kristin Duquette, 9/7)
Los Angeles Blade: Anti-Science, Anti-LGBTQ+ Movements Go Hand In Hand
There is a weird correlation between anti-LGBTQ+ ideas and anti-science movements around the world. (Ayman Eckford, 9/8)
Stat: Practicing Medicine Is Much More Than The Tasks AI Excels At
Would you want artificial intelligence to tell you that you have cancer? Not help a physician identify the cancer. Not analyze the scan, synthesize your medical history, or recommend the treatment most likely to work. Would you want AI, on its own, to tell you that you have cancer? Or guide you through what comes next? (John Whyte, 9/9)
Stat: AI Alone Can Be Even Better At Medicine Than AI-Assisted Doctors
In 1867, Joseph Lister published his research on carbolic acid and antiseptic surgical technique. In September 1871, he was summoned to Queen Victoria, who had a rapidly growing abscess in her left armpit. Using his antiseptic surgical technique, Joseph Lister successfully drained the pus. Queen Victoria recovered without fever or other complications. The antiseptic technique quickly gained approval in the U.K. and Europe, but not among American physicians. (Ezekiel J. Emanuel and Abe Baker-Butler, 9/9)
Stat: I'm A Fat Medical Student. I Refuse To Let Myself Be Shamed For It
It is well documented that medical doctors hold strong weight biases, both implicit and explicit, and I suspect there is some degree of discrimination against fat applicants to medical schools. (Jessica Rosenblum, 9/8)
