Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: There Are Pitfalls To Using AI In Therapy; Congress, Regulators Have A Practical Plan To Rein In PBMs
The New York Times: Your Chatbot Isn’t A Therapist
As clinicians at a major academic medical center, we have seen our patients turn to chatbots powered by large language models for emotional support that they would once have sought from family or friends — to discuss their fears, loneliness and uncertainty. This troubles us. (Divya Saini and Natasha Bailen, 3/29)
Stat: To Lower Drug Prices, Give PBMs A Fiduciary Duty To Patients
Consumer groups, independent pharmacies, and drugmakers rightly complained for years that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have used their position as supply chain middlemen to benefit themselves at the expense of patients and payers. At last, relief is in sight. Congress and the Department of Labor are now poised to align PBMs’ incentives with employers and patients, including making PBMs legally accountable as fiduciaries. (Neeraj Sood, 3/30)
Capital & Main: The Least-Bad Option: A County Sales Tax To Save California Health Clinics
The idea of increasing the sales tax doesn’t thrill anyone. As Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said after the board approved putting the measure on the June ballot, “There really are no other viable and timely options. Trust me, I looked high and low.” The immediate alternative, though, is reduced or suspended operations at clinics and health centers at a time when they are likely to be desperately needed by the county’s poorest, a growing group that includes documented and undocumented immigrants alike, as well as U.S. citizens. (Mark Kreidler, 3/26)
The CT Mirror: Long Covid Vs UConn’s GA Health Insurance
I wake up in the morning and assess my symptoms. For me, it is usually some cocktail of brain fog, fatigue, muscle pain and/or restless legs, pins and needles in my toes, and post exertional malaise. After the disappointment that I still woke up chronically ill, I check my sleep score on my fitbit and do either brain training or a meditation through an app that’s main purpose is to help me believe that I can recover. (Kelly Schlabach, 3/27)
Stat: In Memory Of Former Global Health Pioneer Barry Bloom
When Barry R. Bloom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he decided to be a data point. He signed up for clinical trials, and, as was his way, he read all the papers and came to his appointments with questions and wanting to learn as much as he could. When he entered a Phase 1 study of a molecular inhibitor of his tumor’s KRAS mutation and saw a tremendous response, he knew it was temporary. A single inhibiting agent was bound to select for resistance — he knew it was a matter of time. (Marc Lipsitch and Yonatan Grad, 3/30)
