Viewpoints: Time To Be ‘Freaking Out’ About CDC Budget; Medicaid Work Requirements Are Unlawful
Opinion writers highlight these health issues and others.
Boston Globe:
More Ebola, And Worse, Without A Strong CDC
The CDC is dramatically scaling back its epidemic prevention programs in 39 of 49 countries, The Wall Street Journal reported, and expects to focus health care efforts in 2019 on just 10 “priority countries.” That list does not include Congo, site of the new Ebola outbreak, or Haiti, where cholera rages unabated, or China, where researchers worry that cases of bird flu could trigger a wider pandemic. (2/8)
New England Journal of Medicine:
Can Work Be Required In The Medicaid Program?
On January 11, 2018, a new policy encouraging states to develop work requirements in their Medicaid programs was issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). ...The question is whether CMS has the authority to make such a shift, which will allow states to create barriers to enrollment for eligible Medicaid beneficiaries. Federal agencies possess authority given to them by Congress to execute laws within a range of reasonable policy options, but they must follow the law. (Nicole Huberfeld, 2/7)
The Wall Street Journal:
The Health-Care Conspiracy Of Silence
Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and J.P. Morgan have announced a nonprofit initiative to address excessive spending on health care, starting with their own million or so employees. They can expect many suggestions. Here’s one: The three CEOs— Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett and Jamie Dimon, whom I’ll call “BB&D”—could do a huge service by describing the depth and nature of the cost problem, something politicians have long failed to do. (Clark Havighurst, 2/7)
Axios:
Don't Overhype The New Health Care Venture
Even if Jeff Bezos, Jamie Dimon and Warren Buffett come up with ways to lower their own corporate health care costs, it’s highly unlikely their new health care venture will move the needle on overall health spending or other dimensions of the health cost problem. The odds: Bezos, Buffett and Dimon are big names — big as they come — but the history of health care is littered with business titans who have declared war on health care costs. Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase may be able to get their own costs down, but that doesn't mean they can do it for anyone else. (Drew Altman, 2/8)
Los Angeles Times:
Why Do Poor Americans Eat So Unhealthfully? Because Junk Food Is The Only Indulgence They Can Afford
The verdict is in: Food deserts don't drive nutritional disparities in the United States the way we thought. Over the past decade, study after study has shown that differences in access to healthy food can't fully explain why wealthy Americans consume a healthier diet than poor Americans. If food deserts aren't to blame, then what is? (Priya Fielding-Singh, 2/7)
USA Today:
Teen Suicides Are On The Rise, But We Know How To Fight Back
Suicide is a growing public health crisis. The Centers for Disease Control reported recently that suicide rates for teenage girls in the United States have hit a 40-year high. ...These statistics should serve both as a shock to our collective being and an urgent call for national action. We simply cannot offer heartfelt condolences and then go about our normal daily activities anymore. Just as the opioid crisis has spurred a call to action at the local, state and national levels, the suicide crisis requires an immediate and comprehensive response. (Kelly Posner, 2/7)
St. Louis Post Dispatch:
Missouri Needs To Help Its Physicians Prevent Mothers From Dying
Missouri is playing catch-up with the rest of the country. A United Health Foundation study measured the national average maternal mortality rate at 19.9 deaths per 100,000 live births. Missouri lags behind, ranked 42nd out of 50 states with 28.5 deaths per 100,000. St. Louis County had a maternal mortality rate of 22.1 and St. Louis city had a whopping rate of 51.1. (Anirudh Prabu and Ishann Shah, 2/7)
San Antonio Press-Express:
Texas Needs To Step Up On Prenatal Care
When Texans are getting ready to have a baby, they may wonder about car seat options, if their baby will grow up to play soccer, what they can do to ensure their child will succeed in school, and many other questions big and small. But recent reports on two separate yet intertwined subjects show that pregnancy is also a prelude to tragedy for many Texas families and — because of our state’s inadequate maternal health policies — a time when many children’s long-term health and development is likely compromised. (Adriana Kohler, 2/7)
