Viewpoints: Underfunded Preventive Services Task Force Needs A Revamp; Docs Need Training On ‘Code Status’
Editorial writers discuss these public health issues.
The Washington Post:
Science Finds New Ways To Detect Cancer, But Politics Gets In The Way
Whether insurance companies are required to pay for any type of preventive care is in the hands of a little-known volunteer panel of 16 experts, whose approximately $11 million budget is preposterously inadequate to the growing size of their mission. (Karen Tumulty, 9/10)
Stat:
Doctors Don’t Receive Enough Training About Code Status, DNR
When a patient is admitted to the hospital in the U.S., there’s a standard question physicians like me are supposed to ask: “If your heart stops beating, do you want us to do CPR?” On the surface, this may seem like a mechanic asking a customer, “If your car stalls, do you want us to jumpstart the engine?” Who would say no to this, especially in a hospital? (Lindsey Ulin, 9/11)
The Washington Post:
If The GOP Wins In November, Expect The Uninsured Rate To Spike
The uninsured rate remained steady last year, at roughly the lowest level ever recorded. That’s a small miracle — but one that could vanish if lawmakers don’t act soon. The share of Americans without health insurance coverage was just 8 percent in 2023, statistically indistinguishable from the record low reached the prior year (7.9 percent), the Census Bureau reported Tuesday. For context, in the bad, old pre-Obamacare days, the share of Americans lacking health insurance was roughly double that amount. (Catherine Rampell, 9/10)
Stat:
Parent Mental Health Crisis Particularly Acute For Those On Medicaid
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s latest warning unearths concerning statistics about the mental health and well-being of American parents. These findings resonated with me deeply on two levels. First, I am a parent of three school-age children. Second, I am a trained therapist and head of behavioral health at a provider organization focused on caring for the most vulnerable members of our population — Medicaid members and those dually eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare. (Ruby Mehta, 9/11)
Chicago Tribune:
Illinois Must Protect Workers From Inhaling Silica Dust
Silicosis is lung scarring caused by inhalation of silica particles. Scarring is ongoing, even after the exposure has stopped. Silicosis is not a new disease — it was first described in 400 B.C. and re-described by physicians across the centuries. Despite this long-standing knowledge, clinicians fail to recognize silicosis, and it is often misdiagnosed until the very late stages of disease. (Linda Forst and Lee Friedman, 9/9)
