Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Weight-Loss Drugs Don't Help Everyone; We Mustn't Let Anti-Vax Beliefs Become Normalized
NPR: My Patients Think Ozempic Is A Wonder Drug. But It Can't Fix Fat Phobia
The new weight-loss drugs have a veneer of respectability – doctors prescribe them, after all – that makes them seem different from HerbaLife or Weight Watchers. But, like all the weight-loss promises that came before them, they're being drastically oversold. (Mara Gordon, 3/23)
The Washington Post: How To Counter Vaccine Misinformation In Political Discourse
This fact might be hard to believe, but there’s no denying it: Anti-vaccine sentiments are likely to play a key role in this year’s election. President Biden is fending off challenges from not one but two opponents regularly spouting anti-vaccine messages. (Leana S. Wen, 3/26)
Scientific American: Alabama’s Embryo Personhood Decision Threatens Patients, Medicine And Advances In IVF
Alabama’s Supreme Court ruled in February that frozen embryos from in vitro fertilization (IVF) are considered “unborn children.” The decision allowed for lawsuits when the loss of an embryo was caused by “the wrongful act, omission, or negligence of any person.” (H. Irene Su, 3/25)
Stat: Eliminate The Waiting Period For Sterilization Covered By Medicaid
It’s time to acknowledge when a law intended to right an egregious wrong has become harmful — and change it. That’s the case for a law that requires people covered by Medicaid to wait at least 30 days after signing a consent to sterilization form to actually undergo the procedure. But there’s no waiting period for people covered by private insurance. (Amanda Masse and Nadi Nina Kaonga, 3/26)
