Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Why Do We Know So Little About Long Covid?; Biden Was Right About Obamacare
USA Today: US Healthcare Is Failing COVID Patients. Paxlovid Cost Is Far Too High
In America today, about 16 million people throughout our country have long COVID-19. It affects people of all ages and from all backgrounds. And we don’t know why. (Bernie Sanders, 1/26)
The New York Times: Bidencare Is A Really Big Deal
In 2010, at the signing of the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare, Joe Biden, the vice president at the time, was caught on a hot mic telling President Barack Obama that the bill was a “big deal.” OK, there was actually another word in the middle. Anyway, Biden was right. (Paul Krugman, 1/25)
Newsweek: To Make Health Care Affordable, Give Patients Choices
Affordability is on the mind of every American in 2024. From groceries to gas, Americans are spending more. Health care is no different, especially for those with costly medical conditions and high deductibles who started back at $0 of their "deductible met" on January 1. (Bobby Jindal, 1/25)
The Star Tribune: Midwifery, Fair Funding Can Ease Racial, Rural Inequities
The crisis in U.S. maternal health outcomes, persistent racial inequities and rural and urban maternity deserts are the equivalent of a five alarm fire. Since 2017, there has been increasing public outcry as even the United Nations has highlighted this tragedy in the nation that spends more on health care per capita than any other. (Joia Crear Perry and Steve Calvin, 1/25)
Stat: A Pediatrician Calls For Congress To Pass The Child Tax Credit Deal
When I enter, “what is pediatrics?” into an image search engine, I get back dozens of stock photos with smiling physicians listening to beaming children’s hearts or looking in their ears. I love those images. They reflect the routine joy and trust that encompass many days in the life of a pediatrician. Increasingly, though, the answer to that question doesn’t quite match the happy imagery. (Ben Hoffman, 1/26)
The Boston Globe: Lloyd Austin Isn’t Talking About His Prostate Cancer. But It Could Make A Difference For Other Men If He Did
Whether benign or malignant, prostate issues are common in men especially as they get older. (Austin is 70, Charles is 75.) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is the second most common cancer among men nationwide. And when detected and treated early, the five-year survival rate is nearly 100 percent, according to the American Cancer Society. (Renee Graham, 1/26)
