Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Americans Say Their Number 1 Concern Is Health Care Costs
American families aren鈥檛 as worried about terrorism or crime as they are about paying their health care bills, a new poll suggests. Health care costs have emerged as the No. 1 concern for American families, according to a new national Monmouth University poll. Health care costs outranked a variety of other concerns that registered in the single digits, including college tuition and taxes. (Clark, 2/7)
National security and immigration have been taking up much of the spotlight lately with Donald Trump in the White House, but what has Americans worried the most is their health care, according to a new Monmouth University Poll. About 25 percent of respondents in a nationwide聽poll said the cost of health care was the biggest concern facing their family, a 10-point jump over a similar poll conducted in 2015.聽By contrast, national security and immigration聽鈥斅爄ssues that聽jumped to the forefront during the chaotic first weeks of the Trump聽administration聽鈥斅爎anked very low in the survey. (Davis, 2/7)
All the doctor鈥檚 tricks were failing him. He鈥檇 tried neck massage, pressure to the eyes, ice on the face. But an hour in, Ashish Jha still couldn鈥檛 slow his racing heart. His wife asked what he鈥檇 recommend if a patient called with the same problem. 鈥淚 said, 鈥極h, that鈥檚 easy.鈥 Go to the emergency department.鈥 As a physician, Jha knew this tachycardia could possibly lead to a heart attack. Yet he felt caught by a decision he鈥檇 made in enrolling his family in a so-called high-deductible insurance plan. (Gorenstein, 2/8)