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Why do Americans pay so much more for common medications than people in other countries? Why does an inhaler that costs $7 in France cost almost $500 in the United States? These are just a few of the questions the Senate Judiciary Committee looked to answer in a recent hearing. The common answer? Dominant corporations use a variety of patent-related strategies to protect their power, maximize their profits, and squash their competition. (Dick Durbin and Lina M. Khan, 7/2)

The elephant in the exam room is that pediatricians earn less than specialists in almost every other medical field in the United States. A key reason is that so many children live in poverty and therefore qualify for Medicaid, which pays far less for care than private insurance and even less than Medicare. (Dr. Aaron E. Carroll, 7/1)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: Pain Doesn’t Belong On A Scale Of Zero To 10 

Over the past two years, a simple but baffling request has preceded most of my encounters with medical professionals: “Rate your pain on a scale of zero to 10.” I trained as a physician and have asked patients the very same question thousands of times, so I think hard about how to quantify the sum of the sore hips, the prickly thighs, and the numbing, itchy pain near my left shoulder blade. I pause and then, mostly arbitrarily, choose a number. “Three or four?” I venture, knowing the real answer is long, complicated, and not measurable in this one-dimensional way. (Elizabeth Rosenthal, 7/2)

The Food and Drug Administration’s rare pediatric disease priority review voucher program, which has been providing incentives for lifesaving innovations since 2012, is doomed to disappear unless Congress reauthorizes it before the end of September. Some lawmakers have downplayed its impressive track record based on unfounded allegations. I have data showing it works. (Pamela K. Gavin, 7/2)

Idaho is at war against women and has been for decades. The war is undeclared but undeniable when viewed through the lenses of justice and healthcare. Idaho imprisons women at thee times the national rate. Idaho puts more women in prison than any other state, and the rate is accelerating. From 2022 to 2023, Idaho men’s incarceration rate increased by 2% and women’s by 9.3%. There is collateral damage to children, and 81% of incarcerated women in Idaho have dependent children. (Dr. Carrie Roller, 6/30)