Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Cost Of TB Test Out Of Reach For Many; Some ACA Workers Cannot Afford Their Own Health Care
Of the 10 million people who will become sick with tuberculosis this year, between 3 million and 4 million will go undiagnosed, often dying before they can get an accurate test. Fortunately, GeneXpert tests, made by the company Cepheid (a subsidiary of the conglomerate Danaher), can reliably determine within two hours if a patient has TB. (John Green, 3/21)
March 23 marks 14 years since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law by former President Barack Obama. The ACA, as then-Vice President Joe Biden predicted, has been a lifeline for millions of Americans needing affordable health coverage. (Katherine Charles and Audrianna Lewis, 3/21)
This year 21.3 million Americans chose Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace coverage during the open enrollment period. About a fourth of those were new to the marketplace and 16 million Americans renewed their coverage. Despite its popularity and the fact that it's a lifeline for millions of people, former President Donald Trump is threatening to terminate it. (Jorge Neri, 3/22)
In a recent survey of U.S. companies, medical device makers reported spending $31 million on average to bring a new product to market under the Food and Drug Administration鈥檚 510(k) pathway for those similar to devices already approved. These costs balloon to more than $90 million for new Class III devices that progress through the more rigorous premarket approval pathway. (Kyle H. Sheetz and Robert M. Wachter, 3/22)
The adverse childhood experience (ACE) questionnaire has become a critical part of public health. It offers physicians a screening tool to evaluate patients, gaining valuable insights into their physical and mental well-being. However, the questionnaire is now outdated because it fails to ask about childhood exposure to gun violence. (Sydney Durrah, 3/21)
