Viewpoints: H.R. 1 Passage Threatens Contraceptive Access; Peer-To-Peer Prior Authorization Review Is A Farce
Editorial writers delve into these public health issues.
Medicaid provisions passed under H.R. 1 will have a cascading impact that threatens the landscape of vital contraceptive care. (Anna Britt, Kate Meyer and Zara Day, 11/3)
While the headaches and life-altering results of insurance pre-authorizations are not new to physicians or patients, lately things have been getting worse. Patients are sending more and more messages to their doctors, scared that they won鈥檛 have essential medications renewed in a timely way and pleading for help. (Alexa B. Kimball, 11/5)
Last Friday, the Illinois General Assembly narrowly passed a law allowing terminally ill people to end their own lives.聽The legislation now awaits Gov. JB Pritzker鈥檚 signature. If he signs it, Illinois will join 11 other states (and the District of Columbia) that allow terminally ill adults to choose when and how they want to end their own lives. There鈥檚 an element of the macabre in the fact that this bill passed on Halloween, but we digress. (11/4)
Many expectant moms are unaware of the dangers of cannabis use. (Leana S. Wen, 11/4)
Twenty years ago, Science celebrated 鈥渁 revolution that is fundamentally altering the way the haves of the world assist the have-nots鈥: Governments and philanthropies were donating tens of billions of dollars to global health annually. 鈥淓veryone started dreaming,鈥 no longer 鈥渟craping for the pennies that would fall off the table,鈥 declared Jim Yong Kim, who would later become president of the World Bank. (S.L. Erikson, 11/5)