Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Keep Your Sanity Amid Israel War Coverage; We Need A New Model To Manage Pricey Meds
After Sept. 11, 2001, the public psyche in the United States was punctured, our nation had been attacked on the mainland unlike ever before, and many Americans overpersonalized the new risk and felt unsafe. (Dr. Marc Siegel, 10/16)
An estimated two-thirds of sickle cell treatment-seeking patients will be publicly insured, either through Medicare or state Medicaid programs. The wave of new gene therapy could cost $12.2 billion per year, which means state governments are in for a world of hurt, financially speaking. (Jessica Karl, 10/16)
Over the past couple of years, no new pharmaceutical drug鈥攑erhaps no product, period鈥攈as had such widespread impact as the diabetes medication Ozempic and the weight-loss drug Wegovy, both made by Danish company Novo Nordisk. Most obviously, the drugs have changed the lives of the millions of people who now count on them to help control their appetite. These two products have taken Novo Nordisk from a successful but second-tier drugmaker to the most valuable company in Europe. (James Surowiecki, 10/16)
Where, exactly, is the line between life and death? Does the answer change if the person asking is not a philosopher but a transplant surgeon eager to save a life? Or a patient desperate for a new organ? (Pete Singer, 10/17)
Steroids were once the only treatment option for some chronic conditions. Today, many other treatments exist, but doctors often stick with the tried-and-true steroids. There are good reasons for this: They are low-cost and readily approved by insurance companies. But while generally safe for short-term use, long-term聽steroids pose significant dangers. When weeks on聽steroids turn into months, or years, the risks grow, and patients should ask questions. (Judy Hoffstein, 10/16)
On March 5, 2020, I walked into the hospital 39 weeks pregnant. I hadn鈥檛 felt my baby move since the day before. Being a first-time mom, I had no idea what to expect. Was my baby OK? Was he sleeping? Had he run out of room? No. The answer to all the above questions was no. (Erica Bailey, 10/17)
