Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Kids' Health Has Worsened Under RFK Jr.; Pilots Deserve Mental Health Care Without Punishment
Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.鈥檚 recent appearance before Congress raised eyebrows across the nation, mostly because of his outlandish statements about the Covid-19 pandemic and his combative denials of the Trump administration鈥檚 efforts to restrict vaccine access for children. (Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), 9/17)
For decades, aviators have had minimal access to mental health care generally. Those who have sought care have often been grounded for extended periods of time. The system was presumably designed to keep our air traffic system safe but, as a practical matter, has served only to prevent people from seeking or receiving the care they need. (Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.), 9/17)
Having been a physician for over 35 years, I witnessed the pharmaceutical industry's wild-west days full of using consulting fees, sponsored meals, branded swag, and paid travel to entice doctors. Fortunately, many of those practices have been curbed, but now an army of marketers and advertisers work to win the hearts and minds of patients before they even see their doctor. One cannot watch the evening news without being exposed to endless drug advertisements. (Rep. Greg Murphy, M.D. (R-N.C.), 9/16)
You want answers. Most doctors want to give them to you. But the reality is healthcare is full of uncertainty. (Marleah Dean Kruzel, 9/15)
The kidney shortage is the best kind of problem. It is solvable. And the solution is in Congress right now.聽(Elaine Perlman and Walter E. Block, 9/14)