Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Redefining Obesity May Pose Risk To Weight Loss Drug Access; Pharmaceutical Ads Need Reform
For decades, doctors have used two numbers to determine whether a person has obesity: their weight divided by their height. The calculation, known as body mass index (BMI), has the benefit of simplicity. But that鈥檚 also a flaw, because it doesn鈥檛 account for all the factors that determine whether someone鈥檚 weight is healthy, including their race or ethnicity. (Leana S. Wen, 3/18)
As a reformed hypochondriac, I鈥檓 extremely vulnerable to the allure of pharmaceutical ads. I self-referred for GLP-1s years ago after seeing advertisements, and even though I am a diabetic, what followed were horrific health outcomes: hospitalizations, extensive procedures, scans, MRIs, pancreatitis, anemia, and thousands in medical expenses. (Hal Rosenbluth, 3/18)
My wife and I would both be dead, but for what many derisively call 鈥淏ig Pharma.鈥 (Erick Erickson, 3/17)
As the new Congress and administration are settling in, all eyes in Washington are focused on the trillion-dollar question: whether and how to pay for the expiring provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (TCJA), signed into law in President Trump鈥檚 first term. Among the various revenue-generating proposals emerging from GOP circles 鈥 including some of the president鈥檚 most trusted advisers 鈥 is one that would increase taxes on American workers with employer-provided health care coverage. (D. Taylor and Katy Johnson, 3/18)
Consider that in 2023, about 4 in 10 Bay Staters reported having trouble affording health care, and nearly 1 in 3 avoided getting needed health care because of cost, according to the Center for Health Information and Analysis鈥檚 2025 annual report, released March 12. (3/18)
Connecticut鈥檚 low Medicaid reimbursement rates inhibit access to care, drive up patient costs, and strain healthcare providers. 聽At the same time, residents and communities across the state are struggling to prevent and manage chronic disease and improve health. 聽The Medicaid program, which covers one in four people in Connecticut, can and should work better. (Jennifer Jackson, 3/13)