Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: RFK Jr.'s Restructure Will Be More Harmful Than Helpful; Why NIH Canceled Vaccine Hesitancy Study
When I was secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services under President Bill Clinton, an agency head came to me with a dramatic reorganization plan. I advised him that unless it was data- and outcome-driven, he was wasting his time. Just as important, the reorganization would unsettle and confuse his new colleagues. As a result, his legacy would be a new structure rather than improving people’s lives. (Donna Shalala, 3/27)
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the demand for vaccines briefly exceeded supply. Across the U.S., state governments decided who should receive priority access to livesaving vaccines. Several vulnerable groups, like people with cancer and the elderly, were consistently and appropriately prioritized. But others, like people with severe mental illness, were not, despite data showing that they were almost three times more likely to die from Covid-19. (Michael V. Bronstein, 3/28)
Well, it happened. My colleagues and I tried to dodge it, but we finally got DOGE’d. On Tuesday, the termination letter arrived from the National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO) for a project we’ve poured our hearts into for several months. Eleven billion dollars that were earmarked and appropriated to stop outbreaks and strengthen public health have simply evaporated into thin air. Poof. Vamoose. (Jess Steier, 3/28)
It’s time for a new approach to cancer diagnosis and treatment. While major advances, such as immunotherapies, have radically reshaped the healthcare landscape, traditional methods alone cannot be expected to deliver the results needed to address the nation’s growing cancer burden. (Anthony Chang, Jonathan Engle and Ben Newton, 3/27)
A health care facility that cares for the most challenging physically and mentally ill patients is dangerously understaffed. How do you fix it? The answer for most private sector administrators would probably not be to cut the remaining workers’ pay. Yet that is what the federal government is doing at the Devens prison, part of a nationwide budget cut. (3/27)
