Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Weight-Loss Drugs Don't Help Everyone; We Mustn't Let Anti-Vax Beliefs Become Normalized
The new weight-loss drugs have a veneer of respectability 鈥 doctors prescribe them, after all 鈥 that makes them seem different from HerbaLife or Weight Watchers. But, like all the weight-loss promises that came before them, they're being drastically oversold. (Mara Gordon, 3/23)
This fact might be hard to believe, but there鈥檚 no denying it: Anti-vaccine sentiments are likely to play a key role in this year鈥檚 election. President Biden is fending off challenges from not one but two opponents regularly spouting anti-vaccine messages. (Leana S. Wen, 3/26)
Alabama鈥檚 Supreme Court ruled in February that frozen embryos from in vitro fertilization (IVF) are considered 鈥渦nborn children.鈥 The decision allowed for lawsuits when the loss of an embryo was caused by 鈥渢he wrongful act, omission, or negligence of any person.鈥 (H. Irene Su, 3/25)
It鈥檚 time to acknowledge when a law intended to right an egregious wrong has become harmful 鈥 and change it. That鈥檚 the case for a law that requires people covered by Medicaid to wait at least 30 days after signing a consent to sterilization form to actually undergo the procedure. But there鈥檚 no waiting period for people covered by private insurance. (Amanda Masse and Nadi Nina Kaonga, 3/26)