Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Weight Loss Drugs Should Be Available To All; Biomedical Innovation Is Taking A Beating
Obesity kills 300,000 Americans annually. It is associated with increased risk of more than 200 other diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia. According to modeling by my colleagues at the USC Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service, the average American will soon have obesity. Black and Latino individuals experience higher rates of severe obesity compared to non-Latino white people, translating into higher rates of chronic diseases. (Anne L. Peters, 10/28)
With the rallying cry of corporate greed, each year of the Biden-Harris administration has brought successive government interventions in the health care system — broadly directed at the life sciences industry including large companies employing thousands of Americans, entrepreneurs and the many creative, scrappy small businesses driving revolutionary innovation. Through one-size-fits-all administrative actions and partisan legislation, the Biden-Harris administration has both stifled innovation and made it harder for new drugs to reach patients. (Vrushab Gowda and Brian J. Miller, 10/30)
The question of mental health is an important one here. Children with gender dysphoria are hurting. They often deal with depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. They are bullied and excluded. Many are on the autism spectrum. (10/29)