Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Youth Transgender Issues Need More Research, Not Less
President Trump has made his hostility toward transgender people abundantly clear. On the first day of his second term, he issued a sweeping executive order against 鈥済ender ideology鈥 that led federal employees to erase public health data from websites and remove pronouns from email signatures, among other actions. (Jesse Singal, 3/27)
Friday was my last day leading communications at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I left my job because I believe public health policy must always be guided by facts and not fantasy. (Kevin Griffis, 3/25)
As all providers know, one of our principal partners is often our biggest nemesis: the insurance companies that pay our bills. The relationships with payers vary from one company to another, and there are many examples of productive relationships. Overall, however, they are too often marked by tension, combativeness, misaligned incentives and diminishing trust. (Michael Dowling, 3/25)
There is a 鈥渓ast mile鈥 problem in health care. The United States spends billions of dollars on basic science research, drug development, and clinical trials, but after that, it leaves it up to the health care system to make sure that effective treatments get in the hands of patients who need them. (Jeffrey L. Schnipper, 3/25)
Also 鈥
Thirty-five years ago, the state of Connecticut initiated a controversial program of needle and syringe exchange to improve the health and ultimately save the lives of people whose wellbeing had previously been ignored. At that time, Connecticut was experiencing one of the worse HIV/AIDS epidemics in the country. (Robert Heimer, 3/27)
In last year鈥檚 November general election, Missouri residents went to the polls and voted for Proposition A, a referendum that increased the state minimum wage to $15 per hour and imposed new requirements for businesses to provide paid sick leave for their employees. With 57% of the vote, Missourians approved the measure, parts of which go into effect on May 1. (Jon Patterson, 3/25)