In Politically Charged Year, Democrats Talk Up Expanded Government Role In Health Care
Voters have signaled that health care will be a key issue in the elections, and Democrats hope that the tables have turned from previous election cycles when they were on the defense.
The Wall Street Journal:
Health Law Is Back As Campaign Issue—This Time For Democrats
Republicans have often won support in recent elections by promising to repeal the Affordable Care Act. This year, Democrats hope to turn the tables by pushing the opposite goal—not just keeping the health law, but expanding government’s role in health care. The tactic, which carries political risk as well as opportunity, is playing out in places such as Minnesota, a state won narrowly by Hillary Clinton in 2016 that is facing a governor’s race, two Senate contests and five close House races. Democrats need to gain 23 House seats to retake the chamber, so the state is critical. (Armour and Epstein, 5/11)
In other national health care news —
The Associated Press:
Insider Q&A: Insurers Look Beyond Medical Bills To Cut Costs
Health insurers are moving beyond medical claims. They want to know if you have a ride to the doctor's office or if you're eating right too. It's a push to keep people healthy and control medical spending. WellCare Health Plans Inc. has been traveling this path for years. The Medicaid and Medicare Advantage coverage provider started a toll-free phone line in 2014 to connect callers with social services and programs that help with things like food, housing or transportation. (5/13)
The Wall Street Journal:
Is This Hospital Takeover Permitted? Ask The Catholic Church
It isn’t just the Federal Trade Commission scrutinizing U.S. health-care mergers these days. The Vatican is watching, too. Some of the biggest recent deals involve nonprofit hospitals affiliated with the Catholic Church, which make up about 8% of U.S. hospitals. Many began as small institutions founded by nuns more than a century ago. But as they have combined and grown into large corporations, they are posing new moral quandaries for church officials, who have a say in which mergers go ahead. (Evans, 5/14)
The Washington Post:
Viagra And Many Other Drugs Were Discovered By Chance. Now Science Is Hoping To Change That.
When a medication being developed to treat a heart condition gave patients erections, drugmakers knew they had a winner — not for angina, but for erectile dysfunction. That drug is now known as Viagra. Figuring out that a drug developed for one ailment can be effective for another was once a matter of chance. In the case of Viagra, for example, the discovery emerged by observing an unintended but beneficial side effect. Now, technological and scientific advances are allowing researchers to rely more on science and less on luck in hopes of cutting the time and expense involved in getting new treatments to patients. (Swartz, 5/13)
USA Today:
For Every Woman Who Dies In Childbirth In The U.S., 70 More Come Close
A mother giving birth in the U.S. is about three times as likely to die as a mother in Britain and Canada. In the course of our reporting, another disturbing statistic emerged: For every American woman who dies from childbirth, 70 nearly die. That adds up to more than 50,000 women who suffer "severe maternal morbidity" from childbirth each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A patient safety group, the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health, came up with an even higher figure. After conducting an in-depth study of devastating complications in hospitals in four states, it put the nationwide number at around 80,000. (Montagne, 5/10)
The Wall Street Journal:
Food Makers Vow To Cut Trans Fats Globally
The public health arm of the United Nations said it will urge governments to ban or restrict those fats and replace them with healthier fats and oils. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said eliminating trans fats from human diets would be “a global win in the fight against cardiovascular disease.” Multinational companies that make trans fats and have used them as ingredients said they have largely eliminated those oils from foods in the U.S., parts of Europe and Canada, where governments already restrict their use. But trans fats remain widely used where regulators and food makers have been slower to take action. Many of the fats are in foods or oils made by local producers. (McKay and Bunge, 5/14)
The Washington Post:
A Surprising Bullying Battleground: Senior Centers
The unwanted were turned away from cafeteria tables. Fistfights broke out at karaoke. Dances became breeding grounds for gossip and cruelty. It became clear this place had a bullying problem on its hands. What many found surprising was that the perpetrators and victims alike were all senior citizens. Nursing homes, senior centers and housing complexes for the elderly have introduced programs, training and policies aimed at curbing spates of bullying, an issue once thought the exclusive domain of the young. (Sedensky, 5/12)
The Washington Post:
Troubling Link Found Between Pollution Exposure In Pregnancy, High Blood Pressure In Children
High blood pressure typically occurs in adulthood, so when children develop the condition, it often means something is very wrong. A child might have kidney disease, hyperthyroidism or a heart problem. Obesity can also be a factor. But what about seemingly healthy youngsters whose blood pressure has shot up? Their risk, a study suggests, may trace back to before their birth. (Cha, 5/14)