‘Single-Payer’ Is The Hot New Buzz Word. But What Does It Actually Mean?
The Washington Post lays out what exactly a single-payer system looks like.
The Washington Post:
Single Payer System: A Healthcare Alternative To Affordable Care Act?
As Republican efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act continue in the background, some Democrats are starting to eye a new health policy goal: implementing a single-payer system. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced a single-payer bill in mid-September with 16 Democratic co-sponsors — 16 more than he got when he introduced the bill two years earlier. But how is the health-care system funded now, and how would “single-payer” change that? (Soffen, 10/17)
In other national health care news —
The Washington Post:
Trump Eyeing Former Drug Firm Executive Alex Azar For Health And Human Services Secretary
Alex Azar, a former pharmaceutical executive and a top health official during the George W. Bush administration, is now the leading candidate to head the Department of Health and Human Services, two Republicans briefed on the matter said Tuesday. Azar served a decade at Lilly USA, the biggest affiliate of Eli Lilly and Co., including five years as president. He directly led a biomedicines division that covered, among other areas, neuroscience, immunology and cardiology, and was also responsible for the company’s sales and marketing operations. (Eilperin and Goldstein, 10/17)
The Hill:
Newly Controversial Opioid Enforcement Law Under Fire
Several lawmakers are pushing to repeal or revisit a law critics say enables the flow of deadly and addictive opioids, hours after President Trump’s drug czar nominee withdrew his name amid the controversy. The little-noticed legislation is reportedly undermining the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) ability to police drug distributors and was heavily influenced by industry lobbying, according to a joint Washington Post and “60 Minutes” investigation published Sunday. The report was based in part on a high-ranking whistleblower within the DEA. (Roubein, 10/17)
Los Angeles Times:
Opioid Law Draws Scrutiny After Trump's Pick For Drug Czar Steps Aside
President Trump's pick to be the nation's drug czar, Rep. Tom Marino (R-Pa.), withdrew from consideration Tuesday after news reports focused attention on his role in pushing legislation that weakened the Drug Enforcement Administration's power to investigate bulk shipments of prescription opiods. (Bennett and Bierman, 10/17)
The New York Times:
Google Maps Pulls Calorie-Counting Feature After Criticism
Stephanie Zerwas, the clinical director of the Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders at the University of North Carolina, was trying to find a restaurant in Orlando, Fla., last weekend, so she put the address into Google Maps for directions. She was baffled to see a new feature: The iPhone app told her that walking instead of driving would burn 70 calories. While it was perhaps meant as an incentive to walk, those with eating disorders might instead fixate on the number, a dangerous mind-set that counselors try to minimize, she said. (Victor, 10/17)