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)