Viewpoints: The Price Tag Of Hospital Stays; The Politics Of Zika Are Spreading
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
The New York Times:
The Growing Cost Of A Hospital Stay
If you have to go to the hospital, health insurance is supposed to cushion the financial blow. But as insurers pass more costs along to patients, hospitalizations are getting more expensive, and checking in can come with a four-figure bill. A new study, conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and published in JAMA Internal Medicine, looked at how much people with employer-sponsored or individual insurance plans spent on hospital stays between 2009 and 2013. During that period, the average out-of-pocket spending per stay grew by 37 percent, from $738 to $1,013. That’s a growth rate of 6.5 percent per year, during a time when overall health care spending grew just 2.9 percent annually. (Anna North, 6/28)
The Wall Street Journal:
The Zika Democrats
Pollsters regularly show that Congress is less popular among the public than infectious diseases, and Senate Democrats on Tuesday helped explain why. After spending months demanding more funding to combat the Zika virus, they voted down their own priority to foment the chaos they believe will work to their political benefit in the fall. The White House asked Congress for $1.9 billion by July 4 to address mosquito-borne Zika, which can cause a birth defect called microcephaly. (6/28)
Tampa Bay Times:
Congress Fiddles As Zika Spreads
More than 200 people in Florida have been diagnosed with the Zika virus, and state health officials confirm the first baby has been born in the state with Zika-related microcephaly. Yet as the virus spreads, Congress is still playing partisan games and will leave for the Fourth of July break without agreeing on emergency funding to fight the mosquito-borne disease. No wonder voters are so disgusted with Washington. (6/28)
Chicago Tribune:
I Was Too Cool For Bug Spray; Now I Have Zika
I was in Jamaica last week to attend a friend's wedding. I'd previously lived there for five years while I was pursuing my medical degree. Because I once lived there, I still consider myself a local when I visit, and like some local people, I didn't use mosquito repellent. My comfort level overruled my judgment, and now I have Zika. Maybe you've used some of these excuses, though likely not about Zika: "No need for this smelly bug spray" or "I lived here for years and never got chikungunya, why would I get Zika?" or even, "It's not like I'm planning to have a baby any time soon." (Krystal Alexander, 6/28)
Georgia Health News:
Don’t Fall For The Arkansas Model Of Medicaid Expansion
It appears that this prominent state senator will be forming alliances with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce to push for a Medicaid expansion model similar to the one implemented in Arkansas, called the “Private Option.” Instead of working for taxpayers, this program, now known as “Arkansas Works,” has done the opposite. Supporters of this model believe that a Section 1115 Medicaid Waiver, the kind Arkansas received, will give Georgia the ability to expand Medicaid under its own terms, not under those of Obamacare. That is just not true, and the disastrous experiment in Arkansas is proof. (Jason Spencer, 6/28)
San Jose Mercury News:
Commentary: Health Care Needs High-Risk Pools
Obamacare guarantees all Americans health insurance. But it doesn't guarantee that coverage will be affordable. ... There are less costly ways to make sure that all Americans have access to coverage -- and that they can afford it. They're called "high-risk pools" and they can protect those with pre-existing conditions without jacking up premiums for everyone else. (Sally C. Pipes, 6/28)
Stat:
Undermining A Small But Important Federal Health Agency Is A Dangerous Gamble
New discoveries are the lifeblood of medical progress, but they don’t do any good until they are actually used to treat illness and save lives. That’s why I’m troubled by plans to cut the budget of the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) or eliminate it altogether. Undermining this essential organization will create serious problems for patients, care providers, and the entire health care system. Though AHRQ is a little-known part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, it’s a small organization with a big job: helping translate discoveries and best practices into everyday clinical care. (Michael L. Millenson, 6/28)
The New York Times' Room For Debate:
Should The Veterans Health Care System Be Privatized?
The federal Commission on Care, set up to study the future of Department of Veterans Affairs health care, is to present its final report this week. Seven of its 15 member have released recommendations that some veterans groups say would privatize the system. Would privatization of V.A. health care improve the system or undermine it? (6/28)
The Columbus Dispatch:
Law Fills A Gap In Paramedic Care
Who knew? Before a new law was passed this spring, it was illegal for firefighters or paramedics to provide basic emergency care to the dogs and cats they rescued from fires or car accidents. Of course, many have provided oxygen or other help to suffering animals out of compassion and also because the pets are beloved family members. (6/29)
The Texas Tribune:
'Flesh-Eating' Bacteria Scares Shouldn't Keep You Off Texas Beaches
Every summer as millions flock to Gulf Coast beaches, another seasonal cycle begins: news stories of what we should fear. Most recently in Texas, there have been a number of stories about so-called flesh-eating bacteria infecting beachgoers, Vibrio vulnificus. V. vulnificus is a naturally occurring bacteria found in our coastal waters that can cause a serious medical emergency, especially in people with compromised immune systems. The Centers for Disease Control and Gulf States’ health departments from Texas to Florida have done a wonderful job of providing plenty of easy-to-read information about this health threat. Unfortunately, a brief search of the Internet will also produce all the chilling photos and highly sensationalized news stories one would need to justify never going back into the water. (Larry McKinney, 6/28)