Viewpoints: Congress Needs To Ban Predatory Practices That Lead To Surprise Medical Bills; Research On Right-To-Carry Laws Shows Why They’re Dead Wrong

Editorial pages focus on these health care topics and others.

The Wall Street Journal: Get Rid Of Surprise Medical Bills

Scott Kohan woke up in an Austin, Texas, emergency room after an attack that broke his jaw. The hospital was within his insurance network. But the oral surgeon who set his jaw wasn’t. Mr. Kohan’s insurer refused to pay the surgeon’s $8,000 bill. He’s not alone. An estimated 51% of ambulance rides, 22% of emergency-department trips, and 9% of elective cases, in which patients have time for due diligence, lead to surprise bills. These typically come from providers who refuse to join insurance networks so they can charge astronomical fees. (Benedic Ippolito, 6/11)

Bloomberg: ‘More Guns, Less Crime’? Stanford RTC Study Suggests Otherwise

The evidence is compelling.In the most thorough study yet published on the effects of concealed carry laws, a team led by Stanford University law professor John Donohue found that state laws making it easy to carry concealed firearms lead to more violent crime. The Stanford analysis follows a stream of previous studies reaching similar conclusions about so-called right-to-carry (RTC) laws. It’s the most definitive refutation of the “more guns, less crime” thesis promoted by the gun lobby — which, not surprisingly, remains hostile to peer-reviewed research on the causes of gun violence. (6/11)

Los Angeles Times: Jon Stewart Just Reminded Us How Outrage Is Supposed To Work

Jon Stewart returned to TV today just as we left him: sitting behind a desk, anxiously clicking his pen as he carefully crafted an argument and called for justice. It could’ve been a monologue aired on any episode of “The Daily Show.” Almost. But instead of Comedy Central, Stewart appeared on our screens via C-SPAN. Instead of laughter, he instilled despair; his one-liners now cutting to our hearts rather than our funny bones. He’s still angry as ever, but he’s moved from the peanut gallery into the front row. (Brian Boyle, 6/11)

USA Today: Fentanyl Overdose Deaths: Why Was Doctor Allowed To Practice Medicine?

In his application for an Ohio medical license in 2013, Dr. William Husel wrote, “My passion is taking care of sick patients in the ICU. Please give me the opportunity to practice what I love doing.” How then did he go from doctor to accused murderer? And how could tragedy have been prevented? These are pressing questions about the Ohio critical care physician who is charged with prescribing massive doses of fentanyl that killed 25 patients. William Husel pleaded not guilty in one of the largest murder cases ever brought against an American doctor. (Alyssa Burgart and James Lozada, 6/12)

The Hill: There Is A Severe Physician Shortage And It Will Only Worsen

As a neurosurgeon whose career has focused on academic research and training the next generation of doctors, I am convinced that the time has come to expand Medicare’s support for residency training to ensure all Americans have access to the care they deserve now and into the future.Currently, the country faces a severe physician workforce shortage — one that will only worsen as more Americans obtain health insurance and baby boomers continue to reach retirement age. By the year 2032, the United States will see a shortage of up to nearly 122,000 physicians — a shortfall of roughly 25,000 to 66,000 specialists and 21,000 to 55,000 primary care physicians, according to a 2019 study conducted by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). (Alex B. Valadka, 6/11)

Stat: Stories Are The Currency Of Medicine

People choose careers in medicine to treat human beings — not their diagnoses — and to alleviate suffering of the body as well as of the mind and the soul. Western medicine has historically been rooted in an obstinate focus on disease processes rather than on the people with the disease, a tendency to treat the physical while ignoring the existential and the psychosocial. It’s hard to feel compassion toward a disease, so what you’re left with is mechanistic, depersonalized patient care. (Zachary G. Jacobs, 6/12)

The Hill: Alabama Castration Bill Won't The Problem

Recently passed legislation in the state of Alabama (HB379) mandates that “as a condition of parole, a court shall order a person convicted of a sex offense involving a person under the age of 13 years to undergo chemical castration treatment, in addition to any other punishment for that offense.” That language appears to suggest that “chemical castration” is being mandated as both treatment and punishment. There is precedent for mandated medical interventions, as evidenced by the fact that for decades children were required to receive a smallpox vaccination. There is no precedent, nor should there be, for utilizing a mandated medical intervention as a criminal sanction. (Fred S. Berlin, 6/11)

San Francisco Chronicle: S.F. Mental Health Plan Is A Long Way From Fully Cooked

Three clear takeaways emerged from a presentation by Supervisors Hillary Ronen and Matt Haney on their plan to offer free mental health care to all San Franciscans: It’s well intentioned, it’s going to be very expensive — and it’s a long way from being fully cooked. (6/11)

This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription