Viewpoints: Saving Rural Hospitals Can Save More Than Lives; Listen To Evidence About Gun Safety And Children, Not The NRA

Opinion writers weigh in on these health topics and others.

Stat: Lawmakers Should Act To Protect Some Rural Hospitals From Closing

The decline of rural hospitals has been a slow-moving train wreck. It’s now accelerating.Since 2010, nearly 100 rural hospitals have closed their doors. The closures have resulted in statistics like this — half of all rural counties lack an obstetrician — that make the United States sound like a third-world country. As bad as that may seem, things are likely to get much worse, and soon. (Dave Mosley, 2/21)

Bloomberg: Guns And Children: Strong Gun Laws Prevent Early Deaths

The National Rifle Association is mounting another round of information warfare, this time against a proposal in the House of Representatives to require background checks on all gun sales. As the talking points fly, it’s worth recalling the growing body of evidence that finds close correlation between more rigorous gun laws and greater public safety. One of the more recent studies in this vein comes from researchers associated with Stanford University, who tested the relationship between state gun laws and firearm-related fatalities among children and teens. Firearm-related mortality is the second-leading cause of pediatric death in the United States. (2/21)

The Hill: Life-Saving Gene Therapies Are Here — We Need To Get Them To Patients

For decades, scientists around the world have dreamed of medical interventions to repair or replace defective genes in a targeted way. Today, that vision is becoming reality for an ever-growing number of debilitating and deadly diseases thanks to breakthroughs in gene therapy technology. But if millions of Americans are to benefit from these advances, our health care system needs to adapt.(Liam Siguad, 2/20)

New England Journal of Medicine: The FDA’s Proposed Ban On Menthol Cigarettes

A proposed ban on menthol cigarettes marks a new chapter in a decades-long debate over the science of addiction, the public health costs, the marketing practices of tobacco companies, the politics of tobacco control in vulnerable populations, and the FDA’s authority. (Keith Wailoo, 2/20)

The Washington Post: Alternatives To Medicare-For-All That Are Worth Studying And Debating

Coverage of health care in the context of the 2020 Democratic presidential campaign amounts to asking a yes-or-no question about support for Medicare-for-all and then pointing out that Democrats are “divided.” (A rift! A split in the party!). The Medicare-for-all crowd accuses the others of being incrementalists (horror!) and the Medicare-for-all critics say this is pie-in-the-sky stuff that won’t work. That’s it. That’s the “health-care debate” as it has generally been covered. What’s missing is any deep analysis of the costs and feasibility of Medicare-for-all and, more important, what some of the alternatives might look like. (Jennifer Rubin, 2/21)

The Hill: The FDA Crackdown On Dietary Supplements Is Inadequate

The Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb issued warning letters to 12 companies and announced plans to strengthen FDA oversight of supplements, as well as more effectively communicating concerns to the public. The misleading claims, touting ineffective nostra, have the attention of regulators. It is refreshing to see this agency following a mandate of protecting those less able to protect themselves. (David S. Seres, 2/21)

San Francisco Chronicle: Kaiser’ New School Joins A Movement To Make Medical School Less Costly

Kaiser Permanente, the Oakland-based health system, is preparing to open one of the country’s most unusual medical schools. The school, which will open in Pasadena during the summer of 2020, will be one of only a few medical schools in the country that’s not connected to a university. It will also be tuition-free for the first five graduating classes. (2/21)

The Wall Street Journal: Mexican Meth Fuels An American Crisis

The opioid crisis grabs the headlines, but what about the meth crisis? Methamphetamine, produced by Mexican cartels and smuggled over the southwestern border, killed 10,333 Americans in 2017, more than in any previous year. Worse, preliminary statistics show an increase to more than 12,000 in the year ending last July. President Trump says there’s a “crisis” at the border, and he’s right—its result is the meth-overdose epidemic. (Charles Fain Lehman, 2/20)

Cleveland Plain Dealer: The Drug-Overdose Death Of My Son Garrett Could Have Been Prevented With Treatment Instead Of An Ohio Felony Label

I’m haunted by the belief that if my son Garrett would have received treatment for drug addiction, instead of a felony charge, he would be alive today. Garrett’s death could have been prevented. (Richard Hughes, 2/21)

Louisville Courier-Journal: Mitch McConnell's Silent About Coal While Kentucky Miners Die

(Sen. Mitch) McConnell has repeatedly failed to do right by our coal workers and communities. In 2017, McConnell co-authored a high-profile op-ed claiming to support projects that would “provide financial, environmental and economic support to hard-hit coal regions.” However, in a stark contrast to this claim, last year (and the year before that, and the year before that) he failed to win, or even fight for, federal funding for the RECLAIM Act, the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, and miners’ pension fund. All three of these measures are urgently needed to support a Just Transition for workers and communities in Kentucky. (Mikaela Curry, 2/22)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Will Not Follow The Path Of Abortion-On-Demand

Ohio has proven itself to be a pro-life state time and time again, through both our legislative accomplishments and our electoral process. With pro-life Gov. Mike DeWine serving our state on the heels of former Gov. John Kasich’s pro-life administration, Ohio will witness an increase in protections and resources for women and children. Gov. DeWine proudly supports the heartbeat bill, and he believes in protecting our greatest resource – Ohio’s children. (Michael Gonidakis, 2/21)

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