Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: We Already Have The Data And Tools To Fight Medicare Fraud. Use Them; The Stigma Of An Autism Diagnosis Is Hurting Kids
Lastmonth, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announceda six-month moratorium on new Medicare enrollment for new home health and hospice agencies, its latest move to combat fraud in federal health programs. The government isright to focus on fraud, waste and abuse. But its oversight efforts should be targeted, data-drivenand aligned with demonstrated risk. (Jason R. Lee, 6/14)
The CDCs latest data show autism prevalence is 1 in 31 children in the United States. That is 16% higher than the previous estimate in 2020. It is the kind of number that should change how health systems allocate resources, how pediatricians screen, and how schools plan. But there is a population this number barely touches: South Asian American families, where an autism diagnosis is still, in many homes, a secret. (Ritu Goel, 6/15)
Utahs worsening measles outbreak, which has already sickened more than 670 people, including babies too young to get vaccinated, is a stark reminder of what happens when immunization rates fall. Doctors who want to confront the crisis before it gets worse can take a lesson from Gilbert Gil Walker, a 98-year-old retired physician who knows a thing or two about convincing parents to vaccinate their children. (Leana S. Wen, 6/11)
Im so sorry Im late, I said, slipping into the exam room. The boy sat perfectly still, watching Bluey on an iPad propped against his stroller. His mother looked exhausted. Coffee untouched. Diaper bag spilling open on the floor. Its fine, she said. He didnt even notice. I didnt judge her. I couldnt. Ive handed my own toddler my phone at the dinner table more times than Id admit to myself or my colleagues. (Dua Hassan, 6/15)
