A Supreme Court assault on public health?; Do we really need a "healthy" label on food packaging?; and more

Opinion and perspective essays curated by First Opinion editor Patrick Skerrett ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

Sponsored by        This week's smorgasbord of thoughtful and sometimes passionate First Opinion essays ranged from a concern that the U.S. Supreme Court is waging an assault on public health to a look at the Food and Drug Administration's plans for letting food companies use a "healthy" label on packaging and much, much more. Podcast fans: please check out the latest episode of the First Opinion Podcast. Will there be a Supreme assault on public health? By Michelle A. Williams and Lawrence O. Gostin Drew Angerer/Getty Images In just seven days last June, the U.S. Supreme Court set back public health by 50 years. It could do the same, or worse, this term. Read More FDA's plan to define 'healthy' for food packaging: Better than the existing labeling anarchy, but do we really need it? By Marion Nestle Adobe The FDA has proposed rules for letting manufacturers claim that a food product is "healthy." It's a good step, but do we need such a label? Read More Messaging — the unrecognized coefficient in pandemic control — matters By Jim Downs and Eleanor J. Murray Federal Art Project/Library of Congress Public health messaging helped stop the 1920s diphtheria epidemic in New York. It can do the same for the Covid-19 pandemic today. Read More Listen: Wheelchair users and Medicare disagree on what's 'primarily medical in nature' By Patrick Skerrett Medicare's opinion that the benefits of advanced wheelchairs aren't "primarily medical in nature" is just plain wrong, say two advocates. Read More Sponsor content by Phlow National Essential Medicine Shortage Awareness Day: A Movement to Fix a Public Health Crisis America's medicine cabinet is dangerously empty. But not for long. Medical professionals, healthcare providers, government officials, and the general public are being asked to join in observing National Essential Medicine Shortage Awareness Day by visiting www.stoptheshortages.com to encourage open dialogue and spark bold action everywhere. Together, we can create a future where every American has access to the essential medicines they deserve. Certified nursing assistants do important work. They deserve to be paid a living wage for it By Toni Gingerelli Adobe Nursing homes and home-bound individuals depend on care provided by certified nursing assistants. Their work needs to be valued. Read More STAT+: The new law that could stealthily transform biomedical innovation By M. Gregg Bloche and Neel U. Sukhatme and John L. Marshall Adobe The Inflation Reduction Act ties Medicare's payment for treatments to how well they work. That could catalyze biomedical breakthroughs. Read More STAT+: Interoperability can't wait: Don't delay information blocking rules By Steven Lane Bebeto Matthews/AP Rules to foster interoperability and prevent information blocking have been delayed long enough. It's time they were put into action. Read More STAT+: How can the latest Alzheimer's therapy reach patients? Follow this trustworthy process By Jason Karlawish Adobe Top-line results for treating Alzheimer's with lecanemab look promising, but there are lessons to be learned from the failure of Aduhelm. Read More STAT+: Needed: stricter screening of gene synthesis orders, customers By Gigi Kwik Gronvall Adobe To prevent synthetic bioweapons, companies that sell raw materials for gene synthesis must be required to better screen orders and customers. Read More Better use of health savings accounts: lessons from Singapore By Elise Amez-Droz and Phillip Phan Adobe In Singapore, much of health care is financed by mandatory individual health savings accounts. It works, at a fraction of the U.S. cost. Read More Sunday, October 9, 2022       1 Exchange Pl, Suite 201, Boston, MA 02109 ©2022, All Rights Reserved. I no longer wish to receive STAT emails Update Email Preferences | Contact Us | View In Browser