Free medical tuition alone isn't enough to close gaps in primary care

Medical school debt is only one of many factors that influence new doctors to choose less-popular specialties and residency locations

May 19, 2024 Check out STAT+

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By Pat Skerrett Newsletter Strategist

Hey First Opinion. Alexa here filling in for Pat as he jets off to Italy to celebrate his 30th anniversary with his wife! I know, what a sentence. I too hope to one day be celebrating a lifelong journey with a best friend by sipping wine under the Tuscan sun. But until then, I'm here to deliver this week's First Opinion stories. Also: Thank you to everyone who attended our Breakthrough Summit this past week! You can find more of our coverage from the event here. Thanks for reading, and take care this weekend.

Adobe Cutting-edge insulin is good. But it's the 'trailing edge' of older versions that can keep it affordable When pharma companies "discontinue" older forms of insulin, prices generally rise and it becomes more difficult to make generic versions. By Robin Feldman Treating chronic pain requires much more than medications Treating chronic pain effectively requires a comprehensive and personalized approach. But many insurers won't pay for that. By Antje M. Barreveld and Edin Randall Listen: Free medical tuition alone isn't enough to close gaps in primary care More medical schools are going tuition free but it is unclear how much this alone can help solve systemic problems. By Patrick Skerrett YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images Congress: Close Medicare's dangerous gaps in coverage for addiction treatment Medicare does not cover key addiction care services. That costs lives, is discriminatory, and needs to change. By Brian Hurley and Paul N. Samuels Hurricane season is approaching fast. We need to talk about health care resilience Community health centers and rural hospitals often have trouble meeting shifting needs during emergencies. Resources are available to help. By Marquisha Johns Health care needs a new profession: neuroimaging counseling Wider use of highly portable MRI devices may be paving the way for a new health care profession: neuroimaging counseling. By Nancy Lu, Sumita Strander, and Francis X. Shen Getty Images As childhood asthma worsens, insurers restrict access to an essential medication The discontinuation of Flovent, a commonly prescribed inhaled asthma medication, has created a nightmare for many families. By Chén Kenyon, Bianca Nfonoyim Bernhard, and Tyra Bryant-Stephens H5N1 doesn't have to be a repeat of Covid-19's 'public health versus the economy' The H5N1 avian flu outbreak needn't be a rerun of Covid-19's disastrous "public health versus the economy" battle. By Céline Gounder

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