President Joe Biden unveiled plans to address a wide range of healthcare issues in his State of the Union address on Tuesday. The President stated that the country was ready to move into a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic with fewer restrictions. He announced a new “test-to-treat” program where Americans who test positive for COVID at drugstores could then receive free antiviral pills to treat the virus and that people who already ordered free coronavirus rapid tests through a federal website will soon be allowed to order more. The President also highlighted plans to address healthcare issues including prescription drug costs, the mental health crisis, nursing home quality, the opioid epidemic, improving services for veterans, and ending cancer. These much needed reforms will need congressional support and funding in order to move forward – so challenges lie ahead!
This Weekend Reading Series begins with Here’s the Plan, with articles on President Biden’s health care initiatives outlined in his State of the Union address. Next explore It’s a Wrap, or Is It? exploring the implications of the “end” of the pandemic and the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy settlement. In Trending Now, you will find articles on low value healthcare services, doulas, employer cost shifts to Medicare and more. Check out Paying the Tab with articles looking healthcare cost issues such as for anesthesia services. Finally, do not miss Ever Wonder? – and my personal favorite, Why the Internet Is Obsessed With the Cats and Dogs of Ukraine!
I hope you enjoy the following:
1. Here’s the Plan
- Medscape: Biden Touts 4-Step Pandemic Plan, Other Health Initiatives in State of the Union
- NPR: The White House has a new plan for COVID-19 aimed at getting things back to normal
- HealthDay: Biden Plan Will Tackle Mental Health Crisis in America
2. It’s a Wrap, or is It?
- Kaiser Family Foundation: Without Build Back Better, Will the End of the Public Health Emergency Leave Even More People Uninsured?
- STAT: Sacklers agree to $6 billion Purdue bankruptcy settlement over opioid crisis
- Kaiser Family Foundation: Covid Still Threatens Millions of Americans. Why Are We So Eager to Move On?
3. Trending Now
- Kaiser Health News: Seeking to Shift Costs to Medicare, More Employers Move Retirees to Advantage Plans
- HealthDay: Too Many Americans Are Getting ‘Low-Value’ Medical Tests, Procedures
- NPR: Black doulas in Michigan are aiding babies, mothers get a good start in life
- STAT: How often is breast cancer over diagnosed? New research finds true cases far outweigh false alarms
4. Paying the Tab
- Weill Cornell Medicine: Study Shows Anesthesia Costs Rise with Corporate Outsourcing
- HealthPayerIntelligence: Employer Sponsored Health Plan Dialysis Costs More Than Medicare
- University of MI Health: Crowdfunding helps pay the bills during cancer, but at a price
5. Ever Wonder?
- Slate: Why the Internet Is Obsessed With the Cats and Dogs of Ukraine
- JSTOR Daily: Are Polar Bears Altruistic or Just Bad At Math?
- Smithsonian Magazine: The Horses of Medieval Times Weren’t Much Bigger Than Modern-Day Ponies
- NPR: Yes, you can run a marathon! Here’s how to start training
Enjoy the weekend!
Best,
Suzanne
Suzanne Daniels, Ph.D.
AEPC President
P.O. Box 1416
Birmingham, MI 48012
Office: (248) 792-2187
Email: [email protected]
