This is HealthCetera’s global health policy and media action news update curated by Katherine (Kayte) Green. This bi-weekly round-up intends to keep our community apprised of up-to-date news, policies, economics, and ideas important to policy and social issues facing national and international health. This selection gathers information from a wide range of sources including, but not limited to: health associations and organizations, news sources, government agencies, academic publications, policy centers, and other national and international experts.
NATIONAL NEWS
Migrants and Refugees
Washington:
Expanding HSAs Could Exacerbate Inequalities and Increase Government Spending
-The Commonwealth Fund
Late last month, the House of Representatives passed, by a vote of 277 to 142, a bill that could allow for more money to be provided to health savings accounts (HSAs), for more of the population to have HSAs, and for HSA funds to be expanded to cover additional benefits such as gym memberships, over-the-counter drugs, and feminine hygiene products. “Supporters claim these new tax breaks, which will cost more than $40 billion over 10 years, will help make health care more affordable and less wasteful. Instead, these seemingly innocuous HSA extensions have the potential to make our health care system both less equitable and more costly.”
Why Americans Spend So Much on Health Care—In 12 Charts
-The Wall Street Journal
“Prices are hidden behind insurance deals, hospital consolidation pushes up costs and the health sector is a growing power in the economy. The U.S. spends more per capita on health care than any other developed nation. It will soon spend close to 20% of its GDP on health—significantly more than the percentage spent by major Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development nations.”
HHS Says Short-Term Plans Renewable Up To Three Years, But Not Guaranteed
-Inside Health Policy
Under New Rules, Cheaper ‘Short-Term’ Health Care Plans Now Last Up To 3 Years
-NPR Health News
“The Congressional Budget Office, the nonpartisan research office that estimates the budget effects of policy proposals, gave a larger figure, estimating that about 2 million mostly healthy people will buy short-term plans. This could have the effect of driving premiums slightly higher on the ACA exchanges, because healthier people will leave the market, according to the CBO.”
Senate Democrats To Force Vote On Elimination Of Short-Term Plans
-Inside Health Policy
“When Senate Democrats force a vote on this resolution under the CRA, the American people can see once and for all if Republicans stand with the Trump administration’s efforts to sabotage our health care system or if they stand on the side of the 130 million Americans with preexisting conditions,” Schumer said. — Ariel Cohen (acohen@iwpnews.com)
Trump Administration Delivers on Promise of More Affordable Health Insurance Options
-The Department of Health and Human Services
Trump’s losing fight against Obamacare
-Politico
Other News:
Framing a Pathway for Integrating Behavioral and Clinical Health Care
-Bipartisan Policy Center
Judge Orders Trump Administration to Find Hundreds of Deported Parents
-The Wall Street Journal
Policy Efforts:
Income, Poverty, and Health Inequality
-JAMA
-The National Academy of Medicine
GLOBAL NEWS
Mental Health
Across the globe, health ministries, government agencies, health providers, community leaders, and others are promoting the integration of mental health services into comprehensive health delivery systems. Addressing integration of mental health is a holistic process which also include accommodations
Mental health and employment-related issues to feature in the European Semester process
-European Mental Health Alliance – Employment & Work
India:
Health insurance plans to cover mental illness too, but will that help?
-Live Mint
Health policies to cover mental illness
-The Times of India
WEEKLY OP-ED
(Unsponsored and unsolicited)
Facial recognition poses serious risks. Congress should do something about it.
In a recent piece in the Washington Post, Facial recognition poses serious risks – Congress should do something about it, the editorial team addresses the dangers of this powerful tool and questions the role that the Federal government should have in monitoring how and when it should be used.
“There is no question that facial-recognition technology can be a powerful tool. It has been used by airports to conduct efficient security checks, by health-care researchers to make diagnoses, and by police departments to track down suspects and missing people. Last month, it helped identify the suspect in the shooting deaths of five Capital Gazette employees in Annapolis.” (Read more)
Related articles:
ACLU COMMENT ON MICROSOFT CALL FOR FEDERAL ACTION ON FACE RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY
-The ACLU
‘The Business of War’: Google Employees Protest Work for the Pentagon
-The New York Times
Amazon Workers Demand Jeff Bezos Cancel Face Recognition Contracts With Law Enforcement
-Gizmodo
Katherine (Kayte) Green works for the George Washington School of Nursing’s Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement. She holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations and Service Development. The focus of her research is gender equity and empowerment. She is passionate about working on unresolved social issues that deal with health, gender rights, LGBTQ, risk reduction, the arts, and justice. She has a background in social sciences and fine arts. Prior to joining GW, Kayte has worked in global and national health advocacy, development, and policy.
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