{"id":772,"date":"2023-02-23T20:20:52","date_gmt":"2023-02-23T20:20:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthynewsusa.com\/?p=772"},"modified":"2023-02-23T20:20:52","modified_gmt":"2023-02-23T20:20:52","slug":"senators-have-mental-health-crises-too","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthynewsusa.com\/?p=772","title":{"rendered":"Senators Have Mental Health Crises, Too"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\t\tThe Host\t<\/h3>\n
\tJulie Rovner
\n\tKHN<\/p>\n
\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t@jrovner\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tRead Julie’s stories.\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\t\t\tJulie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KHN\u2019s weekly health policy news podcast, \u201cWhat the Health?\u201d A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book \u201cHealth Care Politics and Policy A to Z,\u201d now in its third edition.\t\t<\/p>\n
Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress reacted with compassion to the news that Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) has checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment of clinical depression. The reaction is a far cry from what it would have been 20 or even 10 years ago, as more politicians from both parties are willing to admit they are humans with human frailties.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, former South Carolina governor and GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley is pushing \u201ccompetency\u201d tests for politicians over age 75. She has not specified, however, who would determine what the test should include and who would decide if politicians pass or fail.<\/p>\n
This week\u2019s panelists are Julie Rovner of KHN, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post.<\/p>\n

\n\t\tPanelists\t<\/h3>\n
\tSarah Karlin-Smith
\n\tPink Sheet<\/p>\n
\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t@SarahKarlin\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tRead Sarah’s stories\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\tJoanne Kenen
\n\tJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico<\/p>\n
\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t@JoanneKenen\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tRead Joanne’s stories\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\tRachel Roubein
\n\tThe Washington Post<\/p>\n
\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t@rachel_roubein\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tRead Rachel’s stories\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
Among the takeaways from this week\u2019s episode:<\/p>\n
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Acknowledging a mental health disorder could spell doom for a politician\u2019s career in the past, but rather than raising questions about his fitness to serve, Sen. John Fetterman\u2019s decision to make his depression diagnosis and treatment public raises the possibility that personal experiences with the health system could make lawmakers better representatives.<\/li>\n
In Medicare news, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) dropped Medicare and Social Security from his proposal to require that every federal program be specifically renewed every five years. Scott\u2019s plan has been hammered by Democrats after President Joe Biden criticized it this month in his State of the Union address.<\/li>\n
Medicare is not politically \u201cuntouchable,\u201d though. Two Biden administration proposals seek to rein in the high cost of the popular Medicare Advantage program. Those are already proving controversial as well, particularly among Medicare beneficiaries who like the additional benefits that often come with the private-sector plans.<\/li>\n
New studies on the effectiveness of ivermectin and mask use are drawing attention to pandemic preparedness. The study of ivermectin revealed that the drug is not effective against the covid-19 virus even in higher doses, raising the question about how far researchers must go to convince skeptics fed misinformation about using the drug to treat covid. Also, a new analysis of studies on mask use leaned on pre-pandemic studies, potentially undermining mask recommendations for future health crises.<\/li>\n
On the abortion front, abortion rights supporters in Ohio are pushing for a ballot measure enshrining access to the procedure in its state constitution, while a lawyer in Florida is making an unusual \u201cpersonhood\u201d argument to advocate for a pregnant woman to be released from jail.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Plus for \u201cextra credit,\u201d the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:<\/p>\n
Julie Rovner:<\/strong> Stat\u2019s \u201cCurrent Treatments for Cramps Aren\u2019t Cutting It. Why Aren\u2019t There Better Options<\/a>,\u201d by Calli McMurray<\/p>\n
Joanne Kenen:<\/strong> The Atlantic\u2019s \u201cEagles Are Falling, Bears Are Going Blind<\/a>,\u201d by Katherine J. Wu<\/p>\n
Rachel Roubein:<\/strong> The Washington Post\u2019s \u201cHer Baby Has a Deadly Diagnosis. Her Florida Doctors Refused an Abortion<\/a>,\u201d by Frances Stead Sellers<\/p>\n
Sarah Karlin-Smith:<\/strong> DCist\u2019s \u201cLocals Who Don\u2019t Speak English Need Medical Translators, but Some Say They Don\u2019t Always Get the Service<\/a>,\u201d by Amanda Michelle Gomez and Hector Alejandro Arzate<\/p>\n
Also mentioned in this week\u2019s podcast:<\/p>\n
\n\t\tCredits\t<\/h3>\n
\tFrancis Ying
\n\tAudio producer<\/p>\n
\tEmmarie Huetteman
\n\tEditor <\/p>\n
To hear all our podcasts,\u00a0click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n
And subscribe to KHN\u2019s What the Health? on\u00a0Spotify<\/a>,\u00a0 Apple Podcasts<\/a>,\u00a0 Stitcher<\/a>,\u00a0 Pocket Casts<\/a>, or wherever you listen to podcasts.<\/em><\/p>\n
KHN<\/a> (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF<\/a> (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.<\/p>\n
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