You’ve heard the warnings. Supporters of President Trump’s strict immigration policies are spreading alarm about a caravan of Spanish-speaking migrants bringing deadly diseases to our borders. There are even claims that some of them are carrying smallpox.
Read moreThe Texas ACA ruling is an assault on logic
ACA opponents have a new approach to attacking the law – incoherence.
On Friday, a federal judge in Texas accepted the argument of 20 Republican attorney generals that the ACA’s mandate requiring everyone to have insurance is unconstitutional because the tax penalty enforcing it has been repealed. In other words, he struck it down because it no longer has any practical effect. Logic was in for a rough ride in this decision.
Read moreStaying in Their Lane: Health Professionals Must Address Gun Violence [from the Hastings Bioethics Forum]
In the wake of the recent Twitter fight between the National Rifle Association and U.S. physician groups over whether doctors should speak out about firearm policy issues, we argue that professionalism actually requires that doctors take a leadership role in gun policy debates, even if (in fact, especially if) doing so is politically fraught and financially harmful to them.
Read moreThe Health Impact Of The Proposed Public Charge Rules [from Health Affairs Blog]
On September 22, the Trump Administration announced it would soon publish in the Federal Register proposed new regulations defining when lawfully present immigrants should be considered a “public charge.” Although the draft regulations posted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were not as far-sweeping as a version that was leaked last winter, if promulgated they would still have a dramatic impact on public health and the health care system.
Read moreA lethal game of chicken: the next trade war with China could be a matter of life and death
The most important trade war to come may have nothing to do with cars, steel or soybeans. It may involve a virus.
Read morePublic Comment: HHS Proposed Revisions to Title X Funding Regulations
Yesterday, along with the George Consortium and in collaboration with the Center for Health Policy and Law at Northeastern University School of Law, we submitted public comments to the Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding proposed revisions to Title X Regulations. We offer a reprint of the comments we submitted.
Read moreReports on the Opioid Crisis are Full of Misidentified Problems and Poorly Calibrated Solutions [from Bill of Health]
In April, our Center for Health Policy and Law hosted a two-day conference entitled "Diseases of Despair: The Role of Policy and Law." Our friends at Harvard Law School's Petrie-Flom Center is now hosting a blog symposium from that conference on Bill of Health.
Read morePhysicians and Firearms: Finding a Duty to Talk to Patients About Guns [from Bill of Health]
Florida enacted a statute in 2011 entitled the “Firearms Owners’ Privacy Act,” which quickly became known nationwide as simply the “Docs v. Glocks” law.
Read moreDiseases of Despair: The Role of Policy and Law [from Bill of Health]
In April, our Center for Health Policy and Law hosted a two-day conference entitled "Diseases of Despair: The Role of Policy and Law." Our friends at Harvard Law School's Petrie-Flom Center is now hosting a blog symposium from that conference on Bill of Health.
Read moreBehind Schedule -- Reconciling Federal and State Marijuana Policy [from The New England Journal of Medicine]
The long-standing chasm between federal and state marijuana policy recently widened when U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded Obama-era guidance indicating that the Justice Department would not make it a priority to prosecute federal marijuana crimes in states where the activities are legal.
Read more