Some lives matter, controlling health care costs, navigating with disability event highlights
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Latest News
November 12, 2020
** New in Hastings Center Report
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Some Lives Matter: The Dirty Little Secret of the U.S. Health Care System
Two drugs for sickle cell anemia, which affects mainly young Black people, cost $100,000 a year. “Who will pay? Who can pay? Who ought to pay?” writes Leonard Fleck, a Hastings Center fellow, in the latest issue of the Hastings Center Report. “Black lives matter. Surely, young Black lives should especially matter. Why should those individuals have to endure lifelong suffering and premature death when we have two drugs that could significantly reduce that suffering and postpone that premature death?” The U.S. health care system reflects the inequities that are part of the larger society, which is why our system for financing access to needed and effective health care is so complicated and unfair. Read the article ([link removed]) .
** Controlling Health Care Costs: What Can the U.S. Learn from Other Countries?
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It’s no secret that the United States has the highest health care prices in the world, and many blame the fee-for-service model in which physicians have a lot of latitude in setting their fees. But new findings by Hastings Center research scholar Michael Gusmano and colleagues suggest that fee-for-service is not the culprit. They looked at how physician payments are set in France, Germany, and Japan—three countries that use fee-for-service systems but have lower health care spending than the U.S. The key difference between these countries and the U.S. is that they negotiate fees with physicians. Writing in Health Affairs, the authors recommend that the U.S. regulate how much discretion providers have in setting their own prices. “Perhaps the most important implication of our study is that regardless of whether either fundamental changes such as Medicare for All or incremental expansion of the Affordable Care Act are proposed, both would oblige policymakers to think hard about how to set
prices and oversee service volume,” they conclude. Gusmano discussed these findings in a Health Affairs podcast. Listen to the podcast ([link removed]) . Read the abstract of the Health Affairs article ([link removed]) .
** What Does It Mean to Move Through the World with a Disability?
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The answer to that question is not straightforward, as was made vivid in "Navigating: On Disability, Technology, and Experiencing the World,” the second in a series of events produced by The Hastings Center and supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Directed by Hastings Center senior research scholar Erik Parens, the series explores the ways in which people with disabilities choose to use—or choose not to use—technologies to promote their own flourishing. The latest event, which took place last month, featured three panelists who told personal stories about their experiences with different technologies that have helped them move around the world. Learn more and watch video highlights ([link removed]) .
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Upcoming Events
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Wednesday, November 18 - Thursday, November 19 - New York Academy of Science: ([link removed])
Synthetic Biology holds tremendous promise to revolutionize our understanding of the origins of life, the mechanisms underlying myriad biological processes, human diseases, and critical environmental issues that threaten the planet. With the advent of 21st century molecular biology techniques, including rapid and inexpensive genomic sequencing as well as methods that allow precise genetic modification, scientists have an unprecedented ability to harness biological processes to efficiently produce a wide variety of desirable chemicals. These include complex drugs, biofuels, biomaterials, and sustainable food products that have the potential to transform our quality of life. Hastings Center research scholar Gregory Kaebnick will moderate a panel to discuss how advances in synthetic biology can positively influence human and environmental health.
Thursday, November 19 - The Hastings Center: ([link removed])
Dr. Anthony Fauci will explore the ethical issues raised by the erosion of trust in science in a new virtual discussion hosted by The Hastings Center. The nation’s top infectious diseases official and Hastings president Mildred Solomon will look at how we can improve public understanding of complex issues in ways particularly suited to problem-solving and respectful dialogue. What is the proper balance between safety and speed when developing new therapeutics and vaccines? And who should decide when scientists and members of the public disagree? The event is part of The Hastings Center’s series, Securing Health in a Troubled Time.
Learn More ([link removed])
The Hastings Center seeks to ensure responsible health and science policy and practice. We work to secure the wisest possible use of emerging technologies and fair, compassionate, and just health care for people across their lifespan.
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