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Lawmakers are in the midst of deliberations over the Build Back Better Act, a landmark legislative package to transform the U.S. for the better. One piece of the bill that would have a huge impact is a provision that would provide health coverage to millions of uninsured Americans who live in states that haven’t expanded Medicaid by opening up coverage for people with incomes below a certain level. But with House lawmakers still waiting on financial details of the package, and the Senate still squabbling over a variety of provisions, it likely will take quite some time to get the bill finalized. Or worse, legislators could forgo the package entirely. (Vangela M. Wade, 11/17)

My mother-in-law, Nolen Dollene Myles, was a petite and pretty lady who was called “Doll” by her close friends. Her doll-like stature was magnified when she stood next to her husband, Ronald Myles, who stands 6-feet, 4-inches tall. My wife and I, as well as Dollene’s grandchildren, affectionately called her “Mother.” She was no-nonsense, but very loving and selfless, a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and a lifelong educator. (Vincent Dixie, 11/17)

Every day, our healthcare system spends $11 billion. As a practicing physician, it is clear that what our system measures and pays for–via diagnosis and billing codes, "allowable services" and myriad quality measures—is a reflection of both what and who it values. (Dr. Gary Price, 11/17)

In October, the CDC updated its list of medical conditions that contribute to worse outcomes with Covid-19 infection. It’s an essential list, used for prioritizing testing, treatment, and vaccination. For the first time it includes “certain mental health conditions.” Specifically, according to the CDC, “having mood disorders, including depression, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders can make you more likely to get severely ill from Covid-19.” (Andy Keller and Thomas R. Insel, 11/18)

In formal caregiving settings such as hospitals, each diagnosis and test brings health care systems more money. These systems bet and win on us being sick to function. The average length of stay in a hospital is about four and a half days, but people that the health care industry calls “informal caregivers” — often family members — operate 365 days a year. Informal caregivers handle everything before and after discharge. A patient’s continuous care needs may never end. Hospitals outsource the post-discharge and other health care work to these unpaid caregivers in the home. (Jennifer Lagemann, 11/18)