Curious Bioethics: November 17, 2024
Bluesky, healthcare subsidies at risk, telemedicine extension, and more
Note: Taking care of yourself may mean skipping this week’s content, and that’s ok.
In today’s curated collection, you’ll find:
🗞️Bioethics News: Wisconsin judges serve up repro justice comebacks, US health insurance subsidies, telemedicine extension, COVID test expiration dates extended
📚Recommended Reading: on the commodification of deaf language
🦉Educational Opportunities: Neonatologist Annie Janvier
Happy Sunday, My Curious Readers!
This week, a whole lot of people are leaving Twitter/X and many have flocked to Bluesky. I set up an account at Bluesky during the last Twitter exodus in 2023. With the recent influx of new users it finally feels like there are enough people there to be a sustainable and interesting alternative without being an alt-right hellhole.
It’s not so easy to abandon the communities built and maintained over at Twitter/X. I have Twitter to thank for so much of my education around disability justice.
describes the challenges of leaving Twitter/X beautifully in The Xitter Exodus and What it Means for the Disability Community.If you’re new to Bluesky this week, welcome! Here are two Starter Packs with bioethics and public health ethics folks.
🗞️ Bioethics in the News
It’s been a rough week, so enjoy some Wisconsin judges serving up justice about reproductive rights
If, like me, you’re generally full of rage at the state of the world, you may need a little delicious comic relief. I’ve watched this video of Wisconsin judges being badass several times and it hasn’t gotten old.
Trump Announces Cabinet of Cartoon Villians
I wrote to you earlier this week about one of Trump’s expected appointments - the notorious anti-vaxxer and conspiracy lover RFK Jr - as head of Health and Human Services.
But the rage machine has plenty more wacky, outrageous cartoon villain characters to put in immense positions of power. NY Mag’s Intelligencer describes Trump’s Cabinet picks as a cast of Dancing with the Stars.
As a professor of a course on the harms of sexual violence, the proposed appointment of Matt Gaetz - currently under investigation for sex trafficking a teenager - as Attorney General is exceptionally sleazy. But I can’t say I’m surprised by the president with a long list of sexual misconduct allegations and one conviction to his name.
Americans with ACA Health Insurance Plans at Risk
21.3 million Americans chose Affordable Care Act insurance plans in 2024. Enhanced federal ACA subsidies will expire in 2025, but with Republicans controlling the presidency, the House, and the Senate, they will likely be allowed to expire.
Without these subsidies, premiums will go up, making plans too expensive for many low-income Americans. Projections estimate approximately 4 million people will lose coverage.
You can review the Congressional Budget Office projections here.
DEA and HHS Extend Telemedicine Flexibilities Through 2025
On Friday, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule extending certain telemedicine prescribing flexibilities for one more year.
Telehealth provisions made during the height of the COVID were set to expire next month. However, it turns out telehealth is really popular and an effective way to get patients access to certain kinds of care without requiring arbitrary in-person visits.
After being flooded with public comments on the importance of telehealth, the agencies will waive the in-person visit requirement before the prescribing of certain controlled substances virtually. This waiver is effective until Dec. 31, 2025.
Free COVID Tests and Extended Expiration Dates
My free COVID tests just arrived, along with a reminder of the extension of expiration dates - allowing tests to safely be used longer.
Now available, U.S. households are eligible to order 4 free COVID-19 tests at www.COVIDTests.gov. The COVID-19 tests will detect current COVID-19 variants and can be used through the end of the year.
Many COVID-19 tests have extended expiration dates, so you may be able to use your COVID-19 tests after the expiration date that is printed on the box. To find out if your test has an extended expiration date, check the list of extended expiration dates.
Flu on the rise in many states
CDC data shows that flu infections are increasing in many states. According to the NIH “Each year in the United States, seasonal influenza, or flu, kills more than 36,000 people and hospitalizes 200,000 more.”
It’s not too late to get a flu shot - and your updated COVID shot.
📚 Recommended Reading
Signed Away by Sara Nović
Against the commodification of deaf communication
Read Signed Away at The Baffler.
“Over three hundred signed languages exist across the world, each with its own grammar, syntax, vocabulary, and aesthetic that can be inscrutable to the quiet-challenged. Just as spoken languages evolve according to the necessities of a given group, a signed language develops organically within a given deaf populace and reflects that community’s era and expectations.
It’s why the signs for “man” and “woman” in American Sign Language (ASL) stem from 1800s-style references to newsboy caps and bonnet strings, while British Sign Language (BSL) evokes the tugging of a beard and brushing of the shoulder (which, incidentally, look very close to the ASL for “old” and “young”).
Meanwhile, Croatian Sign Language visualizes a mustache and earrings, and so forth.”
~Sara Novic
🦉Educational Opportunities
No registration is required! Just go straight to YouTube for this on-demand bioethics education.
What Babies Can Teach Us About Life and Health | Annie Janvier
“In this heartfelt TEDx talk, Dr. Annie Janvier, Professor of Pediatrics and Clinical Ethics at the University of Montreal, shares profound insights from her work as a neonatologist and ethicist. Drawing on her personal experiences as a mother to children with healthcare needs, including one born at just 24 weeks, Dr. Janvier explores the lessons that premature and critically ill babies can teach us about resilience, life, and the complexities of healthcare. Her unique perspective sheds light on the challenges families face and the ethical questions that arise in critical care, encouraging us to view life and health through a compassionate lens. Dr Annie Janvier is a Professor of pediatrics and clinical ethics at University of Montreal. She is neonatologist and clinical ethicist at the Sainte-Justine University health center. She holds a PhD in Bioethics and co-directs the Masters and PhD programs in clinical ethics at University of Montreal. She works first hand with patients and families confronted with difficult decisions such as end-of-life issues, and decision-making in the face of uncertainty. She is also the parent of three children who had or have healthcare needs, one of which was born at 24 weeks.”
That’s it!
As always, thanks for being curious!
Hit reply and let me know what ethics issues you are most curious about this week—I’d love to hear from you!
See you next week!
Be Well & Be Curious,
Alyssa
