What We're Reading: Groups Join ACA Defense; Stem Cell Treatments; Measles Surge

AMA, AARP Defend ACA While Trump Reportedly Punting ACA Alternative to 2020

The American Medical Association (AMA) and the AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons) filed amicus briefs in the case of Texas v. United States, according to statements from the AMA and the AARP. Meanwhile, President Trump is delaying an ACA alternative until after the 2020 election, according to The New York Times.

Unproven Stem Cell Treatments on the Rise in Best Hospitals

A growing number of well-regarded hospitals are pursuing stem cell treatments and related therapies such as platelet injections, reported Kaiser Health News. The treatments, aimed at treating joint pain without surgery,include injecting patients’ joints with their own fat or bone marrow cells. However, the evidence supporting the costly therapies has been lacking, Kaiser said.

Reported Cases of Measles Reach New High

More people have contracted measles in the first 3 months of 2019 than throughout the entire year of 2018, The Washington Post reported. This year marks the second highest number of cases reported since US health officials declared the disease “eliminated” 19 years ago. There have been a total of 387 cases reported, spurring from a decrease in child immunizations as a result of from misinformation about the safety of vaccines.