What We're Reading: Public Insurance Option; Puerto Rico's Health Challenges; Melanoma Survival in Married People

Democrats Unveil Public Option for Health Insurance

A new proposal for a public health insurance option would take a less sweeping approach than the Medicare-for-all plan from Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, but is still not expected to become law anytime soon. The Choose Medicare Act was introduced by Senators Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, and Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, and allows people to choose a new Medicare-based insurance plan if they want it, reported The Hill. The bill also boosts Affordable Care Act subsidies and provides potential assistance for people with higher incomes.

Health Challenges Persist in Puerto Rico After Hurricane

The ongoing lack of power in Puerto Rico is just one of the issues that is having a profound impact on residents’ health. Kaiser Health News highlighted the struggles of an isolated village in Puerto Rico’s central mountains, including acute stress and anxiety attacks resulting from witnessing the devastation of the hurricane. Plus, the lack of power also brings challenges like being unable to refrigerate insulin.

Married People Have Better Melanoma Survival Rate

People who are married are more likely to get diagnosed and treated in a timely fashion for melanoma compared with unmarried individuals. According to The New York Times, research has shown that people who were never married were 12% more likely to go to a doctor when they are at a later stage of the disease and people who were widowed were more than twice as likely. The results suggest that single people should be recommended to have more visits with the dermatologist.