Different Takes: Religion and Health Care Shouldn’t Mix; Breathing Dirty Air Could Cause Cancer – Kaiser Health News

The New York Times: Extreme Religious Liberty Is Undermining Public Health 
A federal judge ruled last week that requiring employers to cover PrEP, a medication that helps people at high risk for H.I.V. avoid infection, violates religious liberty because these employers perceive the drug to encourage gay and extramarital sex by making it safer. The ruling suggested extreme skepticism ‌toward‌ the benefits of health care regulation. (Lindsay F. Wiley, 9/15)

Bloomberg: A Scary New Link Between Air Pollution And Lung Cancer 
A new study has upended the way researchers think about how air pollution causes lung cancer. The work cracks open a whole new way of thinking about certain cancers and how to treat and even prevent them. It also suggests environmental agencies may have good reason to impose much stricter limits on air quality. (Lisa Jarvis, 9/15)

Newsweek: Rural Americans Don’t Have Access To Health Care. So I’m Building A Hospital In Appalachia 
Our zip codes determine a lot about us: the area we grow up in, the school district we attend, those we call our neighbors and friends, and the sports teams we cheer for.One thing our zip code should not determine is the quality of health care we receive. (Sameer Suhail, 9/15)

Columbus Dispatch: Law Would Help Those Fighting Deadly Diseases Tackle Out-Of-Pocket Costs
Sickle cell disease is an inherited, rare, painful, and debilitating condition that affects thousands of Ohioans. In 2018, the Ohio legislature launched a statewide network of sickle cell programs to help Ohioans detect, manage and live better lives with the disease. (Annie J. Ross-Womack, 9/16)

The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: A Lifesaving Drug, But It Will Cost $2.8 Million
For the estimated 1,500 Americans suffering from a blood disorder known as beta thalassemia, the Food and Drug Administration’s approval Aug. 17 of the drug Zynteglo was almost unalloyed good news. (Michael Hiltzik, 9/13)

Stat: Federal Nutrition Efforts Are In Desperate Need Of Coordination
At the end of September, the White House will host a Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, the first such conference in more than 50 years. Its goal is to accelerate progress toward ending hunger, improving nutrition and physical activity, and reducing diet-related disease. (Stephanie Rogus and Peter G. Lurie, 9/16)