Journal of general internal medicine
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Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are at the core of publication ethics, and language around DEI has been shown to affect patient outcomes. Inclusive language is an important piece of effective communication and is one way to demonstrate and foster a welcoming, respectful, and accessible environment. Non-inclusive terminology in research may represent implicit bias, which is not typically corrected through introspection; thus, a systematic approach is needed in scientific writing. The prevalence of inclusive language guidance in leading medical journals is currently unknown. ⋯ Significant gaps still exist in ensuring use of inclusive language in medical journals.
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Editorial
Medicare Part D Coverage of Anti-obesity Medications: a Call for Forward-Looking Policy Reform.
When the Medicare Part D benefit was constructed, drugs for weight loss were explicitly excluded from coverage, as the limited effectiveness and unfavorable safety profile of medications available at the time failed to justify coverage of drugs perceived to be used for cosmetic purposes. In recent years, drugs activating the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) pathway have proved to achieve significant reductions in body weight with a favorable safety profile. ⋯ In this perspective, we outline policy options to enable Part D coverage of GLP-1R agonists. These include legislative change through the passage of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act and evaluation of coverage policies under the waiver authority of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.