What We're Reading: More Title X Lawsuits; Vaccinated Teen Testifies; UnitedHealth Denied Mental Health Claims

Planned Parenthood, American Medical Association Sue Over Title X Changes

Teen Testifies About Getting Vaccinated Against Mom's Beliefs

Judge Says UnitedHealth Group Discriminated Against Mental Health

Following the lead of California, Planned Parenthood and the American Medical Association (AMA) have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over rule changes to Title X, reported The Hill. Under the rule changes, Planned Parenthood is expected to lose $60 million in funding. A statement from AMA President Barbara McAneny, MD, said the changes will prohibit physicians from having open and frank conversations with their patients about all of their options, which is a violation of patients’ rights under the Code of Ethics.Ethan Lindenberger of Norwalk, Ohio, appeared before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, and Labor on Tuesday to talk about why he defied his mom’s anti-vaccination beliefs and got vaccinated. Pointing to social media, Lindenberger warned of fraudulent claims circulating on the platforms, particularly Facebook. According to NPR, he told the committee that organized groups spreading these claims should be the primary concern of the American people.A federal judge in Northern California has ruled that United Behavioral Health, a unit of UnitedHealth Group, had implemented internal policies that led to the discrimination against patients with mental health and substance abuse disorders in order to save money. The New York Times has reported that in a 106-page decision, the judge claimed there was excessive emphasis placed upon treating acute symptoms and ignoring effective treatment of underlying conditions. Once patients appeared to be stable, they were denied care.