The hottest Health Equity Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Health Politics Topics

Consumptive Capitalism

Thinking about... • 675 implied HN points • 15 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Health Equity
  1. Before antibiotics, diseases like tuberculosis spawned an expensive wellness industry that sold hope, routines, and costly treatments instead of cures.
  2. Nostalgia-driven and consumerist health movements promote distrust of medical science and steer money toward private wellness businesses rather than public health solutions.
  3. Protecting population health needs strong public health systems, vaccines, and affordable medicines—prioritizing profit over science risks renewed epidemics and worse access to care.

20 public health wins in 2025

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1767 implied HN points • 30 Dec 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Equity
  1. Public health teams delivered measurable, lifesaving results by preventing and containing outbreaks and reducing harms like heat-related deaths.
  2. Policy and clinical advances expanded access to prevention and care at home and abroad, from broader vaccine coverage and affordable HIV prevention to new treatments and programs like free child care and adult vaccines.
  3. The public health community showed resilience and civic engagement by forming coalitions, defending evidence in courts and politics, and putting scientists into public office to protect science-based policy.

Medicare Advantage's $64 Billion Supplemental Benefits Slush Fund

HEALTH CARE un-covered • 999 implied HN points • 28 May 24
🏥 Health Politics Health Equity
  1. Medicare is spending around $64 billion on extra benefits for Medicare Advantage plans, like dental and vision care. But we don't really know if people are actually using these benefits.
  2. Many seniors are drawn to Medicare Advantage plans for these added perks, but some end up losing access to their preferred doctors. It's important to understand what you're giving up when switching plans.
  3. There's a growing call to improve how Medicare Advantage plans operate and to provide similar benefits to those in traditional Medicare. Everyone should have access to the same quality of care and benefits.

Confronting the Dangers of Artificial Intelligence in Health Care is Imperative

HEALTH CARE un-covered • 359 implied HN points • 17 Jul 24
🏥 Health Politics Health Equity
  1. AI in health care needs more rules to keep patients safe. Governments must step up to protect people from potential problems with these technologies.
  2. It's important to make AI decisions clear and understandable for patients. Patients should have the right to ask for a human to review any decision that affects their care.
  3. We need to ensure AI doesn't make health care inequality worse. AI programs should reflect diverse patient groups and focus on fairness, not just existing biases.

Odd bedfellows: Moving with MAHA from conversation to collaboration

Your Local Epidemiologist • 2004 implied HN points • 30 Jul 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Equity
  1. Collaboration between public health experts and grassroots movements is powerful. By working together, they can tackle important health issues that directly affect communities.
  2. Addressing health problems can involve simple, effective solutions like providing grocery access to low-income patients. This approach shows how public health can be practical and impactful.
  3. Building trust and relationships is key in public health. It's important to listen to local voices and work with those who have firsthand experience with health challenges.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Medicine in the Age of Social Justice

Heterodox STEM • 263 implied HN points • 02 Dec 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Equity
  1. Medicine is increasingly shaped by social justice and identity politics, and when doctors or policies prioritize group identity over clear clinical risk, it can lead to decisions that hurt patient outcomes.
  2. The idea that patient outcomes require race-matched doctors is often overstated or confounded by clinical factors, and most patients report that their doctor’s race usually does not matter.
  3. Doctors should focus advocacy on things that directly help patients, stay within medical expertise, and avoid actions that harm trust or education, while noting that many young elite physicians are not practicing where care is most needed.

Vaccines for all?

Independent SAGE continues • 299 implied HN points • 11 Apr 24
🏥 Health Politics Health Equity
  1. Many children around the world are not getting vaccinated, especially in poor or remote areas. This puts them at high risk for diseases like measles, which is highly contagious.
  2. Vaccine access can be improved with flexible delivery methods, like mobile clinics that bring vaccines directly to communities. This has worked well in places like Sierra Leone and Scotland.
  3. There's a lot of fear and misinformation about vaccines that affects people's willingness to get vaccinated. It's important to listen to concerns and provide accurate information to build trust.

How to Survive a Government That Wants to Sacrifice You for Profit

OK Doomer • 141 implied HN points • 30 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Health Equity
  1. Food safety has become a serious issue due to job cuts at the FDA and CDC, which means fewer inspections and oversight. This makes it harder to ensure the safety of the food we eat.
  2. Reports show that foodborne illnesses and related hospitalizations have drastically increased, highlighting the critical impact of these cuts. This situation suggests that our health might not be a priority for the government.
  3. It's important for individuals to be aware of these changes and take steps to protect themselves from food contamination and related health risks.

Jay Bhattacharya is a superb pick for NIH director

Vinay Prasad's Observations and Thoughts • 209 implied HN points • 30 Nov 24
🏥 Health Politics Health Equity
  1. Jay Bhattacharya wants to study the effects of lockdowns and other COVID-19 measures. He believes this research will help prevent similar harsh actions in the future.
  2. He plans to improve how scientific research is done, focusing on making findings repeatable and clear. This could really help how science is understood and applied.
  3. Jay aims to change leadership rules at NIH and make grant processes better through trials. He believes changes in these areas could lead to more effective research.

The Era Of Rubber Stamping Pfizer, Moderna COVID Vaccines Is Over

Unmasked • 46 implied HN points • 09 Jul 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Equity
  1. The U.S. is moving away from old COVID vaccine policies that weren't based on solid information. This change comes as new leaders are appointed in health agencies.
  2. Many people felt pressured into getting vaccines that may have caused more harm than good, especially children who were at low risk from COVID.
  3. Current health leaders are now questioning the automatic approval of vaccines from big companies like Pfizer and Moderna, which could lead to safer and more thoughtful health decisions.

Lessons from Emory-- Masking Mistakes

Vinay Prasad's Observations and Thoughts • 164 implied HN points • 13 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Health Equity
  1. Closing schools for long periods during COVID-19 was a mistake. Some countries didn't close schools and found that kids were not at high risk, which should have guided decisions.
  2. Vaccinating children and healthy adults who have had COVID-19 may not be the best idea. There's concern that this might lead to more vaccine hesitancy, especially when the urgency is communicated incorrectly.
  3. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted poorer communities much more than wealthier ones. There needs to be more open discussions and debates to improve understanding about pandemic responses and their effects.

On why Substack - and your support -matters so much

Unreported Truths • 24 implied HN points • 08 Jul 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Equity
  1. Substack allows for important stories to be told that might not get attention elsewhere, especially longer pieces that can explain complicated topics.
  2. The platform offers a place for free speech, particularly for views that may be censored on social media.
  3. Personal stories, like that of Simone Scott, highlight the real impacts of broader health discussions and the need for transparency about vaccine safety.

What’s True and False in One Health

Who is Robert Malone • 19 implied HN points • 22 Feb 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Equity
  1. One Health is an idea that looks at health from a broad perspective, including animals and the environment, but it raises concerns about prioritizing non-human life equally to human life. Many people find it hard to accept that a rat’s life is as important as a person's.
  2. The CDC's recent plan for One Health suggests a strong commitment to global monitoring and control of health threats, which some see as a potential overreach of power in the name of public health.
  3. Concerns are growing that One Health might lead to unnecessary restrictions and testing in both animal and human populations, which could disrupt food supplies and raise prices.

Insurers are trying to buy good will for the inequalities they help create. See how.

HEALTH CARE un-covered • 59 implied HN points • 27 Jul 21
🏥 Health Politics Health Equity
  1. Big health insurers are focusing on profits instead of addressing health inequalities. They're making large profits while many people suffer from inadequate healthcare.
  2. Insurers are trying to improve their image by claiming to support health equity, but they're not investing enough to make a real difference. Their top executives are earning much more than what’s being spent on addressing health issues.
  3. High-deductible insurance plans make healthcare unaffordable for many, leading to more people being underinsured, especially among communities of color. This situation is creating more financial stress and worsening health outcomes for those affected.

Pulling back the curtains on how Big Health is hurting Americans.

HEALTH CARE un-covered • 0 implied HN points • 05 Jan 21
🏥 Health Politics Health Equity
  1. Big Health often puts profits before patients, leading to higher costs and less care. This can hurt people's access to necessary medical services.
  2. Many Americans struggle with healthcare bills, which can lead to financial stress and even bankruptcy. It's important for people to be aware of their rights and options.
  3. Transparency in healthcare is crucial. Knowing how much treatments really cost can help patients make better decisions about their health.