After an incredibly busy 2014, during which health stories like Ebola, new food nutrition label rules, and the debate about the right to die sparked by Brittany Maynard dominated the headlines, it’s now worth looking at what we may be covering in the next 12 months.
So, in no particular order, here’s my take on the nine big health stories to watch for, and the questions they will likely raise, in 2015.
Doctor shortage. There aren’t nearly enough of us to care for the U.S. population. By some estimates, the country is already short of tens of thousands of doctors, a problem that will only get worse as the demand for care increases with our aging population. That could mean longer wait times for you when you need to make an appointment. But that also means policy makers will have to consider questions like: Is there a way to increase the number of residency training slots? Are there other health care professionals who can reasonably fill in the gaps? Will the nation’s quality of care go down? How can the country avoid a situation where only the wealthy will be able to afford quality care?
–
Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion.
CNN’s Jen Christensen contributed to this report.
