About Covid-19
New data show Medicare Advantage beneficiaries had lower hospitalization, mortality rates for COVID-19: “New data show that beneficiaries on Medicare Advantage (MA) have a 19% lower rate of hospitalizations for COVID-19 during the first nine months of the pandemic compared to traditional Medicare participants.
The data—released Thursday by MA advocacy group Better Medicare Alliance—also show that fewer MA beneficiaries died of COVID-19 compared with those on traditional Medicare.”
U.N. chief appeals for $8 bln to equitably vaccinate 40% of world in 2021: “UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed on Thursday for $8 billion to help vaccinate 40% of people in all countries against COVID-19 by the end of the year…”
AMA announces CPT update for pediatric COVID-19 vaccine candidate: “The provisional CPT codes will be effective for use on the condition that Pfizer’s two-dose regimen for the prevention of COVID-19 in children ages 5 to 11 receives approval or emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).”
40% of US hospitals have vaccination requirements, White House reports: “In about six months, about 2,500 hospitals, or 40 percent of them in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, have said they are requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for their employees.”
This number is incredibly low!
About health insurance
CMS Releases 2022 Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings to Help Medicare Beneficiaries Compare Plans: “Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2022 Star Ratings for Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans to help people with Medicare compare plans ahead of Medicare Open Enrollment, which kicks off on October 15.”
2019 HEALTH CARE COST AND UTILIZATION REPORT: From the Health Care cost Institute.
Highlights:
—”In 2019, per person spending reached $6,001. This represented a 2.9% increase from 2018 and was the lowest growth rate over the five-year period. The total includes amount paid for medical and pharmacy claims but does not reflect manufacturer rebates for prescription drugs.
—Average per person out-of-pocket spending totaled $829 in 2019.
—Average prices grew 3.6% in 2019. While that is the lowest rate of growth over the five-year period, consistent annual increases means that prices in 2019 were 18.3% higher than prices in 2015.
—Utilization declined 0.7% between 2018 and 2019, reversing the trend of utilization growth during the five-year period. This shift was largely attributable to a 4.9% decline in inpatient admissions in 2019.
—Prices accounted for the largest part (nearly two-thirds) of per-person spending growth between 2015 and 2019.”
About pharma
Sanofi, GSK, Pfizer and Boehringer must face Zantac class-action lawsuits, court rules: “This week, branded drugmakers GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, Pfizer and Boehringer Ingelheim lost an attempt to escape class-action lawsuits over their marketing of the decades-old drug.
In a federal court in Florida, Judge Robin Rosenberg denied requests by the companies to throw out lawsuits by former Zantac patients asking for medical monitoring and compensation for their financial losses. Lawsuits alleging personal injury from the drug can continue as well.”