About Covid-19
Judge blocks Biden vaccine mandate for healthcare workers in Missouri, 9 other states: “U.S. District Judge Matthew Schelp in the Eastern District of Missouri, who was nominated by then-President Donald Trumpin 2019, wrote in his 32-page ruling that Congress did not grant the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, authority to mandate the vaccine.”
And in the past few hours: Judge in Ky. blocks federal contractor vaccine mandate, granting AG Cameron’s request: “‘This is not a case about whether vaccines are effective. They are,’ [Judge]Van Tatenhove wrote. ‘Nor is this a case about whether the government, at some level, and in some circumstances, can require citizens to obtain vaccines. It can.’ He said that the question before him was a narrow one: whether or not Biden had the authority to impose vaccines on the employees of federal contractors and subcontractors…
The scope of the injunction applies to Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee, per the order.”
Moderna chief predicts existing vaccines will struggle with Omicron: “Stéphane Bancel foresees ‘material drop’ in current jabs’ effectiveness, sending stocks and oil prices lower.”
Pfizer CEO confident Covid treatment pill will be effective against omicron variant: “‘The good news when it comes to our treatment, it was designed with that in mind, it was designed with the fact that most mutations are coming in the spikes,’ Bourla told CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box.’ ‘So that gives me very high level of confidence that the treatment will not be affected, our oral treatment will not be affected by this virus.’”
Federal agencies won’t seriously discipline vaccine holdouts until next year, White House tells unions: “The American Federation of Government Employees said Monday that administration officials have told the union that agencies for now will continue offering counseling and education to the roughly 3.5 percent of workers who have yet to receive a vaccination or request an exemption.”
FDA advisers narrowly recommend authorization of first antiviral pill to treat covid-19: “The drug, molnupiravir, was developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics as a five-day regimen to be taken at home within five days of the onset of coronavirus symptoms. The FDA is not bound by the 13 to 10 vote but typically follows its external advisers’ recommendations. The drug could have an immediate impact on the pandemic if authorized — just as the ominous new omicron variant has emerged, jolting the world with the prospect of a longer and more complicated pandemic…
When given to people at high risk of developing severe illness, molnupiravir cut the risk of death or hospitalization by 30 percent in patients infected with a range of variants including delta, gamma and mu. Molnupiravir has not yet been tested against the omicron variant, but because it works in a different way than vaccines and monoclonal antibodies that train their firepower on the coronavirus spike protein, it is expected to hold up against a wide range of variants.”
About healthcare IT
Fitch places Athenahealth on rating watch negative amid $17B acquisition: “Fitch Ratings placed Athenahealth on rating watch negative following the Watertown, Mass.-based EHR vendor's recent agreement to be acquired by private equity firms Hellman & Friedman and Bain Capital.
The credit rating agency said it expects a material increase in debt to fund the $17 billion transaction and would look to resolve the rating watch negative after the deal's financing terms close…”
Key use cases for artificial intelligence to reduce the frequency of adverse drug events[ADEs]: a scoping review: “We performed a scoping review, summarised the main insights, and identified several use cases in which AI could contribute to reducing the frequency and consequences of ADEs. Most studies only evaluated technical algorithm performance, and very few studies evaluated the use of AI in clinical settings. Research on predicting allergic reactions was scarce and only a small number of studies incorporated genetic data. Most studies were published in the past 5 years, highlighting an emerging area of study, and we expect many more studies in the next few years. Availability of new types of data and access to unstructured EHR notes might further advance the field.”
Global data and analysis on dealmaking, funding, and exits in private-market AI companies: A comprehensive survey of the topics in the headline. One “overall” statistic: “Global AI funding [reached a] record-high $50B in 2021 YTD, up 55% vs. 2020”
About hospitals and health systems
November 2021 National Hospital Flash Report: From KaufmanHall. “Hospitals and health systems nationwide were hit with another month of margin declines in October as rising labor expenses continue to weigh down overall hospital performance, even as pressures from high levels of high acuity cases showed signs of waning. Actual hospital operating margins held relatively steady for a fourth consecutive month as a result. The median Kaufman Hall Operating Margin Index was 3.2% in October, not including federal CARES Act funding. With the aid, it was 4.1%.”
About health insurance
Justices Skeptical of HHS Changes to Hospitals’ Extra Payments: “A majority of justices on the Supreme Court seemed reluctant Monday to reinstate a 2005 rule that in many cases decreased the amount of additional Medicare payments hospitals get for serving a larger share of poor patients….
At issue are changes the HHS made to how the supplemental payments, known as disproportionate share hospital (DSH) adjustments, are calculated.” Read the article for an explanation of the methodologies that are being challenged.
Temporary Safety-Net Policies and Pandemic-Related Insurance Loss in New York State: Results of this RAND study of NY state can, perhaps, be generalized to other locations:
”Temporary provisions played an outsized role in stabilizing coverage in 2020 and will continue to play a large role in 2021
This analysis and emerging evidence from other sources suggest that temporary policies — notably, continuous Medicaid enrollment and furlough coverage — are major contributing factors to the success of the health insurance safety net.
The temporary extension and enhancement of APTCs likely contributed to enrollment stability in 2021.
Workers' ability to retain job-based coverage after being laid off may have been a substantial factor in holding national insurance rates steady.
On their own, the ACA's coverage provisions might not have fully prevented insurance loss during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
About the public’s health
2021 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association: Read the article for specifics. In general, lots of “common sense” recommendations:
”Evidence-based dietary pattern guidance to promote cardiometabolic health includes the following: (1) adjust energy intake and expenditure to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight; (2) eat plenty and a variety of fruits and vegetables; (3) choose whole grain foods and products; (4) choose healthy sources of protein (mostly plants; regular intake of fish and seafood; low-fat or fat-free dairy products; and if meat or poultry is desired, choose lean cuts and unprocessed forms); (5) use liquid plant oils rather than tropical oils and partially hydrogenated fats; (6) choose minimally processed foods instead of ultra-processed foods; (7) minimize the intake of beverages and foods with added sugars; (8) choose and prepare foods with little or no salt; (9) if you do not drink alcohol, do not start; if you choose to drink alcohol, limit intake; and (10) adhere to this guidance regardless of where food is prepared or consumed.“
About healthcare finance
The top 10 healthcare M&A targets in 2022: A list and companies’ details are provided.