About Covid-19
CDC: COVID-19 was third-leading cause of death in U.S. in 2020: From the CDC: “The virus caused nearly 378,000 deaths, or 11%, of the estimated 3.36 million deaths nationally in 2020, the data showed.”
The C.D.C. and N.I.H. launch a rapid, at-home testing initiative in Tennessee and North Carolina: “The program will make rapid at-home antigen tests freely available to every resident of two communities, Pitt County, N.C., and Hamilton County, Tenn., enough for a total of 160,000 people to test themselves for the coronavirus three times a week for a month.”
Large employers are eyeing on-site COVID-19 vaccines, survey shows: “The National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions surveyed 151 employers and other purchasers and found that 80% of very large firms, or those with more than 10,000 employees, anticipate offering vaccines to employees on-site.
While larger companies are considering on-site vaccine clinics, just 8% of those surveyed said they anticipate making COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for workers…”
While getting immunizations into people as quickly as possible is critical, we should think about the tracking and documentation problems with distribution at so many different types of venues.
'More confidence about the results': FDA authorizes two rapid COVID-19 tests for home screening: “Consumers will soon be able to buy rapid COVID-19 tests at chain pharmacies and grocers without a prescription after the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized two home tests.
The BinaxNOW COVID-19 self-test will include two tests per kit for serial screening, with the no-prescription test delivering results in 15 minutes which does not require a lab. The FDA also authorized the Quidel QuickVue COVID test that delivers results in 10 minutes and can be used without a prescription.”
‘We can do this’: Biden unveils pro-vaccine TV ads, network of grass-roots leaders to push shots: “The Biden administration on Thursday will unveil its first television advertisements to encourage Americans to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, part of a series of pro-vaccine messages as the White House pushes to achieve the president’s goal of returning the country to some normalcy by July Fourth.
The ‘We Can Do This’ campaign will air across cable and broadcast stations nationwide and include targeted multimillion-dollar ad buys for Black and Spanish-language media.”
Two YouTube videos (English and Spanish with different messages) are in the article.
Think about whether the messages are effective for social marketing. Bob Stevens (my friend and co-author of the text Strategic Marketing for Health Care Organizations) offers the following questions about effectiveness:
“Ad effectiveness can be measured by answering the following questions with primary marketing research data.
What are the specifice ad campaign objectives?
What is the competition - not getting a vaccine?
Who exactly is the target?
What are their levels of vaccine awareness and intent-to-obtain pre and post seeing the ad?
The ad and media spending are $10 miilion. We need a positive ROI. How is this measured (e.g, lives saved, health care costs saved, etc.).
Unfortunately, the federal government doesn’t usually take this approach.”
About pharma
An Accidental Disclosure Exposes a $1 Billion Tax Fight With Bristol Myers: The full story defies summary…it is a good read that illustrates complex tax laws that affect pharma patents.
AHA [American Hospital Association], ASHP [American Society of Health-System Pharmacists] seek meeting with FDA to address insurer 'white bagging' policies: “Payers use white bagging to dispense drugs to hospitals, requiring these medications come from select network specialty pharmacies. AHA and ASHP said in the letter that doing so circumvents hospital supply chain protocols aimed at patient safety.
The practice also ‘challenges’ the supply chain security issues that are addressed in the 2013 Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA).”
The corollary, where health plans send these drugs to physician offices is called “brown bagging.”
CVS wants to facilitate 65B healthcare interactions by 2030. Here's how: “CVS Health has set a goal to facilitate 65 billion healthcare interactions over the next decade…
The key strategies? Continuing to grow the reach of its HealthHUB concept stores, taking lessons learned from the pandemic to rethink care delivery and investing in social needs and community health…
Over the course of 2020, CVS became the largest private provider of COVID-19 testing, administering 15 million tests at 4,800 drive-thru sites. The pandemic also drove the healthcare giant to launch E-Clinic, a new telehealth solution for its Minute Clinics, which conducted nearly 20,000 visits.”
About hospitals and health systems
Mayo Clinic raises $500M as it looks to growth: “Mayo Clinic has not designated the bond sale for a specific project, but the system noted it is planning large capital expenditures. Over the next five years, the system expects capital spending of $6.5 billion…”
Some of America’s wealthiest hospital systems ended up even richer, thanks to federal bailouts: The article provides a helpful chart of the grant’s impacts on many large systems.
About healthcare IT
FCC ADOPTS REPORT AND ORDER TO IMPLEMENT ROUND 2 OF COVID-19 TELEHEALTH PROGRAM: The program’s support comes with expense reimbursement, rather than grant funding. The first round was not as successful as expected, so it has been modified for a second round. For example, applicants will be rated focusing on those in hardest-hit and low-income areas, those with provider shortages and Tribal communities.
Scalpel, tongs . . . WiFi? The rise of virtual surgery: Fascinating look at remote surgery.
About health insurance
Millions Could Lose Out on Mammograms, Cancer Screenings Because of ‘Incredibly Concerning’ Lawsuit: “With a challenge to the Affordable Care Act still pending at the Supreme Court, conservatives are continuing to launch legal attacks on the law, including a case in which a Texas federal judge seems open to ending the requirement that most Americans must receive preventive services like mammograms free of charge.
Businesses and individuals challenging the ACA’s first-dollar coverage mandate for preventive services have legal standing and legitimate constitutional and statutory grounds to proceed with their lawsuit to overturn it, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor ruled late last month in Fort Worth. O’Connor, who previously found the entire ACA to be unconstitutional, denied most of the federal government’s motion to dismiss the case, Kelley v. Azar.
The plaintiffs cite religious and free-market objections to the ACA requirement in their class action suit against the government seeking to halt enforcement of the requirement.”
This change would be a huge blow to public health, particularly in light of this Gallup Poll published yesterday: In U.S., An Estimated 46 Million Cannot Afford Needed Care
Biden infrastructure package includes $400B to expand Medicaid home services: “President Joe Biden is expected to include $400 billion for expanding Medicaid beneficiaries' access to home- and community-based care for seniors and the disabled as part of a larger infrastructure package.”