About Covid-19
FDA authorizes Pfizer coronavirus vaccine for adolescents 12 to 15 years old: “The decision that the two-shot regimen is safe and effective for younger adolescents had been highly anticipated by many parents and pediatricians, particularly with the growing gap between what vaccinated and unvaccinated people may do safely. Evidence suggests that schools can function at low risk with prevention measures, such as masks and social distancing. But vaccines are poised to increase confidence in resuming in-person activities and are regarded as pivotal to returning to normalcy.”
Moderna says its COVID-19 vaccine is 96% effective in kids ages 12-17
EU leaders confront US over vaccine patent waiver demands: “EU leaders have confronted the Biden administration over its calls for Covid-19 vaccine patent waivers and urged the US to export jabs directly if it wants to help poor countries in need.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said after a two-day EU leaders’ summit in Porto, Portugal, that suspending intellectual property rights was no solution to supply shortages and called for a focus on ramping up production instead.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron and top EU officials echoed the German premier’s rhetoric…”
International COVID-19 trial to restart with focus on immune responses: “The clinical trial, named Solidarity and coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), will test three drugs that dampen inflammation, an approach that has already shown promise in people hospitalized with COVID-19…
When the WHO launched Solidarity in March 2020, the study was focused on antiviral drugs. By October, the trial had enrolled more than 11,000 participants hospitalized with COVID-19 in 30 countries. But it also found that none of the four drugs that it tested (remdesivir, interferon, the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, and a combination of HIV drugs called lopinavir and ritonavir) saved lives or shortened hospital stays…
Now, after a pause to sort out which therapies to try next, the trial hopes to focus instead on reining in immune responses that can contribute to severe forms of COVID-19.”
About hospitals and health systems
National Hospital Week starts May 9
Kaiser's net income hits $2B in Q1: “Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente recorded a net income of $2 billion in the first quarter of 2021, up from a net loss of $1.1 billion recorded in the same quarter last year, according to financial data released May 7.
For the quarter ended March 31, the integrated healthcare provider with 39 hospitals recorded operating revenue of $23.2 billion, up from $22.6 billion recorded in the same quarter last year. Additionally, Kaiser saw its expenses rise 3.7 percent to $22.2 billion. Kaiser attributed the expense increase to several positives, including growth in its health plan.
Kaiser said its health plan membership grew by 129,000 members in the first quarter. It now has more than 12.5 million members.”
Catholic Health launches specialty pharmacy: ”Specialty drugs are often expensive, hard to manage and have significant side effects, and as a result, patients struggle to adhere to them, Catholic Health said. The system's specialty pharmacy initiative will consist of pharmacists with advanced clinical training to help patients manage their specialty medications.
The health system will also provide pharmacy liaisons to help patients navigate the complex process of obtaining and complying with specialty medications and managing their costs. The liaisons will manage financial assistance applications, insurance authorizations and medication refills, Catholic Health said.”
Jefferson Health drops policy linking physician bonuses, patient fundraising referrals: “Jefferson Health said the decision to link referrals to bonus pay was a ‘modest incentive for departmental chairs’ and was done to ‘advance the culture of philanthropy.’ The health system also said it was modeled after other medical organizations.”
About the public’s health
Air pollution from farms leads to 17,900 U.S. deaths per year, study finds: “Animal agriculture is the worst emitter, researchers say, responsible for 80 percent of deaths from pollution related to food production. Gases associated with manure and animal feed produce small, lung-irritating particles capable of drifting hundreds of miles. These emissions now account for more annual deaths than pollution from coal power plants. [Emphasis added]Yet, while pollution from power plants, factories and vehicles is restricted under the Clean Air Act, there is less regulation of air quality around farms.”
Biden administration revives anti-bias protections in health care for transgender people: “The Biden administration said Monday it would provide protections against discrimination in health care based on gender identity and sexual orientation, reversing a policy of its predecessors that had been a priority for social conservatives and had infuriated civil liberties advocates.”
Cigna CEO says preventive care is back to pre-pandemic levels: “Cigna CEO David Cordani said preventive care procedures including mammograms, colonoscopies, childhood vaccinations and cervical cancer screenings among its members are back to levels not seen since before the COVID-19 shutdowns of early 2020.”
About healthcare IT
Walmart to acquire telehealth company MeMD as Amazon Care signs first customer: “Walmart is going all-in on telehealth, opening a new front to compete with Amazon.
The retail giant announced Thursday that its healthcare division, Walmart Health, plans to acquire multi-specialty telehealth provider MeMD.”
SURESCRIPTS LEADS INDUSTRY TRANSFORMATION TO NCPDP’S SCRIPT STANDARD V2017071 TO STRENGTHEN PATIENT SAFETY AND IMPROVE WORKFLOW EFFICIENCY: “On September 1, 2021, Surescripts will sunset v10.6 of its E-Prescribing and Medication History services, as part of the industry’s migration to the National Council of Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) SCRIPT Standard v2017071 that is required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for Medicare Part D. All electronic health records (EHR) vendors, health systems, pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) who utilize Surescripts E-Prescribing or Medication History must complete their migrations to SCRIPT Standard v2017071 by September 1, 2021, in order for their users to continue to use these services.”
About healthcare costs
Fidelity’s 20th Annual Retiree Health Care Cost Estimate Hits New High: A Couple Retiring Today Will Need $300,000 to Cover Medical Expenses, an 88% Increase Since 2002: “According to Fidelity, a 65-year old, opposite-gender couple retiring this year can expect to spend $300,000in health care and medical expenses throughout retirement. For single retirees, the 2021 estimate is $157,000 for women and $143,000 for men.”