Universal healthcare as pandemic preparedness: The lives and costs that could have been saved during the COVID-19 pandemic “Universal healthcare could have alleviated the mortality caused by a confluence of negative COVID-related factors. Incorporating the demography of the uninsured with age-specific COVID-19 and nonpandemic mortality, we estimated that a single-payer universal healthcare system would have saved 212,000 lives in 2020 alone. We also calculated that US$105.6 billion of medical expenses associated with COVID-19 hospitalization could have been averted by a Medicare for All system.”
About Covid-19
FDA advisers recommend greenlighting coronavirus vaccines for young kids “Independent advisers to the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday recommended the use of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccines for babies and young children, a milestone in the nation’s efforts to combat a wily pathogen that continues to infect tens of thousands of people a day and upend the lives of countless families across the country.”
FDA advisers vote in favor of authorizing Moderna Covid-19 vaccine for ages 6-17 “Vaccine advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration decided unanimously Tuesday in favor of expanding the emergency use authorization of Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine to include older children and teens, ages 6 to 17, saying it would offer more benefits than risks.”
Pfizer halts Paxlovid trial for standard-risk patients “Pfizer-BioNTech will stop adding patients to its Paxlovid phase 2/3 trial after failing to prove the antiviral treatment reduced the relative risk of contracting COVID-19.
The drugmaker could not produce statistically significant data on whether the nation's most prescribed COVID-19 treatment was effective in reducing the risk of hospitalizations and deaths, according to a June 14 news release…
The company said in the release that it plans to continue testing Paxlovid's efficacy in high-risk populations.”
About hospitals and healthcare systems
US Supreme Court overturns $1.6B 340B payment cut “The case centered [on] whether CMS has the authority to make cuts to the program under its Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System. Under the payment rule, HHS cut the reimbursement rate for covered drugs by 28.5 percent in 2018, but it later lowered the reimbursement rate cut to 22.5 percent.
Under the 340B program, eligible hospitals can buy outpatient drugs at a discount. A hospital typically pays 20 percent to 50 percent below the average sales price for the drugs through the program.”
Financial updates from 20 health systems FYI
About pharma
Mental-Health Startup Cerebral Investigated by FTC The “FTC said it was investigating whether Cerebral engaged in deceptive or unfair practices related to advertising or marketing of mental-health services. The letter also directed the company to preserve documents.” See previous posts for the back story that led to this action.
Did J&J and BMS conspire on blood thinner price hikes? Congressional leaders want DOJ, FTC to look into it: report “When Johnson & Johnson’s Xarelto entered the market in 2011 and Bristol Myers Squibb’s Eliquis did the same in 2013, list prices for the popular blood thinners were $218 and $250, respectively, for a monthly supply.
But by January of this year, those prices had mushroomed to $516 for Xarelto and $529 for Eliquis. As a result, Medicare Part D has spent more than $46 billion on the drugs since 2015, according to a report (PDF) from Patients for Affordable Drugs.”
About the public’s health
Air pollution cuts life expectancy by more than two years, study says Highlights:
—97% of world lives in areas where pollution exceeds safe levels
—South Asians lose 5 years of life due to smog
—No country met WHO's air-quality standard in 2021
For a more detailed analysis of the problem, see: AIR QUALITY LIFE INDEX® | JUNE 2022 [Annual Update]
EPA warns toxic ‘forever chemicals’ more dangerous than once thought “The Environmental Protection Agency warned Wednesday that a group of human-made chemicals found in the drinking water, cosmetics and food packaging used by millions of Americans pose a greater danger to human health than regulators previously thought.
The new health advisories for a ubiquitous class of compounds known as polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, underscore the risk facing dozens of communities across the country. Linked to infertility, thyroid problems and several types of cancer, these “forever chemicals” can persist in the environment for years without breaking down.”
Trends in Health Care Use Among Black and White Persons in the US, 1963-2019 “This study’s findings indicate that racial inequities in care have persisted for 6 decades and widened in recent years, suggesting the persistence and even fortification of structural racism in health care access. Reform efforts should include training more Black health care professionals, investments in Black-serving health facilities, and implementing universal health coverage that eliminates cost barriers.”