About Covid-19
NYC to skirt pharmacies, hand out Paxlovid prescriptions at mobile test-to-treat sites The headline is the story.
About health insurance
Use and Cost of Low-Value Health Services Delivered or Paid for by the Veterans Health Administration “In this cross-sectional study of 5.2 million enrolled veterans, 19.6 low-value services per 100 veterans were delivered by VA facilities or VACC programs in fiscal year 2018, involving 13.6% of veterans at a cost of $205.8 million.”
Return on Investment for Offering Employer- Sponsored Insurance[ESI] “According to Avalere’s analysis, ESI will provide an estimated 47% ROI to employers with 100 or more employees in 2022 and a 52% return in 2026. Key drivers of ROI include $275.6B from improved productivity in 2022 and $346.6B in 2026, $101B from a reduction in direct medical costs in 2022 and $108B in 2026, and $119.2B from tax benefits in 2022 and $139.7B in 2026.”
About hospitals and healthcare systems
CMS proposal details how to become new rural hospital designation “The Biden administration released a proposed rule that grants more regulatory flexibility for small, rural hospitals in a bid to curb a worrying trend of facility closures.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ proposed rule released Thursday outlines the conditions of participation for a facility to become a Rural Emergency Hospital, which enables a facility to offer emergency care, observation and other outpatient services.”
Local Supply Of Postdischarge Care Options Tied To Hospital Readmission Rates “The extent to which patients’ risk for readmission after a hospitalization is influenced by local availability of postdischarge care options is not currently known…Overall, readmission rates were negatively associated with per capita supply of primary care physicians (−0.16 percentage points per standard deviation) and licensed nursing home beds (−0.09 percentage points per standard deviation). In contrast, readmission rates were positively associated with per capita supply of nurse practitioners (0.09 percentage points per standard deviation). Our results suggest potential modifications to the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program to account for local health system characteristics when assigning penalties to hospitals.”
About pharma
US Judge Finds for 3 Drug Distributors in WVa Opioid Lawsuit "‘The opioid crisis has taken a considerable toll on the citizens of Cabell County and the City of Huntington. And while there is a natural tendency to assign blame in such cases, they must be decided not based on sympathy, but on the facts and the law,’ U.S. District Judge David Faber wrote in the 184-page ruling. ‘In view of the court’s findings and conclusions, the court finds that judgment should be entered in defendants’ [AmerisourceBergen Drug Co., Cardinal Health Inc. and McKesson Corp.] favor.’”
Pharma industry spent a record $389M on US lobbying in 2021, but more is likely coming this year — report “The health sector was the biggest industry spender amongst all lobbyists, according to OpenSecrets, spending a combined $830 million between both the federal level and the states. And the pharma industry takes the trophy within the health sector over hospitals, nursing homes and health professionals after spending more than $350 million on just the federal level.”
About the public’s health
Texas Supreme Court blocks order that allowed abortions to resume “The Texas Supreme Court in Austin granted an ‘emergency motion for temporary relief’ requested by the state’s attorney general, Republican Ken Paxton, on Wednesday that prevents a lower court order from taking effect.”
Will There Be Enough Monkeypox Vaccine? “A factory making Jynneos, the safest vaccine, has been closed since August, threatening global supplies as the virus spreads…
Jynneos, the only vaccine developed for monkeypox, is made by a small Danish company, Bavarian Nordic. The company is expected to send about two million doses to the United States by the end of the year, but can produce less than five million more for the rest of the world.”
About healthcare IT
Google says it will delete location history for visits to abortion clinics, medical sites “Google said late Friday that it would work to quickly delete location history for people going to abortion sites and other medical sites following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade last week.”
Lest you think this risk of disclosure is hypothetical, read: Texts, web searches about abortion have been used to prosecute women