Biden's State of the Union: 10 healthcare takeaways A good summary of the healthcare points in last night’s speech. See, also: Full Transcript of Biden’s State of the Union Address
About Covid-19
Should you report the results of an at-home COVID test? “When you take an at-home coronavirus (COVID-19) test, you’re supposed to report your results to federal and local governments.
That’s right. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a website dedicated to collecting at-home COVID-19 test results data, both positive and negative, but medical experts fear it is being grossly underused…
Simply visit MakeMyTestCount.org. The site doesn’t ask for personal information, only your ZIP code and age.
The results, positive or negative, are then submitted to the same public health systems that currently receive COVID-19 results from tests done in laboratories and doctors’ offices.”
About health insurance/insurers
The Pill Club Reaches $18.3 Million Medicaid Fraud Settlement With California “The Pill Club, an online women’s pharmacy, has reached an $18.3 million settlement with California authorities over claims it defrauded the state’s Medicaid program by prescribing birth control pills without adequate consultation and shipping tens of thousands of female condoms to customers who didn’t want them.”
Analysis of Recent National Trends in Medicaid and CHIP Enrollment “This data note looks at national and state-by-state Medicaid and CHIP enrollment data through October 2022. After declines in enrollment from 2017 through 2019, preliminary data for October 2022 show that total Medicaid/CHIP enrollment grew to 91.3 million, an increase of 20.2 million from enrollment in February 2020 (28.5%), right before the pandemic and when enrollment began to steadily increase…”
A great summary from the KFF.
Centene bracing for 2.2 million member loss in Medicaid redeterminations “Centene expects to lose millions of members in the redeterminations process and is focused on shifting members no longer eligible for Medicaid coverage to its marketplace offerings, executives said on a Feb. 7 investor call transcribed by Motley Fool.
The company expects to lose 2.2 million members over the next year and a half through the redeterminations process, CFO Drew Asher told investors.”
False Claims Act Settlements and Judgments Exceed $2 Billion in Fiscal Year 2022 “Settlements and judgments under the False Claims Act exceeded $2.2 billion in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2022, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, announced today. The government and whistleblowers were party to 351 settlements and judgments, the second-highest number of settlements and judgments in a single year. Recoveries since 1986, when Congress substantially strengthened the civil False Claims Act, now total more than $72 billion.”
About hospitals and healthcare systems
Lifepoint scoops up 18 behavioral hospitals “Lifepoint Health acquired a majority ownership interest in behavioral health network Springstone, closing a deal that adds 18 hospitals and 35 outpatient locations to the Lifepoint network.
Louisville, Ky.-based Springstone was founded in 2010 and includes sites of care in nine states: Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington.”
About pharma
CVS reports $2.3B Q4 profit, will buy Oak Street Health “CVS Health has reported $4.2 billion in 2022 profit and said it will acquire primary care company Oak Street Health in an all-cash deal worth $10.6 billion.
Chicago-based Oak Street manages a value-based primary care network with more than 160 clinics in 21 states that primarily focus on Medicare beneficiaries — by 2026, the company expects to have more than 300 locations, according to a Feb. 8 news release from CVS.”
About the public’s health
Less sugar, less salt: USDA proposes nutrition changes to school meals “The Agriculture Department on Friday proposed new nutrition standards for school meals that would impose the first limit on added sugar in lunches and breakfasts served by school cafeterias.
The proposal also seeks to lower sodium levels and puts more of an emphasis on whole-grain products in school meals. It aims to improve the health of millions of students at a time when childhood obesity has risen dramatically, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating that nearly 20% of children and adolescents have obesity.
The suggested nutrition changes, which would be implemented gradually over years, are part of a national strategy on hunger, nutrition and health announced by the Biden administration in September.”
About health technology
3M rolls out skin-sticking adhesive allowing wearable monitors to last up to 4 weeks “The newest addition to the company’s line of adhesives is designed to stay in place for up to 28 days, 3M announced this week, doubling the two-week wear time that has long been the standard for stick-on medical devices…
According to its maker, the four-week adhesive, sold as 3M Medical Tape 4578, is pressure sensitive and designed to maintain its stickiness for up to one year in storage, even without a protective liner.”