About Covid-19
Not Over Yet: Late-Summer Covid Wave Brings Warning of More to Come “Hospitalizations have increased 24 percent in a two-week period ending Aug. 12, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Wastewater monitoring suggests a recent rise in Covid infections in the West and Northeast. In communities across the United States, outbreaks have occurred in recent weeks at preschools, summer camps and office buildings.
Public health officials said that the latest increase in Covid hospitalizations is still relatively small and that the vast majority of the sick are experiencing mild symptoms comparable to a cold or the flu.”
About pharma
Biden administration names 10 prescription drugs for price negotiations “Half of the drugs chosen first for price negotiations are medications to prevent blood clots and treat diabetes and were taken by millions of people on Medicare in the past year, according to a list released by federal health officials who oversee Medicare, the vast public health insurance system. Others are used to treat heart trouble, autoimmune disease and cancer. Consumers will not see benefits swiftly; the lower, negotiated prices are due to become available in early 2026.
The three highest-cost drugs on the widely anticipated list of 10 are Eliquis, a blood thinner; Jardiance, which treats diabetes and heart failure; and Xarelto, another blood thinner. They cost Medicare $16 billion, $7 billion and $6 billion, respectively in the past year.”
Other drugs are Januvia, Farxiga, Entresto, Enbrel, Imbruvica, Stelara and Fiasp.
Rite Aid reportedly plans bankruptcy filing to restructure debt, halt pending opioid lawsuits “Rite Aid is reportedly preparing to file for bankruptcy within a few weeks to help restructure its debt and potentially halt ongoing lawsuits.
The move is said to be an attempt to address mass federal and state lawsuits Rite Aid faces over its alleged role in the opioid crisis, The Wall Street Journal first reported Friday. The Chapter 11 filing would cover its $3.3 billion in debt and pending legal allegations, the outlet reported. The plans are subject to change.”
About the public’s health
Some Older Adults Are Being Charged Over $300 for the New R.S.V. Vaccine “Several common vaccines, including those for the flu and Covid-19, are included under Medicare Part B, which provides medical coverage. However, the R.S.V. vaccines, as well as a few others, including the vaccine for shingles, are covered under Medicare Part D, which pays for prescription drugs. As a result, Medicare enrollees without a Part D plan — roughly 16 million people — may have to pay for the R.S.V. vaccine out of pocket depending on their non-Medicare prescription drug coverage…
For people with private insurance, like Mr. Dhooge, the situation is less clear. According to the Affordable Care Act, private health insurers must cover the cost of preventive care, including vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. However, the A.C.I.P. recommendations for the R.S.V. vaccine put the final decision in the hands of individuals in consultation with their doctors…”
Neuropathologic and Clinical Findings in Young Contact Sport Athletes Exposed to Repetitive Head Impacts “Findings In this case series of 152 contact sport athletes younger than 30 years at the time of death, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) was found in 63 (41.4%), with nearly all having mild CTE (stages I and II). Neuropathologic abnormalities associated with CTE included ventricular enlargement, cavum septum pellucidum, thalamic notching, and perivascular pigment–laden macrophage deposition in the frontal white matter.
Meaning These findings confirm that CTE and other brain pathologies can be found in young, symptomatic contact sport athletes, but the clinical correlates of these pathologic conditions are uncertain.”
Estimated Lifetime Gained With Cancer Screening TestsA Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials “Findings In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 long-term randomized clinical trials involving 2.1 million individuals, colorectal cancer screening with sigmoidoscopy prolonged lifetime by 110 days, while fecal testing and mammography screening did not prolong life. An extension of 37 days was noted for prostate cancer screening with prostate-specific antigen testing and 107 days with lung cancer screening using computed tomography, but estimates are uncertain.
Meaning The findings of this meta-analysis suggest that colorectal cancer screening with sigmoidoscopy may extend life by approximately 3 months; lifetime gain for other screening tests appears to be unlikely or uncertain.”
About healthcare IT
Virtually Enabled New Entrants Are Disintermediating the Traditional Healthcare Journey “Between Q2 2021 and Q3 2022, 11.1% of telehealth visits nationally resulted in an in-person follow-up visit for the same clinical reason within one week, with behavioral health diagnoses and select chronic conditions accounting for most duplicate visits.”
Telehealth and In-Person Mental Health Service Utilization and Spending, 2019 to 2022 “In this cohort study, utilization and spending rates for mental health care services among commercially insured adults increased by 38.8% and 53.7%, respectively, between 2019 and 2022. This disproportionate increase in spending will likely evolve now that the PHE has ended, with insurers either continuing or stopping coverage for telehealth visits for mental health services.”
HCA, Google roll out generative AI project “Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare has started using generative artificial intelligence technology from Google to document emergency room visits and speed up nurse handoffs.
The 182-hospital system has rolled out the clinical documentation at four hospitals, where it's being used by 75 emergency physicians, while the patient handoff tool is in testing at UCF Lake Nona Hospital in Orlando, Fla.”
About healthcare finance
Danaher To Buy Life Sciences Co. Abcam In $5.7B Deal “Global health care tech conglomerate Danaher Corp. said Monday it has agreed to acquire Abcam PLC, a global supplier of protein research tools to life scientists, in a deal worth a total enterprise value of about $5.7 billion, including debt.”