About Covid-19
HHS's COVID vaccine campaign saved $732 billion in averted infections, costs “The US Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS's) COVID-19 vaccination campaign saved $732 billion by averting illness and related costs during the Delta and Omicron variant waves, with a return of nearly $90 for every dollar spent, estimates a study by HHS and the research firm Fors Marsh.”
About health insurance/insurers
Centene to Face Proposed Class Fraud Claims Over Health Plans
About 2 million people in 26 states have these groups’ plans.
Health insurance consumers can proceed with a proposed class action alleging that Centene Corp. and its subsidiaries deceived them into buying plans their doctors wouldn’t accept.
The plaintiffs adequately alleged a civil violation of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and violations of consumer protection laws in 11 states, the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois said Thursday.
Centene is the largest provider of Medicaid managed care plans and Affordable Care Act exchange plans in the country…”
About hospitals and healthcare systems
Steward plans sale of all hospitals, reports $9B in debt “Dallas-based Steward Health Care has placed its 31 U.S. hospitals up for purchase to help offload its $9 billion debt after the health system filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy…
During a court hearing May 7 in Houston, Steward attorney Ray Schrock told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Chris Lopez that the for-profit health system is aiming to keep all of its hospitals open and to finalize the sale of the facilities by the end of this summer, the news agency reported.”
For a summary of events leading up to this action, see: The Private-Equity Deal That Flattened a Hospital Chain and Its Landlord
About the public’s health
Flame Retardant [FR] Exposure in Vehicles Is Influenced by Use in Seat Foam and Temperature “These results suggest that FRs used in vehicle interiors, such as in seat foam, are a source of OPE exposure, which is increased in warmer temperatures.”
U.S. Tightens Rules on Risky Virus Research “The White House has unveiled tighter rules for research on potentially dangerous microbes and toxins, in an effort to stave off laboratory accidents that could unleash a pandemic.
The new policy, published Monday evening, arrives after years of deliberations by an expert panel and a charged public debate over whether Covid arose from an animal market or a laboratory in China.”