About Covid-19
US COVID activity remains elevated, though some markers decline “Hospitalization levels for COVID are still elevated but have been declining since early August. The CDC said the highest levels are in seniors and in children younger than 2 years old.
Deaths declined 8% compared to the previous week, and fatalities from COVID currently make up 2.3% of all deaths. The CDC received reports of 534 COVID deaths last week, based on provisional data. During the preceding week, 954 deaths were reported.”
About health insurance/insurers
The best-rated health plans of 2024: NCQA See the list.
About hospitals and healthcare systems
AT CATHOLIC HOSPITALS, A MISSION OF CHARITY RUNS UP AGAINST HIGH CARE COSTS FOR PATIENTS “KEY TAKEAWAYS
To maintain their tax-exempt status, all nonprofit hospitals are required to spend on community benefits, but federal law doesn't specify how much or which services qualify.
Health systems like CommonSpirit Health, Ascension, PeaceHealth, Trinity Health, and Providence St. Joseph pay their chief executives millions of dollars a year.
CommonSpirit Health's then-CEO Lloyd Dean earned roughly $28 million in 2022; Rod Hochman, CEO of Providence St. Joseph Health, earned $12.1 million and; Ascension CEO Joseph Impicciche was paid $9.1 million.”
The entire article is worth reading.
About pharma
One-Year Weight Reduction With Semaglutide or Liraglutide in Clinical Practice “In this cohort study of 3389 patients with obesity, the mean percentage of body weight change from baseline to 1 year was −5.1% for semaglutide vs −2.2% for liraglutide treatment; −3.2% for type 2 diabetes vs −5.9% for obesity indications; and −5.5% for patients with persistent medication coverage vs −2.8% with 90 to 275 coverage days and −1.8% with fewer than 90 coverage days. Factors positively associated with achieving at least 10% weight reduction at year 1 included semaglutide (vs liraglutide), obesity as a treatment indication (vs type 2 diabetes), persistent medication coverage, high dosage, and female sex.”
About the public’s health
Flu Deaths in Children Last Season Reach 199, Matching Record “CDC reported two new flu-related deaths in children last week, bringing the total for the 2023-2024 season to 199. Any number of pediatric deaths is a deeply tragic reminder that influenza can cause severe illness, and the number of deaths reported so far this season equals the previous high of 199 reported during the 2019-2020 season.
Of the 158 children who were eligible for a flu vaccine and for whom vaccination status is known, 131 (83%) were not fully vaccinated.”
Intake of sugar sweetened beverages [SSBs] among children and adolescents in 185 countries between 1990 and 2018: population based study “This study found that intakes of SSBs among children and adolescents aged 3-19 years in 185 countries increased by 23% from 1990 to 2018, parallel to the rise in prevalence of obesity among this population globally. SSB intakes showed large heterogeneity among children and adolescents worldwide and by age, parental level of education, and urbanicity. This research should help to inform policies to reduce SSB intake among young people, particularly those with larger intakes across all education levels in urban and rural areas in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the growing problem of SSBs for public health in sub-Saharan Africa.”