About Covid-19
Scientists again link covid pandemic origin to Wuhan market animals “An international team of scientists published a peer-reviewed paper Thursday saying genetic evidence indicates the coronavirus pandemic most likely originated with a natural spillover from an animal or animals sold in a market in Wuhan, China, where many of the first human cases of covid were identified.
The paper, which appears in the journal Cell, does not claim to prove conclusively that the pandemic began in the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, and it is unlikely to end the acrimonious and politicized debate over the coronavirus’s origin.”
About health insurance/insurers
Oak Street Health pays $60M to settle insurance agent kickback allegations “Chicago-based health care firm Oak Street Health has agreed to pay $60 million to resolve allegations from the U.S. Department of Justice that it paid kickbacks to third-party insurance agents in exchange for recruiting seniors to Oak Street’s primary care clinics.”
About healthcare systems
2024: A Portrait of the Failing U.S. Health System From the Commonwealth Fund, another indictment of our healthcare system. “The top three countries are Australia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, although differences in overall performance between most countries are relatively small. The only clear outlier is the U.S., where health system performance is dramatically lower.”
Look at comparisons in Exhibit 1.
About the public’s health
American Association for Cancer Research:CANCER PROGRESS REPORT 2024 An excellent report on the status of cancer in the U.S. For example: “…the overall cancer death rate in the United States has fallen by 33 percent between 1991 and 2021, a reduction that translates into averting more than 4.1 million deaths from cancer. The drop in overall cancer mortality is attributable to reductions in smoking, as well as improvements in early detection and treatment of certain cancers….Even though significant progress has been made, cancer continues to be an ongoing public health challenge in the United States and around the world. In the United States alone, it is estimated that more than two million new cancer cases will be diagnosed in 2024. Among the challenges we face is that the advances have not been uniform for all types and stages of cancer. As one example, while the overall cancer incidence in the United States has stabilized in recent years, cases of certain cancer types, such as pancreatic cancer, uterine cancer, and human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oral cancers, are increasing.”
A NY Times summary of the report notes: “The report estimates that 40 percent of all cancer cases are associated with modifiable risk factors. It recommends reducing alcohol consumption, along with making lifestyle changes such as avoiding tobacco, maintaining a healthy diet and weight, exercising, avoiding ultraviolet radiation and minimizing exposure to pollutants.”
About healthcare personnel
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Nearly $100 Million to Grow the Health Workforce “Today’s announcement includes the following HRSA investments:
Growing the nursing workforce for acute and long-term care: HRSA is awarding more than $19 million over four years to five schools, including two community colleges, to increase the nursing workforce practicing in acute care settings and long-term care facilities.
Increasing the primary care physician workforce in high-need areas: HRSA is providing nearly $12 million in 2024 to three medical schools to help boost the number of primary care physicians in medically underserved rural, and tribal communities.
Responding to the nation’s opioid crisis: HRSA is awarding more than $63 million over four years to 32 organizations to train and increase the number of peer support specialists and other community-based providers, such as community health workers, to provide mental health services and family support to children whose parents or guardians are impacted by opioid use disorders and other substance use disorders.
Integrating mental health care in pediatric care: HRSA is providing an additional $4.6 million to existing grantees to expand their efforts to provide pediatricians mental health training and to support pediatricians in conducting tele-consultations with psychiatrists to provide real-time behavioral health support to their child and adolescent patients.”