AJMC Staff

Coverage of our peer-reviewed research and news reporting in the health care and mainstream press.

Monica Bertagnolli, MD, fielded questions on hot-button issues during the long-delayed Senate hearing on her nomination to head the National Institutes of Health; Pfizer announces the list price for a 5-day course of its COVID-19 antiviral, nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid); a federal initiative is distributing funds to programs aiming to prevent drug overdoses in pregnant women.

Amazon Prime air service is testing delivery of medication within an hour or ordering; Surging insurance costs are affecting 150 million Americans; Opponents of President Joe Biden's mental health care proposal argue potential rules could hinder access to quality care.

School nurses play an overworked and understaffed role; Merck's immunotherapy Keytruda (pembroilzumab) has been granted approval for pre- and postsurgical treatment in lung cancer; the FDA is helping to curb tobacco-related health disparities.

Medicare Advantage star ratings reveal shifts in plan quality and performance; Rite Aid seeks debt reduction and restructures amid financial challenges; workers secure improved wages and staffing

Medicare Part A and B premiums are set to increase by $9.80 next year; 20 experts from various specialties and institutions have developed updated brain death guidelines; many Black patients are strongly affected by multiple COVID-19 infections due to a lack of health insurance and health care access.

Blood tests offer a less invasive and more accessible means of detecting Alzheimer disease; Democrats address a year-long Adderall shortage; A new study shows significantly improved clinical outcomes in Type 2 diabetes management with a digital behavioral therapy app.

Advances in treatments and early detection methods have led to improved survival rates; staffing shortages and rising demands take their toll; the US blood supply is under increasing strain.

Updated vaccines are on their way to US pharmacies; importance of early diagnosis and treatment for individuals at risk of cardiovascular disease; Walgreens pharmacists stage their own protest.

A minimally invasive procedure could revolutionize breast surgery; Black women experience the worst birthing outcomes; Kaiser Permanente health workers' concerns over labor disputes persist.

The effects of flat or reduced reimbursements alongside inflation have been quantified in a report by Avalere Health, prepared for the Community Oncology Alliance (COA.)

FDA is investigating fraudulent schemes trafficking counterfeit semaglutide (Ozempic); Moderna plans to begin a late-stage trial of its combined COVID-19 and flu vaccine later this year; CMS will begin restricting predictive software used by insurance companies next year.

Coverage of our peer-reviewed research and news reporting in the health care and mainstream press.

Americans with college degrees live longer than those without; pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) accessibility is low for Black women; new COVID-19 vaccine access is proving difficult for some Americans, as the COVID-19 vaccine card is being phased out.

Kaiser Permanente workers strike; CDC proposes a new policy to decrease sexually transmitted infection (STI) cases; New Jersey court tosses $223.8 million decision against J&J in talc cancer case.

Major companies committed to joining Medicare drug price negotiations; Boehringer Ingelheim introduced a low-cost version of its adalimumab biosimilar; schools begin to stock naloxone amid rising opioid deaths among young people.

A new grant aims to address maternal mortality in predominantly Black rural areas; Eli Lilly's drug to treat atopic dermatitis has not received FDA approval; a preliminary injunction is granted to Planned Parenthood South Atlantic.

ViiV Healthcare is developing a self-injectable HIV drug similar to Cabenuva; HHS met with insurance companies to resolve COVID-19 vaccine coverage issues; the FDA has greenlit drugmaker Novo Nordisk to add reports of ileus, or intestinal blockage, to its Ozempic label.

A government shutdown could impact Medicaid and Medicare in important ways; new Medicare Advantage plans personalize offerings to special populations; nursing homes are still waiting for COVID-19 shots since the US government has stepped back.

Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans will maintain stability in 2024; a report found that women encounter disadvantages in cancer prevention and care; prescriptions for semaglutide, similar drugs surpass 9 million.

Chemotherapy drug shortages put young patients at risk; restrictions and challenges cause concerns of a rise in teen births; at least 28 companies failed to prove sufficient product testing for cough syrups.

The CDC recommends pregnant women receive RSV vaccinations; 6 states expand their Medicaid programs to offer dental coverage; a new bill aims to address issues in the US organ transplant system

Coverage of our peer-reviewed research and news reporting in the health care and mainstream press.

Drugmakers turn to artificial intelligence (AI); new reports of vaccine appointment cancellations or insurance issues; Biden plans to clear Americans’ credit scores of medical debt.

The Biden administration will once again provide free COVID-19 tests for Americans; vaccine skepticism exists on both sides of the presidential race, concerning health officials; the FDA denied an application for the first nasal spray to treat allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.

The endorsements follow the group's lawsuit earlier this year to overturn CMS' interpretation of the Stark Law.

Most people don’t know they have hypertension, and a new recommendation advises that pregnant women should be screened for blood pressure disorders at every appointment; patients in primary care face long wait times, which may be due to physician incentives under value-based payments; a lawsuit in New Jersey targets the residency requirement to allow aid in dying for those out of state.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) needs to be treated quickly once diagnosed, said Konstantinos Leventakos, MD, PhD, assistant professor of oncology and medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.

Various health programs may shut down at the end of September without congressional action; maternal health experts push for midwife workforce expansion amidst high maternal mortality rates in the United States; studies find that heightened screen time in teens and tweens before bed can result in a lack of sleep.

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools offer potential solutions to the growing demand in mental health; patients face weight loss drug shortages and insurance complications; updated mask guidelines cause worry among health care workers.