AJMC Staff

The platinum drugs most effective in treating ovarian cancer are in limited supply due to the drug shortage; the government proposes a plan to prevent hospitals from redistributing Medicaid money; physicians ask for help in treating the high number of children with mental illness coming to the emergency department.

Amazon’s online pharmacy aims to improve access and price transparency for insulin; cases of the COVID-19 Eris variant are increasing globally; the Department of Justice (DOJ) responds to pushbacks of Medicare's drug price negotiation program from the Chamber of Commerce (COC).

Better transparency is needed for nonemergency hospital care expenses; services and support are needed to alleviate the financial strain of caring for older adults; a reduced demand for annual COVID-19 vaccination is putting pressure on public health officials.

One in 3 hospitals report issues with chemotherapy drug shortages; the suicide rate in the United States hit an all-time high in 2022; an acid reflux medication may be linked with higher risk of dementia.

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

Novo Nordisk continues to limit starter doses of popular weight-loss drug Wegovy in the US; veterans and survivors received an error message when submitting PACT Act claims shortly before the deadline; insurance companies are failing to inform patients of their eligibility for free preventative services.

Second-line treatments for small cell lung cancer are effective, but the outcomes are modest, explained Tom Stinchcombe, MD, medical oncologist, Duke Cancer Institute.

Patients with a specific gene are more likely to develop long COVID; senators send letters to the Internal Revenue Service, urging them to investigate the practices of nonpartisan hospitals; pregnant workers and workers with newborns could potentially gain job accommodations through a new proposal.

The Red Cross’s inclusive assessment will determine blood donation eligibility; Wegovy reduces the risk of cardiovascular events; the first postpartum depression pill sparks pricing questions.

A severe heat wave is causing an uptick in heat-related emergency visits; Leqembi set to be rolled out in the coming months; declining childhood vaccination rate raises concerns over winter surge.

A record low of 7.7% of Americans had no health insurance at the start of 2023; the American Academy of Pediatrics renewed its backing of gender care for children while requesting a research review; 2 lots of an oral contraceptive were recalled for possible reduction in effectiveness.

Veterans are suing the US Defense and Veterans Affairs departments over infertility coverage denials; Wegovy is being prescribed to patients taking antipsychotic medications; AI-assisted mammogram readings detected more cancers than radiologists.

The US Labor Department initiated a lawsuit against a UnitedHealth Group unit after it allegedly denied thousands of claims without assessing their merit; the cost of lecanemab, the first drug that claims to slow the advance of Alzheimer disease, will mostly fall upon taxpayers; nearly 7 million women in the US live in maternity care deserts with little to no access to maternal care.

Pfizer considers cost-cutting as demand for COVID-19 products lag; Amazon Clinic aims to provide virtual care for common health concerns; Black patients may find new Alzheimer drugs less effective

The Biden administration announces its Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model for dementia care; women’s alcohol-related morality is growing at a faster rate than men’s; medical theft can occur in a large-scale breach or singular theft of someone’s information.

Intraparty disagreements over mifepristone cause pause in spending bill agreement until August recess ends; Officials urge the FDA to regulate cannabidiol as a dietary supplement; State medical boards tasked with protecting Americans frequently failed to stop doctors for COVID-19 misinformation.

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

Democratic House forerunners present legislation to expand drug cost lowering procedures; President Joe Biden presents an advanced cancer research push; a Senate panel advances a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform bill.

A class-action lawsuit was filed against Cigna for allegedly wrongfully rejecting thousands of claims using an algorithm; Black women still have a fetal mortality rate double the national average despite declining from that of recent years; the CDC is investigating the source of ground beef causing a multistate salmonella outbreak.

Political leanings appear to be associated with mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic; the Biden administration takes steps to ensure parity between mental and physical health benefits; extreme heat and air pollution amplify heart attack risk.

Major General Paul Friedrichs, MD, appointed to head the new Office of Pandemic Preparedness; CDC advises the public about the potential resurgence of respiratory viruses in the fall and winter; concerns grow over appeal of e-cigarettes to young adults.

A tornado wreaked widespread damage to a Pfizer plant in North Carolina; a new study finds that misdiagnoses lead to 800,000 deaths and serious disabilities yearly; the World Health Organization reports dengue risk is rising because of global warming.

Insurers supervising the health care of Medicaid patients repeatedly reject providers’ approval of care; individuals are more likely to develop dementia if they live in disadvantaged neighborhoods; a type of an immunity gene is found in people who test positive for COVID-19 but don’t develop symptoms.

Extreme heat prompts doctors to use body bags as cooling devices for heat stroke; a study of the effect of donanemab on the early stages of Alzheimer disease looks promising; UnitedHealth Group is seeing an influx of people seeking mental health care services, causing accessibility issues because of the provider shortage.

An Iowa abortion ban is temporarily blocked; Pfizer partners with Flagship Pioneering in drug development deal; South Dakota’s governor calls for action in addressing the national drug shortage.

Funding cuts threaten public health programs; emergency room doctors see a surge in heat-related illnesses; national crisis line shows promising results with increased text volumes and reduced wait times.

The Center on Health Equity and Access spotlights the latest health equity news, research, and initiatives to reduce health care disparities and improve access to care.

CMS releases its 2024 Physician Fee Schedule, including a conversion factor cut, and proposes behavioral health efforts; a World Health Organization (WHO) agency says that aspartame may cause cancer, but another one maintains that it remains generally safe; HHS calls for COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers to ensure reasonable pricing for their upcoming fall shots.

The FDA has approved the first over the counter (OTC) birth control pill Thursday; the US Chamber of Commerce has filed a motion for preliminary injunction on the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation program; individuals living in historically redlined areas are likely to have worse heart health.

Racist assumptions identified in medical education impact maternal outcomes; excessive drinking during the pandemic responsible for increased alcoholic liver disease deaths; Iowa ban will restrict abortions after about 6 weeks of pregnancy.