AJMC Staff

Attendees at the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) 2023 Spring Conference heard presentations about using electronic health records to identify cases of Clostridioides difficile earlier, as well as an update about infection control strategies.

Governor Ron DeSantis signs 6-week abortion ban in Florida; Juul will pay Washington, DC, over $15 million as part of a settlement alleging the company marketed its products to teens; death counts attributed to malnutrition more than doubled from 2018 through 2022, with most deaths occurring to Californians 85 and older in 2022.

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Judges reverted steps to make abortion pill mifepristone more accessible, but it is still available; Cigna Group will be offering an option for members that allows more visibility into manufacturer drug pricing and discounts; new research on Parkinson disease could lead to new diagnostics and treatments.

Animal tranquilizer xylazine has been designated an “emerging drug threat”; the White House is planning ways to implement safeguards to protect patient privacy; in 2021, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) reached a record high, the CDC finds.

Autism is being diagnosed more often in girls; cancer medication shortages mean some patients may die before receiving treatment; new CMS policies aim to reach underserved populations.

A federal ruling could undermine the framework of FDA drug approvals; Florida’s warning on COVID-19 vaccines omits key data; uninsured patients with cancer struggle to find care.

Affordable health care and drug use are the top 2 concerns of Americans; a new electronic records system set to be rolled out to multiple hospitals within the Department of Veterans Affairs has been suspended; the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to measure certain hazardous chemicals extending beyond plant property lines.

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

Regional Cancer Care Associates (RCCA) has entered into a strategic relationship with The US Oncology Network, effective April 1, 2023.

CMS finalizes plans to decrease overpayments to Medicare Advantage insurers; an experimental respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine is highly effective in infants when given to pregnant women; obesity may be influenced by different brain factors between men and women.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) 2023 Annual Meeting took place last month in New Orleans, Louisiana, and The American Journal of Managed Care® was there to cover the latest news—catch up on what you may have missed.

Johnson & Johnson designated over $8.9 billion to settle talcum powder lawsuits; a new report from the World Health Organization says that 1 in 6 adults globally are affected by infertility; a new study looks beyond the body mass index of pregnant mothers to identify risk factors for their children being obese.

The National Cancer Plan is being implemented as part of the Cancer Moonshot aims; inflation and higher spending are driving up monthly plan premiums under the Affordable Care Act; millions of people may lose Medicaid coverage after pandemic protections end.

Rates for reimbursement cuts will be lower than expected within Medicare Advantage plans; financial safety nets, in the form of Social Security and Medicare, are likely to be unable pay full benefits; CDC teams experience symptoms similar to East Palestine, Ohio, residents following train derailment

More adults are being prescribed medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; Gun injuries soared early in the COVID-19 pandemic; Studies link mysterious hepatitis outbreak in children to infection from adeno-associated virus 2.

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Payers are looking to roll back on paperwork requirements for prior authorization (PA); CMS and Medicare Advantage (MA) insurers battle over new regulations; Johnson & Johnson (J&J) falls behind Pfizer and GSK for vaccine approval.

The FDA approves over-the-counter (OTC) naloxone that will be available in late summer; the World Health Organization (WHO) might consider obesity drugs “essential” in upcoming review; the WHO updates COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.

Ten states remain that have not expanded Medicaid and they are unlikely to do so; FDA was aware of contaminated infant formula months before the most recent recall; Sen. Tammy Duckworth asks the Federal Trade Commission to investigate AmeriSourceBergen over its distribution practices around the brand-name of mifepristone (Mifeprex).

The FDA wants to discourage the use of single-arm trials for accelerated approvals of oncology drugs; Cigna’s review system allows doctors to reject claims without reading them, an investigation shows; US bishops want to restrict gender transition care in Catholic hospitals.

Tennessee’s governor rejected $8.8 million in federal grant money for HIV prevention and detection; Senator Bernie Sanders pleads for drug price decrease in his first drug hearing as health chair; the prevalence of autism is growing, with children of color more likely to be diagnosed compared with White children for the first time.

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The Biden administration might implement changes on how it would fund private Medicare Advantage (MA) plans; by the end of 2022, drug shortages increased by almost 30%; the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) is expected to bring major changes to the US health system.

The US organ transplant system might face an overhaul in a proposal to be announced on Wednesday after years of criticism; the FDA may decide whether to approve additional COVID-19 booster vaccinations for vulnerable populations; a new study finds the same, small breast cancer risk in multiple forms of hormonal birth control.

Kashyap Patel, MD, immediate past president of Community Oncology Alliance (COA) and CEO of Carolina Blood and Cancer Care Associates, talks about bringing together different stakeholders in the oncology space in order to benefit patients and providers.

Minnesota looks to create abortion refuge for patients and providers; Moderna’s expected price single dose of COVID-19 sits at $130; FDA staff sees a "clinical benefit" in Biogen’s ALS drug.

Gov. Mark Gordon sings a ban on the use of abortion pills in Wyoming; a new study shows that Affordable Care Act has reduced racial disparities in health care; California Gov. Gavin Newsom announces a contract to make affordable insulin.

Preventing tobacco use has saved Californians billions, according to recent research.

The high court in North Dakota voted to protect abortion in that state; an outside panel of FDA expert advisors voted to support a full approval for Paxlovid; Sanofi follows competitors' price caps for insulin.