AJMC Staff

COVID-19 subvariant JN.1 accounts for about 62% of US cases, resulting in mask mandates being reinstated in cities across the United States; sugary drink sales fell dramatically across 5 US cities after implementing taxes on them; it is difficult for Special Supplement Nutrition Program for Women and Children (WIC) participants to find approved items.

The FDA announced it is allowing Florida to import medications in bulk from Canada at far lower prices than those offered in the United States; health insurance companies are revamping their technology to encourage more people to get their medications through the mail; nearly 17,000 patients with COVID-19 may have died after taking hydroxychloroquine during the first pandemic wave.

The average direct cost for hospital treatment for patients with COVID-19 in the United States rose by 26% from 2020 to 2022; scientists have developed a new type of antibiotic to treat a deadly bacteria resistant to most current antibiotics; a survey conducted for Utah state officials gave some clues as to why millions of Americans lost Medicaid coverage last year.

Drugmakers are expected to increase prices on more than 500 drugs early this month; the FDA approved nearly 50% more novel drugs in 2023 than in 2022; the number of Americans who were not pregnant and wanted abortion pills increased by nearly 10 times after the Supreme Court’s 2022 Roe v Wade decision leaked.

Lawmakers contemplate the return of mental health institutions in response to the drug crisis; new measures to rein in insulin prices take effect; FDA intensifies efforts to curb the teen vaping epidemic.

As many as 116 million patients were impacted by large health data breaches this year; grassroots groups have begun leading the push to re-enroll patients denied Medicare coverage for bureaucratic reasons; a nationwide shortage of primary care clinicians is causing more distrust in the health care system.

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More than 15.3 million Americans enrolled in health insurance under the Affordable Care Act for 2024, which is a 33% increase from last year; emergency contraception sales in the United States may spike by around 10% in the new year; top Biden administration officials met with prominent civil rights and public health leaders on Tuesday amid the decision to delay the menthol cigarette ban.

The FDA approved the first test to assess opioid addiction risk; Americans are using more cold and allergy medicines to mask any related symptoms to return to work and social gatherings, but may be overtreating themselves in the process; Rite Aid will be banned from using artificial intelligence–powered facial recognition technology for 5 years under a proposed Federal Trade Commission settlement.

CDC warns of rapid spread of new COVID-19 JN.1 subvariant amidst holiday travel; drugmakers and physicians experience significant drops in reputation; HHS urges action amidst soaring drop in child enrollment for Medicaid plans.

Initiative aims to enhance maternal health and birth outcomes; Wegovy success will help fund a vaccines initiative for respiratory diseases; new tactics aim to remove abortion from the 2024 ballot

A vaccine is showing promising results in treating melanoma; the Biden administration will implement inflation penalties on dozens of drugmakers to reduce out-of-pocket costs for Medicare recipients; the CDC issued an alert urging health care providers to increase immunization coverage for influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

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The rate of invasive pneumococcal disease in children plummeted by 72% from 2002 to 2021; health care spending in the United States rose 4.1% in 2022 to $4.5 trillion; roughly two-thirds of Americans who have a mental health condition were unable to access treatment in 2021 despite having health insurance.

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended that children with obesity receive intensive counseling at age 6 to promote healthy diet and exercise habits; a new survey found that the majority of American patients are wary of their doctors using artificial intelligence (AI); a class-action lawsuit was filed Tuesday against health insurer Humana for using an AI algorithm that systemically denies seniors rehabilitation care recommended by their doctors.

End-of-year victory for lawmakers as health care policies pass in the House; insurance limitations prompt concerns over access to semaglutide (Ozempic) for diabetes; a legal battle ensues over the fate of abortion laws in Arizona.

CDC revealed nationally representative estimates of chronic fatigue; the proposed merger between Cigna and Humana has been terminated over financial terms and shareholder skepticism; ChatGPT provides inaccurate responses to medication queries.

The Biden administration recently met with manufacturers of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunizations to encourage them to increase access to the vaccine; since the Dobbs v Jackson decision, many patients have been seeking more permanent reproductive health care solutions; a Mathematica analysis showed that Medicare prescription drug price negotiations could have cut seniors’ out-of-pocket costs by nearly a quarter had the program been in effect in 2021.

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Negotiations to extend US global HIV/AIDS relief work are deadlocked; the Biden administration delayed its rule on the proposed menthol cigarette ban until March 2024 after lobbying by civil rights groups; federal agencies have partnered with a digital health company to create an at-home test-to-treat program for flu and COVID-19.

Data analysis showed that 40% of patients who filled a prescription for Wegovy in 2021 or 2022 were still taking it a year later; both Democrats and reproductive rights organizations are pressuring the Biden administration to ensure health insurers fully cover contraception; CMS implemented Medicare changes in March that limited access to blood tests that help transplant recipients ensure their organs remain healthy.

Low vaccination rates raise fears of COVID-19 resurgence; a survey highlights racial discrimination in health care; Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide (Zepbound) has entered US pharmacies.

Families struggle to find affordable, reliable home health aides; reports of increased pediatric pneumonia cases; legal battle ensues over Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy settlement.

Consumers should not eat precut cantaloupe if they do not know the source, as the number of illnesses and recalls tied to a deadly salmonella outbreak grows; the White House and the Department of Education urged schools to take proactive steps to prevent youth drug use; a study published this week found a high prevalence of arrhythmia in patients with long COVID.

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ChatGPT is changing health care while also raising questions about artificial intelligence's promises and limitations; 24 Biden officials met with the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives to discuss the FDA’s proposal to ban menthol cigarettes; a recent hospital cyberattack shows how the vulnerability of health care systems can put patients at risk.

Provisional CDC data show that US babies gained roughly a year in life expectancy in 2022; study findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly raised the risk of preterm birth for expectant California mothers; New York Attorney General Letitia James said about 4 million New Yorkers were affected by a data breach of the medical transcription company Perry Johnson & Associates.

The announcement applies to all currently approved therapies, both BCMA-directed and CD19-directed genetically modified autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell treatments.

The Biden administration plans to utilize the Defense Production Act to boost essential medicine manufacturing; a landmark case challenges Texas abortion laws; reports of the BA.2.86 variant of SARS-CoV-2 have nearly tripled in the United States.

Lawsuits target initiatives aimed at reducing racial disparities; less than 10% of trials for COVID-19 treatments included children in the first 3 years of the pandemic; the World Health Organization requests more information on increased respiratory illnesses in China.