Policy

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.

Hospitals and health systems have been operating in the most challenging financial environment in history, and now they face another looming headwind—the impact of Medicaid redeterminations.

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.

Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, joins hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, for episode 2 of our newest podcast, "Oncology Onward: Conversations With Innovators and Changemakers in Cancer 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

Coverage of ASCO sessions and posters that addressed lessons from the Oncology Care Model and concerns about the Enhancing Oncology Model, which launched shortly after the annual meeting ended.

Coverage of sessions on disparities in access to clinical trials and cancer screening, as well as relationships each to outcomes. A joint session presented by ASCO and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) highlighted progress and lingering gaps in lung and colorectal screening.

Coverage of addresses by ASCO President Eric P. Winer, MD, and National Cancer Institute Director Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, who is a former ASCO president.

Physicians and health care groups have lined up to support the Value in Health Care Act, which could create new incentives to adopt value-based care.

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.

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.

Investigators recommend including domestic violence and abuse as risk factors in public health strategies that target atopic disease assessments.

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.

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.

Off-marketplace plans are widely available, and individuals with higher incomes can obtain silver plans with low premiums off-marketplace.

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.

FDA to import cancer drugs from China; respite programs offer a safe environment for people who experience mental health crisis; White House officials call for more xylazine testing.

US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer asks the FDA to investigate Prime energy drink; Washington state sees hefty fine for failing to provide mental health resources to incarcerated individuals; a new rule would require companies to disclose use of certain “forever” chemicals.

A new proposal from the Biden administration would place more restrictions on certain health insurance plans as part of an initiative to cut costs; Eli Lilly’s obesity treatment retatrutide appears to help lessen liver fat content; Earth’s hottest day on record calls into question what temperatures humans can safely tolerate.

Medicare Advantage beneficiaries are struggling to find psychiatrists; the CDC plans to cut state funding for child vaccination programs; almost 50% of American faucets could contain forever chemicals.

Four people in Florida and 1 person in Texas were exposed to malaria; late revisions could counter a pending lawsuit to end abortion restrictions; about 2000 nurses in Texas and Kansas plan to strike.

Black veterans continue to encounter benefits disparities; health workers feel capable of handling future surges after the pandemic; the COVAX initiative aims to redirect remaining vaccine spending

Eli Lilly will gain Dice Therapeutics’ experimental psoriasis drug; about 1.5 million people dropped from Medicaid since April and May; families are uprooting their lives due to transgender care restrictions

Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, will take over the CDC; abortion activists acknowledge 1 year without Roe v Wade; Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) challenges Medicare’s drug price negotiation program.

HHS and CMS extended postpartum coverage in New York through Medicaid and CHIP for an entire year; a minimum of 1.7 million Americans use health sharing plans, even though they lack protections; Pfizer expects pediatric syphilis drug Bicillin L-A to experience a shortage.

Biden administration finalizes a deal on covering preventive care despite legal battle; CMS prepares safety net hospital reimbursement plans; over 1 million Americans have been dropped from Medicaid coverage

The Biden administration will impose drug price inflation penalties on drugmakers; a study reveals massive amounts of COVID-19 relief funds were stolen; experimental vaccine nearly doubles survival in patients in a trial.