Navigating mask mandates and vaccine recommendations; Biden administration wants employers to have naloxone on hand; NIH nominee to receive a confirmation hearing.
CDC Challenges Over Mask Mandates, Booster Recommendations With COVID-19 Uptick
A vote on Tuesday by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will determine if vaccines will be recommended for all Americans above 6 months of age, and not just those are at the highest risk of serious illness from COVID-19 infection, according to Kaiser Health News. However, former White House chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci announced that the recent increase in COVID-19 cases will not likely result in federal mask mandates, according to The Hill. Despite this uptick in cases, Fauci said that he is concerned people would not follow CDC guidelines, even if masks are recommended again.
Should Employers Have Opioid Reversal Drugs on Hand?
The Biden administration is urging employers to keep naloxone on hand amid record levels of overdoses from lethal forms of opioids, such as fentanyl, according to Axios. This recommendation by the government is similar to that of workplaces preparing emergency plans in case of a fire. Furthermore, health officials believe that office buildings, restaurants, and even schools should not only be stocking naloxone nasal spray but should offer written and verbal instructions guiding users or bystanders on how to administer the drug.
Bernie Sanders to Hold a Confirmation Hearing for NIH Nominee, Monica Bertagnolli
Senator Bernie Sanders will hold a confirmation hearing next month for the National Institutes of Health’s nominee, Monica Bertagnolli, according to STAT. Prior to this announcement, Sanders had refused to hold a hearing on Bertagnolli until President Biden promised more drug pricing reform. On Friday, HHS announced a deal with Regeneron on the development of the COVID-19 monoclonal antibody, with Sanders adding that the administration must include reasonable pricing to all drugs developed with the aid of government funding.
Covering antiobesity medications like semaglutide could save Medicare around $500 million annually; preliminary CDC data showed a 3% decline in the number of US overdose deaths last year; the Biden administration recently announced the first national maternal mental health strategy.
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After the ACA Expanded Health Care Access, 2024 Elections May See Voters Demand Affordability
May 15th 2024At the spring conference of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, speakers discussed how health policy, affordability, and transparency may play a role in voters’ decisions.
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CMS Medicare Final Rule: Advancing Benefits, Competition, and Consumer Protection
May 7th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with Karen Iapoce, senior director of government products and programs at ZeOmega, about the recent CMS final rule on Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage.
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House lawmakers are expected to advance a contracting ban today on 5 Chinese research firms; US government officials temporarily relaxed strict guidelines on how laboratories handle, store, and transport H5N1 bird flu samples; a recent report found that the number of abortions occurring in the US continued to grow despite bans.
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