What We're Reading: Annual Flu Shots Can Reduce Effectiveness of Vaccine

Annual Flu Shots Can Reduce Effectiveness of Vaccine

Getting a flu shot every year may not be beneficial. STAT is reporting that evidence suggests getting the flu shot repeatedly can gradually reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine. Scientists reported that children vaccinated annually over a number of years were more likely to contract the virus than those only vaccinated during the year they were studied. However, it is still better for people to be vaccinated than not vaccinated, the researchers say.

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Increasingly Unpopular Cadillac Tax May See Some Changes

Democrats are open to discussing changes to the so-called Cadillac tax, which levies a tax on high-cost employer-based health plans and was passed as part of the Affordable Care Act. The excise tax has become increasingly unpopular with presidential candidate hopeful Hillary Clinton called for a repeal of the tax, reported the New York Times. The White House continues to defend the tax, which gives employers an incentive to make plans more efficient, but the Obama administration has not ruled out changes.

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Millennium Health Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy After Federal Settlement

After Millennium Health LLC agreed to pay $256 million to settle allegations it billed the federal government for unnecessary taxes, the drug-testing laboratory has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy, reports the Wall Street Journal. The federal government alleged that Millennium had billed Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal healthcare programs for medically unnecessary tests and encouraged doctors to order a broad range of tests instead of tailoring tests to the individual. The largest debt listed as part of Millennium’s chapter 11 petition was $206 million owed to the Department of Justice.

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