Home care providers likely exhaled a sigh of relief when the American Rescue Plan passed last year, earmarking funds intended to enhance home- and community-based services (HCBS). And they’re once again breathing easier now that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – through the U.S Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) – announced that states would […]
As U.S. opioid deaths mounted in 2016, the incoming head of the Food and Drug Administration promised a “sweeping review” of prescription painkillers in hopes of reversing the worst overdose epidemic in American history. Dr. Robert Califf even personally commissioned a report from the nation’s top medical advisers that recommended reforms, including potentially removing some drugs from the market. But […]
The Senate Finance Committee recently released legislative text to be included in a forthcoming reconciliation bill that includes several provisions to lower prescription drug costs for people with Medicare and private insurance and reduce drug spending by the federal government. The prescription drug provisions in the Senate reconciliation legislation would reduce the federal deficit by $288 billion over 10 years […]
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday advised that men who have sex with men adjust how they go about sexual encounters amid the monkeypox outbreak, recommending that they reduce their number of sexual partners and reconsider initiating sex with new partners. During a briefing, Tedros stated more than 18,000 monkeypox cases have been reported globally, with […]
Women’s health pharmaceutical company ObsEva recently welcomed two regulatory approvals in Europe for its uterine fibroids drug, but that pill has hit a wall at the FDA so the biotech has decided to walk away from the drug altogether. The drug, linzagolix, was set for regulatory decision by Sept. 13. ObsEva said Wednesday that the FDA has flagged deficiencies […]
A Texas physician filed a $25 million defamation lawsuit against Houston Methodist Hospital and its CEO Monday, claiming public statements they made harmed her reputation, career and safety. Dr. Mary Talley Bowden, an otolaryngologist who formerly worked at the health system, has used social media to make claims about harmful side effects from COVID-19 vaccines. Bowden filed a separate lawsuit […]
Humana raised its profit estimates for the full year after reporting lower than expected medical costs during the second quarter. “The lower utilization trends and lack of COVID headwinds seen to date, give us confidence in raising our full year adjusted [earnings per share] guide,” Humana CFO Susan Diamond said Wednesday on a call with investors. Humana’s net income increased […]
This report, Donor Government Funding for HIV in Low- and Middle-Income Countries in 2021, tracks funding levels of the donor governments that collectively provide the bulk of international assistance for AIDS through bilateral programs and contributions to multilateral organizations. The new report, produced as a partnership between KFF and UNAIDS, provides the latest data available on donor funding disbursements based […]
Federal regulators Wednesday said they have approved the use of additional monkeypox vaccines manufactured in Denmark, clearing the way for nearly 800,000 doses to be shipped to states. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it finished its inspection of Bavarian Nordic’s “fill and finish” plant in Denmark, a facility where the vaccine is formulated and filled into vials. The company […]
In a MedCity Influencer article published in early April, Dr. Michael Lalor presented a strong case for continuing to move appropriate patient care cases from hospital in-patient to the home. That objective is sound; however, it leaves another opportunity area unexplored for improving care with more controlled cost – moving appropriate patient care cases from residential post-acute care settings to […]