Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Biden Administration To Stop Paying For Covid Drugs, Will Shift Costs To Insurers
The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Plans To Shift Bill For Covid Shots And Treatments To Insurers, Patients
The Biden administration is planning for an end to its practice of paying for Covid-19 shots and treatments, shifting more control of pricing and coverage to the healthcare industry in ways that could generate sales for companies—and costs for consumers—for years to come. The Department of Health and Human Services intends to hold a planning session on Aug. 30 that would bring together representatives from drugmakers, pharmacies and state health departments with a stake in a Covid-19 treatment industry. (Armour, 8/18)
In other news about covid vaccines and treatments —
NBC News: Fauci Urges Black Americans To Get Covid Booster Shots In Preparation For Fall Surge
In a recent interview with TheGrio, Fauci, who is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, urged the Black community to get a Covid booster shot in preparation of the fall surge, when the Covid infection rates are expected to rise. He said that the Food and Drug Administration will soon authorize an updated booster shot, known as the bivalent BA.5 vaccine, which is a closer match to the circulating Omicron variants of Covid. (Bellamy, 8/18)
San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area COVID Vaccination Rates For Kids Among State’s Highest
At the start of the new school year, the Bay Area boasts some of California’s highest rates of childhood vaccination against COVID-19, providing parents some comfort as the virus continues circulating. But even the region’s strong showing has gaps in protection, with room for improvement to keep students safe, health experts say. (Vaziri and Neilson, 8/18)
Bangor Daily News: Family Wants A Judge To Declare Maine’s School Vaccination Rules Unconstitutional
Two Cumberland County parents who haven’t vaccinated their 7-year-old son for religious reasons want a judge to declare Maine’s school vaccination requirements unconstitutional. (Loftus, 8/18)
AP: RFK Jr.'s Anti-Vaccine Group Kicked Off Instagram, Facebook
Instagram and Facebook suspended Children’s Health Defense this week after the anti-vaccine group led by Robert Kennedy Jr. repeatedly violated rules prohibiting misinformation about COVID-19.A nonprofit, Children’s Health Defense is one of the most influential anti-vaccine organizations active on social media, where it has spread misleading claims about vaccines and other public health measures designed to control the pandemic. (Klepper, 8/18)
CIDRAP: Trial: Metformin, Ivermectin, Fluvoxamine Don't Prevent Severe COVID
A phase 3 randomized, controlled trial published today in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that three drugs repurposed for the treatment of COVID-19—metformin, ivermectin, and fluvoxamine—didn't prevent hypoxemia, an emergency department (ED) visit, hospitalization, or infection-related death, although a secondary analysis finds that metformin may hold some promise. (Van Beusekom, 8/18)
Also —
Stat: Black Engineers Work To Fix Long-Ignored Bias In Pulse Oximeters
Like many people who are Black, Kimani Toussaint was concerned when he learned that the pulse oximeters relied on so heavily by physicians to treat and monitor Covid-19 patients didn’t work as well on darker-skinned patients. (McFarling, 8/19)
The Washington Post: Health, Economic Disparities Continue To Affect Some Coronavirus Hot Spots
During the first coronavirus wave, the 20783 Zip code, which includes the Langley Park neighborhood where Espinoza has lived for more than two decades, had the highest infection rate in the state: 2,671 cases by August 2020. The coronavirus is still an issue in the area — as of Thursday there have been 9,173 cases in Zip code 20783, according to Maryland Department of Health data — but cases are probably undercounted, as many fall ill more than once but don’t seek medical care or testing. Seventy percent of this Zip code’s population has received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, but some neighbors said they are still hesitant or fearful of getting a second dose or a booster. (Sanchez, 8/18)
