Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Eldercare Workers Lead Job Market Growth; Many Straddle Poverty Line
NBC News: Eldercare Workers Leading America’s Job Growth Are Under Pressure
The U.S. added 130,000 jobs in January, according to federal data released this week. But a closer look shows that the lion's share of this growth came from one specific task: caring for older Americans. Grouped under the formal categories of "social assistance" and "healthcare," at-home care services, hospitals and long-term care facilities added 124,000 positions. Much of this expansion was among the tens of thousands of aides and assistants who help elderly and disabled people bathe, dress, eat and manage their daily lives. Their work is essential — and booming — but it is also physically demanding and often modestly paid. (Canal, 2/13)
NPR: The Moment Some Caregivers Reach When Home Care For Dementia Is No Longer Enough
Dr. Marc Rothman visits a lot of patients with dementia and their families. He is a geriatrician who makes house calls in New York City and its suburbs. "Families are often slowly tiptoeing into crisis," he says, gradually engulfed by the demands of caregiving and the vagaries of the health care system. (Milne-Tyte, 2/17)
CNN: Can Flickering Lights And Sound Slow Alzheimer’s?
A Georgia Tech researcher is turning flickering light and sound into a new tool in the fight against Alzheimer’s, using rhythmic sensory stimulation to “tune” brain waves, boost memory, and potentially slow the disease’s progression. Her hope is that this non-invasive therapy can become more mainstream. (Drash, 2/16)
More health and wellness news —
Bloomberg: Drug For Rare Genetic Disorder Goes From FDA Priority To Reject In Four Months
The rejection of Disc Medicine Inc.’s experimental compound for a rare and devastating disorder by the US Food and Drug Administration, just months after it received a voucher intended to speed US reviews for breakthrough treatments, is the latest example of the growing uncertainty at the nation’s top drug regulator. On Friday, the development-stage drugmaker said the FDA rejected its application for bitopertin, a treatment for the rare genetic disorder erythropoietic protoporphyria, which causes severe sensitivity to light. It’s the latest medical product that’s been delayed or rejected by the agency based on questions about development plans that were allowed by previous administrations. (Langreth, 2/13)
Bloomberg: Stallergenes To Drop Former Nestlé Peanut Allergy Pill Palforzia
The owner of the peanut allergy treatment Palforzia will abandon it less than three years after buying it from Nestlé, underscoring the disappointment of a product once billed as a potential blockbuster. Commercialization will end on July 31, with production winding down in phases, closely held Stallergenes Greer said on the Palforzia website. The plan is voluntary and unrelated to safety or efficacy, the company said. It did not immediately return an email and a call seeking comment. (Pham and Kinzelmann, 2/16)
Axios: Employers Find New Option For Workers' GLP-1 Demand
Employers who are wary of paying for workers' pricey weight-loss drugs are discovering a workaround: Offer coverage through a telehealth vendor and split the cost. (Goldman, 2/17)
KFF Health News: KFF Health News’ ‘On Air’: Journalists Unpack Impact Of ICE Arrests On Families And Caffeine's Effect On Dementia Risk
KFF Health News Southern California correspondent Claudia Boyd-Barrett discussed how families of detainees by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency are struggling to find those who have been hospitalized on KQED’s The California Report on Feb. 10. Céline Gounder, KFF Health News’ editor-at-large for public health, discussed a new study linking daily coffee or caffeinated tea intake to lower dementia risk on CBS News’ CBS Mornings on Feb. 10. (2/14)
