Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study Shows Suicide As Leading Cause Of Death Among Medical Residents
MedPage Today: Suicide Top Cause Of Death For Residents, Especially During Transition Periods
Suicide was the top cause of death for medical residents and fellows, though the rate was significantly lower than age- and gender-matched rates in the general population, according to a cross-sectional study. From 2015 to 2021, 161 of over 370,000 residents and fellows died during training, with the top cause of death being suicide (29.2%), followed by neoplastic diseases (17.4%), other medical and surgical diseases (13.7%), accidents (13.7%), and accidental poisoning (13%), reported Nicholas Yaghmour, MPP, of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in Chicago, and colleagues. (Robertson, 5/14)
More health industry news —
Bloomberg: UnitedHealth Said To Be Under Investigation For Medicare Fraud
UnitedHealth Group Inc. is under criminal investigation for possible Medicare fraud, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter. The Justice Department has had a probe into the company’s Medicare Advantage business since at least last summer, according to the people. (Tozzi, 5/14)
Bloomberg: ‘Boiler Room’ Operator Quick Health Charged By US With Fraud
Quick Health, a Pennsylvania call center, was indicted along with its former chief executive and three other leaders, accused of signing up tens of thousands of customers for cheap, bare-bones health plans using “false, misleading, and deceptive sales practices.” Alan Redmond, 42, identified by prosecutors as the “de facto” boss of Quick Health, and Arthur Walsh, 65, the former CEO, were among those charged with wire fraud and conspiracy in an indictment unsealed in federal court in Philadelphia on Wednesday. (Mider, 5/15)
Becker's Hospital Review: 25% Of Rehab Facilities Exceed National Patient Fall Rate
Almost 25% of inpatient rehabilitation facilities in the U.S. exceeded the national rate of patient falls between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, according to CMS data released March 26. The majority of facilities reported a fall rate at or below the national rate of 0.2, with 56.18% reporting a fall rate of zero. Inpatient rehabilitation facilities are required to report to CMS the number of patients who experience one or more falls resulting in a major injury during their stay. CMS publishes the data online at both the provider and national level, and makes it available to consumers through the Medicare website. (Gregerson, 5/14)
Modern Healthcare: GUIDE Model To Lower Dementia Care Costs Faces Headwinds
Hospitals and other healthcare organizations participating in a federal pilot aimed at supporting dementia patients have encountered turbulence in the program’s first year. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience, or GUIDE, could be a game-changer for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease care, providers said — but participants have been hamstrung by patient eligibility requirements, low reimbursements and other challenges. The program, along with other Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation initiatives, also faces an uncertain future as the Trump administration reevaluates how it will prioritize healthcare spending. (Eastabrook, 5/15)
The New York Times: A.I. Was Coming For Radiologists’ Jobs. So Far, They’re Just More Efficient
Nine years ago, one of the world’s leading artificial intelligence scientists singled out an endangered occupational species.“ People should stop training radiologists now,” Geoffrey Hinton said, adding that it was “just completely obvious” that within five years A.I. would outperform humans in that field. Today, radiologists — the physician specialists in medical imaging who look inside the body to diagnose and treat disease — are still in high demand. A recent study from the American College of Radiology projected a steadily growing work force through 2055. (Lohr, 5/14)
In pharmaceutical updates —
The Wall Street Journal: Novo Nordisk Strikes $2.2 Billion Deal With Septerna To Develop New Obesity Pills
Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk and U.S. biotech Septerna agreed to collaborate on the development of pills to treat obesity, type 2 diabetes and other metabolic conditions. Under the terms of the agreement, Septerna is eligible to receive around $2.2 billion from Novo Nordisk, including more than $200 million in upfront and near-term milestone payments. (Chopping, 5/15)
The New York Times: Benzo Withdrawal Symptoms Can Be Life-Threatening
Prescriptions for benzodiazepines like Xanax, Ativan and Valium have been trending down since 2016, in part because of doctors’ concerns. Even so, these medications are considered quick and efficacious, and they remain among the most commonly prescribed drugs in the country to treat conditions including anxiety and sleep disorders. In 2019, an estimated 92 million benzodiazepine prescriptions were dispensed in the United States, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Current guidelines recommend prescribing the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible duration, usually less than four weeks. But patients tend to stay on them longer than that. (Caron, 5/14)
Fortune Well: Mark Cuban Launched Cost Plus Drugs After Republican Friends Asked For An Alternative To Obamacare
What inspired Shark Tank star and billionaire Mark Cuban to launch his pharmaceutical company, Cost Plus Drugs, was conversations with politicians about a contentious topic: Obamacare. “Going back to 2018 or 2017, being here in Texas, I had some Republican friends who were asking me questions like, ‘Do you have any ideas how the Republicans can replace the ACA, Obamacare?'” Cuban told the hosts of the “Hims House” podcast on Tuesday. (Freedman, 5/14)
