Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Should Kidney Donors Be Paid?; New Weight-Loss Drugs Could Treat Many More Ailments
Newsweek: A Market For Donor Kidneys Is Not The Reform The U.S. Needs
In a recent op-ed in The New York Times, freelance journalist Dylan Walsh made the case for a regulated market for kidneys in the United States in which donors would be paid. He isn't the first. Two living kidney donors advocated for this in a Los Angeles Times op-ed last summer. The Wall Street Journal explored the pros and cons from a capitalist standpoint in November. (Zachary Predmore, 4/25)
The New York Times: Ozempic And Wegovy Have Health Benefits Beyond Weight Loss
Last year was called the year of Ozempic, though it was also a year of Ozempic backlash and Ozempic shortages, which could persist for years. Even so, we appear very far from a peak for GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic and Wegovy, which are powered by a molecule called semaglutide, and Mounjaro, which uses its cousin tirzepatide. (David Wallace-Wells, 4/24)
Stat: The Grim Reality Of Relocating To Get Access To Gender-Affirming Care
In my work as a pediatric psychologist, I’ve been seeing a surge in the number of families with transgender or nonbinary children who are moving to Connecticut, where I live and work. In the past month, a real estate agent colleague has worked with 30 families with transgender children who were trying to find homes in central Connecticut, where they could get access to gender-affirming care. (Melissa Santos, 4/25)
Stat: Shortages Of Generic Drugs Can't Be Blamed Solely On Group Purchasing Organizations
The Hatch-Waxman Act of 1984, which gave rise to the modern generic drug market, was one of the most significant cost-reducing policy innovations of the last 40 years. In 2021 alone, the use of generic and biosimilar drugs saved $373 billion in health expenditures. More than 90% of prescriptions filled that year were for generics or biosimilars, up from just over 18% the year that Hatch-Waxman was passed. Today, however, generic drugs seem to be a victim of their success. (James B. Rebitzer and Robert S. Rebitzer, 4/25)
Stat: To Fix Prior Authorization, Establish True Peer-To-Peer Conversations
It’s another busy day in my spine surgery clinic when my phone rings. Patients are waiting, but I’d be unwise to put off the caller: a physician calling from a health insurance company. This peer-to-peer call is part of the prior authorization process; my “peer” needs information to determine whether the company will cover a procedure I requested for one of my patients. (Matthew Walker, 4/26)
