Pharma and Tech: 091224

For Pharma, Trump vs. Harris Is a Showdown Between Two Industry Foes
By Stephanie Armour Vice President Kamala Harris is seen as more aggressive than former President Donald Trump in taking on pharmaceutical companies, but Trump allies say he would also make lowering drug costs a top priority.

Para las farmacéuticas, la pelea entre Trump y Harris es entre dos enemigos de la industria
By Stephanie Armour Legisladores de ambos partidos atacan cada vez más a la industria, por los precios de los medicamentos que la mayoría de los estadounidenses consideran irrazonables.

In Montana, 911 Calls Reveal Impact of Heat Waves on Rural Seniors
By Aaron Bolton, MTPR State and local governments are struggling to keep up with the increasing burden of heat-related illness as summers get hotter because of climate change. In Missoula County, Montana, officials are working with researchers to understand trends in heat-related 911 calls.

ACA Enrollment Platforms Suspended Over Alleged Foreign Access to Consumer Data
By Julie Appleby Federal regulators provided more specifics about why they suspended two private sector Affordable Care Act enrollment sites, including concerns about potential overseas accessing of consumer data and suspicions of involvement in Obamacare enrollment and switching schemes. The companies reject the assertions.

Thanks to Reddit, a New Diagnosis Is Bubbling Up Across the Nation
By Rae Ellen Bichell Social media has helped spread the word about a treatment that involves getting Botox in the neck. It’s for a condition that’s gaining awareness but still often dismissed: the inability to burp.

With TV Drug Ads, What You See Is Not Necessarily What You Get
By Elisabeth Rosenthal The pharmaceutical industry has invented a new art form: finding ways to make their wares seem like joyous must-have treatments, while often minimizing lackluster efficacy and risks.

Tribal Health Officials ‘Blinded’ by Lack of Data
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez A strong public health system can make a big difference for those who face stark health disparities. But epidemiologists serving Native American communities, which have some of the nation’s most profound health inequities, say they’re hobbled by state and federal agencies restricting their access to important data. American Indians and Alaska Natives face life expectancy […]

Biden Administration Blocks Two Private Sector Enrollment Sites From ACA Marketplace
By Julie Appleby Regulators have been under the gun to curb unauthorized Obamacare enrollment and switching of plans. Separately, a pending lawsuit was amended with additional defendants and new allegations regarding tactics to garner greater ACA sales commissions.

As Interest From Families Wanes, Pediatricians Scale Back on Covid Shots
By Jackie Fortiér Pediatricians want to vaccinate kids, but some say they’re keeping their stockpile of covid vaccines low to avoid being stuck with costly, unwanted shots. They can’t afford to stock up on costly shots that parents don’t want.

The New Covid Vaccine Is Out. Why You Might Not Want To Rush To Get It.
By Arthur Allen and Eliza Fawcett, Healthbeat and Rebecca Grapevine, Healthbeat Although public health officials recommend the newly approved covid vaccine for everyone 6 months and older, it may make more sense to wait until closer to the holiday season.

Trump Drastically Inflates Annual Fentanyl Death Numbers
By Jacob Gardenswartz The former president’s claim of 300,000 annual opioid deaths contradicts government statistics.

Public Voices Often Ignored in States’ Opioid Settlement Money Decisions
By Aneri Pattani and Henry Larweh and Ed Mahon, Spotlight PA In many places, victims of the opioid epidemic are silenced in decision-making about how to use opioid settlement money, a first-of-its-kind survey conducted by KFF Health News and Spotlight PA found.