Pharma & Tech: Jan. 25, 2024
What the Health Care Sector Was Selling at the J.P. Morgan Confab
By Molly Castle Work and Arthur Allen
When bankers and investors flocked to San Francisco for the largest gathering of health care industry investors, the buzz was all about artificial intelligence, the next hit weight-loss drug, and new opportunities to make money through nonprofit hospitals.
Trump Official Who OK’d Drugs From Canada Chairs Company Behind Florida’s Import Plan
By Phil Galewitz
Alex Azar advanced Canadian drug importation as Donald Trump’s secretary of Health and Human Services. Now he chairs the board of a company managing Florida’s importation program.
Federal Lawmakers Take First Steps Toward Oversight of $50 Billion in Opioid Settlements
By Aneri Pattani
The four-page bill lists how states should spend settlement money, but it doesn’t specify consequences for flouting the rules or name who is in charge of monitoring compliance.
What’s Indoor Air Quality Like in Long-Term Care Facilities During Wildfires? Worse Than You’d Think.
By Kylie Mohr
As climate change-driven wildfires increasingly choke large parts of the United States with smoke each summer, new research shows residents in long-term care facilities are being exposed to dangerously poor air, even those who don’t set foot outside during smoke events.
Alex Azar’s Unusual Spin Through the Revolving Door
By Phil Galewitz
Patients With Narcolepsy Face a Dual Nightmare of Medication Shortages and Stigma
By Lauren Peace, Tampa Bay Times
It's been more than a year since the FDA declared a national shortage of Adderall, and it’s affecting more than just patients with ADHD. Those with narcolepsy, a much rarer condition, are often treated with the same medication. Without it, they're often unable to drive or function as usual.
Mammography AI Can Cost Patients Extra. Is It Worth It?
By Michelle Andrews
Artificial intelligence software to aid radiologists in detecting problems or diagnosing cancer has been moving rapidly into clinical use, where it shows great promise. But it’s a turnoff for some patients asked to pay out-of-pocket for technology that’s not quite ready for prime time.
Montana’s Effort to Expand Religious Exemptions to Vaccines Prompts Political Standoff
By Matt Volz
The dispute between state lawmakers and health department officials could delay a broader package of child care licensing changes until 2025.
Climate Change Raises Pressure on Biden To Keep Workers Cooler
By Samantha Young
988-Hotline Counselors Air Concerns: More Training Needed to Juggle a Mix of Calls
By Colleen DeGuzman
Dozens of crisis counselors responded to a survey about their work experiences, painting a picture of uneven training, uncertainty about how long to stay on the line, and different policies on whether to inform a caller when police are on their way.
Journalists Track Medical Device Malfunctions, Opioid Settlement Payments, and Abortion Bans
KFF Health News and California Healthline staffers made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
2023 Is a Wrap
2023 was another busy year in health care. As the covid-19 pandemic waned, policymakers looked anew at long-standing obstacles to obtaining and paying for care in the nation’s health care system. Meanwhile, abortion has continued to be an issue in much of the nation, as states respond to the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning the constitutional right to the procedure. This week, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and wrap up the year in health. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Jordan Rau about his joint KFF Health News-New York Times series “Dying Broke.”
Journalist Talks Distribution of Opioid Funds — And the Companies Angling for a Piece
KFF Health News senior correspondent Aneri Pattani made the rounds on national and local media in the last two weeks to discuss the opioid settlement funds flowing to state and local governments and her reporting on the topic. Here’s a collection of her appearances.
Oficial de Trump que aprobó traer medicamentos de Canadá ahora preside la empresa detrás de la importación
By Phil Galewitz
Es común que altos funcionarios de ambos partidos dejen el servicio público por trabajos o puestos en juntas directivas, a menudo mejor remunerados, en empresas de las industrias que antes regulaban
Pacientes con narcolepsia enfrentan una doble pesadilla: escasez de medicamentos y estigma
By Lauren Peace, Tampa Bay Times
Se estima que una de cada 2,000 personas en los Estados Unidos vive con narcolepsia (más de 160,000 en todo el país).