Pharma & Tech: March 24, 2022
Pfizer CEO Pushes Yearly Shots for Covid. Not So Fast, Experts Say.
Arthur Allen
A corporate CEO’s call for a fourth mRNA shot struck those closely watching the pandemic as self-serving. It creates public pressure for a fourth dose of vaccine before government experts have time to assess the evidence and settle on the best course forward.
Covid’s ‘Silver Lining’: Research Breakthroughs for Chronic Disease, Cancer, and the Common Flu
Liz Szabo
Billions of dollars invested in mRNA vaccines and covid research could yield health care dividends for decades to come.
Patients With Vulnerable Immune Systems Worry Vaccine Exemptions May Put Them in Peril
Aaron Bolton, MTPR
Montana’s governor pushed the state’s health workers to seek religious exemptions to a federal mandate to be vaccinated against covid, but the number who have done so is unknown.
It Was Already Hard to Find Evusheld, a Covid Prevention Therapy. Now It’s Even Harder.
Hannah Recht
At least 7 million immunocompromised people could benefit from the monoclonal antibody injections designed to prevent covid-19. The government says it has enough doses for a fraction of those in need ― and it doesn’t have the money to buy more.
When Teens Blow Off Parents’ Pleas to Get Vaccinated, the Consequences Can Be Deadly
Bernard J. Wolfson
Kennedy Stonum, a 17-year-old high school junior, resisted getting vaccinated against covid-19, as did 20-year-old Tyler Gilreath, whose mother had nagged him for months to get the shots. Both died.
From Alabama to Utah, Efforts to Vaccinate Medicaid Enrollees Against Covid Run Into Obstacles
Phil Galewitz
Inoculation rates remain low despite massive outreach efforts and incentives from federal and state programs and Medicaid plan operators, leaving many low-income people vulnerable to the virus.
J&J-Vaxxed, mRNA-Boosted, and Pondering a Third Shot
Bernard J. Wolfson
Many of the nearly 17 million U.S. members of J&J Nation, myself included, are wondering whether to set aside the current official guidance and get a second booster. Some experts say: Chill out.
To Be One in a Million: ‘Who Thinks It’s Going to Be You?’
Markian Hawryluk
Stan Thomas’ wife, Monica Melkonian, was one of only nine people in the U.S. confirmed to have died from vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia, a rare side effect associated with the Johnson & Johnson covid vaccine. For the first time, Thomas shares her story of how excited she was to get the shot, how she died, and why he remains firmly pro-vaccine.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Congress Shelves Covid Funding for Now
The Biden administration’s request for billions more in funding to fight covid-19 hit a snag on Capitol Hill this week, as Democrats objected to Republican demands that money allocated to states but not yet spent be reclaimed. Meanwhile, the big annual spending bill about to cross the finish line addresses other health policy changes, such as giving the FDA authority to regulate “synthetic” nicotine. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Jessie Hellmann of Modern Healthcare join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.
Sharing Covid Vax Facts Inside ICE Detention, One Detainee at a Time
Heidi de Marco
Thousands of ICE detainees nationwide have tested positive for covid; 11 have died. Medical providers in California are volunteering to educate immigrants awaiting trial or deportation about covid treatment and vaccination.
Which Companies Aren’t Exiting Russia? Big Pharma
Sarah Varney
U.S. and global drug manufacturers invested in Russia’s sizable pharmaceutical industry contend international humanitarian law requires they continue manufacturing and selling their products there, even while condemning the Ukraine invasion. Not everyone agrees.
Fact Check: Biden Sets High Bar in 1st State of the Union Speech
Victoria Knight and Colleen DeGuzman
What a difference a year makes. The speech was delivered to a largely unmasked crowd of lawmakers, justices, and Cabinet members in the House chamber.
Patients Divided Over Alzheimer’s Drug: Is It a ‘Risk I’m Willing to Take’ or Just a ‘Magic Pill’?
Judith Graham
Medicare has proposed limiting coverage of Aduhelm, the costly new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease, and several prominent groups representing patients and their families are pressing the program to make it more widely available. But among individuals facing the disease, the outlook is more nuanced.
$35 Insulin Cap Is Welcome, Popular, and Bipartisan. But Congress May Not Pass It Anyway.
Michael McAuliff
Spun off from the ailing but not-quite-dead Build Back Better legislation, a popular proposal to cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 a month faces tough political realities that could kill it.
HIV Preventive Care Is Supposed to Be Free in the US. So, Why Are Some Patients Still Paying?
Sarah Varney
The Department of Labor issued rules in July clarifying that health plans need to cover the costs of prescription drugs proven to prevent HIV infection, along with related lab tests and medical appointments, at no cost to patients. More than half a year later, the erroneous billing continues.
As a Nurse Faces Prison for a Deadly Error, Her Colleagues Worry: Could I Be Next?
Brett Kelman
Former nurse RaDonda Vaught is on trial for reckless homicide, and her case raises consequential questions about how nurses use computerized medication-dispensing cabinets.
California Governor’s Big Promises on Drug Prices Are Slow to Materialize
Angela Hart and Rachel Bluth and Samantha Young
Gov. Gavin Newsom has launched several initiatives to cut rising drug prices, but the savings haven’t been as monumental as he promised. And his plan to have California make its own generic drugs hasn’t gotten off the ground.
Black Therapists Fight to Be Seen on TikTok. When They Are, They Find Solidarity.
Hannah Norman
Black mental health therapists talk openly on TikTok about working in a predominantly white field, while at the same time making mental health care more accessible for people of color who might be shut out of the health care system.
Money Flows Into Addiction Tech, But Will It Curb Soaring Opioid Overdose Deaths?
Brian Rinker
Experts are concerned that flashy Silicon Valley technology won’t reach those most in need of treatment for substance use disorders.
Calls to Overhaul Methadone Distribution Intensify, but Clinics Resist
Markian Hawryluk
The pandemic has shown that loosening the strict regulations on distributing methadone helps people recovering from addiction stay in treatment. But clinics with a financial stake in keeping the status quo don’t want to make permanent changes.
Pandemic Medical Innovations Leave Behind People With Disabilities
Lauren Weber and Eric Harkleroad
As the country enters Year 3 of the pandemic emergency, people with disabilities across the U.S. are still finding it difficult to use innovations in telemedicine, teleworking, and testing.
‘An Arm and a Leg’: Need an Expensive Drug? Here’s What You Need to Know
Dan Weissmann
Even a personal finance expert can get stuck with a huge unexpected bill for a drug. Listen up for what you need to know about "copay accumulators."
Listen: An Unsettling Investigation Into the Closure of a Chain of Pain Clinics
KHN senior correspondents Jenny Gold and Anna Maria Barry-Jester joined KVPR’s Kathleen Schock on “Valley Edition” to discuss their investigation into the abrupt closure of one of California’s largest chain of pain clinics — and the patients left behind.
Readers and Tweeters Remain Vigilant on Masking and Billing
Terry Byrne
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
La medicación para prevenir el VIH debe ser gratis, pero las aseguradoras siguen cobrándola
Sarah Varney
Una norma federal estableció que los pacientes no debían pagar por la medicación para prevenir el VIH. Pero las aseguradoras siguen enviando facturas por los fármacos y servicios médicos asociados.
Médicos voluntarios comparten información sobre las vacunas de covid con detenidos de ICE
Heidi de Marco
Los detenidos dicen que confían en ellos. Doctores hablan por teléfono con personas en centros del ICE y ofrecen información confiable sobre las vacunas.