Mifepristone Maker To Seek FDA OK For Use Of Drug To Treat Miscarriages
October 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Wall Street Journal reports that Danco, the pharmaceutical company that makes mifepristone under the label Mifeprex, plans to apply for FDA approval for use of the drug in managing miscarriages. If approved the drug could become more widely available, when its use is already under legal challenge as part of a medication abortion protocol.
Medicare To Announce Pilot Program That Offers Some Generic Drugs For $2
October 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
Axios reports the Biden administration today will release a preliminary list of generic drugs for Medicare recipients that would cost no more than $2 out of pocket. The pilot program aims to test drug adherence and health outcomes.
Lawsuit Triggered As FDA Declares End Of Mounjaro, Zepbound Shortage
October 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
Compounding pharmacies sued the FDA after its declaration, bringing an end to the sale of the “copycat” drugs they provide. Meanwhile, as demand soars for weight loss drugs, WeightWatchers eyes compound version of the drug for participants in its programs.
Insurers To Shift A Bit From Medicare Advantage To Special Needs Plans
October 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
Health insurance companies are expected to pull back slightly from Medicare Advantage investing in 2025. Instead, Modern Healthcare reports, they will focus on Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans, or D-SNPs, which cover people who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Other industry news is on employer plans, executive jobs, and more.
Oropouche Virus Lingers In Semen For Over 2 Weeks, Scientists Find
October 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
A new study discovered that live virus replication was detectable in semen in a patient infected with Oropouche virus some 16 days after symptom onset, suggesting a risk of sexual transmission. Separately, tickborne babesiosis is on the rise.
Meth Use Cited As A Factor In 1 In 5 Heat-Related Deaths In US
October 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
In southwestern states that routinely see sweltering temperatures, the stimulant was found in a third of heat deaths in 2023. Also, the successes and setbacks of modern medicine.
Morning Briefing for Wednesday, October 9, 2024
October 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
Drug overdoses, health care affordability, Medicare coverage, election news, extreme weather’s industry impact, vaccines, and more
Harris Proposes Home Health Care Expansion Under Medicare
October 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
Vice President Kamala Harris says if elected president she will push for increased Medicare coverage of long-term care services in the home for aging patients. Her campaign also talked about drug prices and PBMs Tuesday; the New York Times compares the presidential candidates’ positions on the issue.
Baxter Restarts Shipping IV Products As Hospitals Cope With Shortage
October 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
The company is leaning on its global plants to help meet production demands after its Helene-damaged facility in North Carolina temporarily shut down. Meanwhile, hospitals, health care facilities, and workers in Florida prepare for Hurricane Milton’s direct hit.
GSK’s Widely Used RSV Shot Retains 43% Potency In Third Year, Data Show
October 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, demand for vaccines targeting respiratory syncytial virus are down in the U.S. Also, if you are uncertain about whether you might have covid or the flu, the newly approved at-home Healgen Rapid Check COVID-19/Flu A&B Antigen Test can give you results in 15 minutes.
First Edition: Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024
October 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Asian Health Center Tries Unconventional Approach to Counseling
By Sarah Kwon
October 9, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Facing a dire shortage of bilingual and culturally attuned therapists, an Oakland, California, community clinic serving Asian immigrants has trained staffers in a victim support unit to provide lay counseling.
Employers Haven’t a Clue How Their Drug Benefits Are Managed
By Arthur Allen
October 9, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The Big Three pharmacy benefit managers say they return nearly all the rebates they get from drugmakers to the employers and insurers who hire them. But most employers seem to doubt that.
Poppy Seed Brew Triggers Morphine Overdose, Drawing Attention of Lawmakers
By David Hilzenrath
Illustration by Lydia Zuraw
October 9, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Poppy seeds contaminated with opioids can be used to make a deadly brew, a watchdog says.
An Arm and a Leg: ‘Baby Steps’ in the Fight Against Facility Fees
By Dan Weissmann
October 9, 2024
Podcast
An extra $99 fee on top of a copay for a checkup didn’t sit right with a listener. Turns out, state legislators across the country aren’t buying it either.
Calif. Ballot Measure Targets Drug Discount Program Spending
By Angela Hart
October 8, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Californians in November will weigh in on a ballot initiative to increase scrutiny over the use of health-care dollars — particularly money from a federal drug discount program — meant to support patient care largely for low-income or indigent people. The revenue is sometimes used to address housing instability and homelessness among vulnerable patient populations. Voters […]
Harris To Roll Out Medicare Policy To Help Seniors Get Covered Care At Home
October 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Democratic presidential candidate hopes to make it possible for Americans to stay in their homes while receiving elder care. Separately, PolitiFact says Republican nominee Donald Trump’s statement that Harris ‘wants to legalize fentanyl’ is bunk.
CVS Warns Of More Than 1,000 Layoffs Around New England Headquarters
October 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
In letters to the respective states warning of the upcoming layoffs, CVS signaled its plans to cut more than 630 jobs at it’s Woonsocket, Rhode Island, headquarters. Another 416 employees of the pharmacy giant’s Aetna subsidiary in Hartford, Connecticut, will also be laid off.
