Health Care Cost

About 17 million middle-class Americans have unpaid medical bills; more than 1 in 5 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 developed high blood pressure; work requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to begin in September.

Kevin Davies, PhD, executive editor, The CRISPR Journal and GEN Biotechnology, and author of Editing Humanity: The CRISPR Revolution and the New Era of Genome Editing, discusses the difficulties inherent in making CRISPR gene editing technology an equitable treatment.

“Our study suggests that narrowly focusing on hospital volumes and tying that to insurance reimbursement might mask complexities and trade-offs in achieving the goal of optimizing patient outcomes and experiences,” lead co-author Lindsay Sabik, PhD, says.

Trends show rising rates of cancers among young adults; The Physicians Foundation launches program to address social determinants of health; Blue Shield California drops CVS health

In this interview, Catherine Nester, RN explains the importance of entering phase 2 of the whole genome sequencing newborn screening program.

The new rule is poised to foster safety, equity, and reduce preventable harm within the hospital setting in historically underserved communities.

Olalekan Ajayi, PharmD, MBA, 2023-2024 president of the Association of Community Cancer Centers, discusses what practices should do to succeed under the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM).

Data on 10 social determinants of health (SDOH) were analyzed to determine their distribution among low-income patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF) at a safety-net hospital.

Better transparency is needed for nonemergency hospital care expenses; services and support are needed to alleviate the financial strain of caring for older adults; a reduced demand for annual COVID-19 vaccination is putting pressure on public health officials.

BeginNGS aims to enable the prompt identification of potential genetic disease with its newborn screening program.

Researchers found that costs were highest for those with hospital-onset clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), lower for those with community onset-health care facility association CDI, and lowest for those with community-associated CDI.

The BeginNGS program added 23 new founding members to the consortium and expanded to include 31 additional genetic disorders in its second phase screening, totaling 419 treatable genetic disorders.

The Red Cross’s inclusive assessment will determine blood donation eligibility; Wegovy reduces the risk of cardiovascular events; the first postpartum depression pill sparks pricing questions.

Amjevita’s revenue was down 63% in the second quarter (Q2) compared with the first quarter of 2023, when the biosimilar launched.

A severe heat wave is causing an uptick in heat-related emergency visits; Leqembi set to be rolled out in the coming months; declining childhood vaccination rate raises concerns over winter surge.

Hospitals and health systems have been operating in the most challenging financial environment in history, and now they face another looming headwind—the impact of Medicaid redeterminations.

Pfizer considers cost-cutting as demand for COVID-19 products lag; Amazon Clinic aims to provide virtual care for common health concerns; Black patients may find new Alzheimer drugs less effective

With data on side-opening cutting forceps showing above a 90% diagnostic rate for tissue biopsy in adult patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) who undergo biopsy of the esophageal lamina propia (ELP), investigators conducted a pilot study on use of side-opening cutting forceps in younger patients.

Political leanings appear to be associated with mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic; the Biden administration takes steps to ensure parity between mental and physical health benefits; extreme heat and air pollution amplify heart attack risk.

Major General Paul Friedrichs, MD, appointed to head the new Office of Pandemic Preparedness; CDC advises the public about the potential resurgence of respiratory viruses in the fall and winter; concerns grow over appeal of e-cigarettes to young adults.

Even at a steep discount, the list prices of new adalimumab biosimilars are significantly higher than the original price of the originator product (Humira), highlighting how dramatically its list price has risen over the years.

Residence in a more disadvantaged neighborhood was associated with higher likelihood of being a high-cost utilizer among older adults and lower likelihood among younger adults.

Researchers at Rock Health compared digital health funding, deal size, and other metrics in the first half of 2023 with previous years.

Novel tuberculosis (TB) vaccines for infants, adolescents, and adults show promise in promoting health equity.

A new analysis finds branded insulin glargine (Lantus) still has a majority of total market volume and new drug starts despite competition from Semglee, an interchangeable biosimilar.

Funding cuts threaten public health programs; emergency room doctors see a surge in heat-related illnesses; national crisis line shows promising results with increased text volumes and reduced wait times.

A report from Samsung Bioepis highlighted the positive correlation between biosimilar usage and average sales price discounts, with the oncology space being more price sensitive than other areas.

Health-related quality of life is a psychometrically sound outcome measure for high-cost, high-need populations. Unlike health care spending, it does not exhibit mean reversion.

Patients with metastatic prostate cancer who face high financial toxicity resulting from treatment may cope in ways that impact overall quality of life, according to a recent study.

The study investigated event rates for several outcomes in the year following a first hospitalization for heart failure (HF), including implementation of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT).