What We're Reading: Bill Would Speed Up Approval for Zika Virus Drugs
April 14th 2016What we're reading, April 14, 2016: House passes bill to speed up approval for Zika virus vaccines; spending on prescription brand name drugs grew just 2.8% in 2015; and Maine Senate passes measure to expand Medicaid.
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What We're Reading: Possible "Superhero DNA" Protected Lucky 13 From Debilitating Diseases
April 13th 2016What we're reading, April 13, 2016: scientists find possible "superhero DNA" protecting individuals from debilitating diseases; NPR shines a light on the long wait Native Americans face for healthcare; and doctors rarely discuss weight loss strategies with obese patients.
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What We're Reading: Zika Scarier Than Initially Thought, Officials Say
April 12th 2016What we're reading, April 12, 2016: Zika virus scarier than initially thought; KaloBios will adopt a more transparent and "responsible" pricing model for products; and children in rural areas have more complex and expensive hospital stays.
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What We're Reading: UnitedHealth Leaves ACA Exchanges in Georgia, Arkansas
April 11th 2016What we're reading, April 11, 2016: UnitedHealth calls it quits for 2 Obamacare state exchanges; study finds disparities across country in lifespans of low-income people; and Hillary Clinton and PhRMA agree on one proposal to curb drug costs.
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Are FDA Reviewers Concerned About the Value of Clovis Oncology's EGFR Inhibitor Rociletinib?
April 8th 2016A preliminary briefing document expresses concerns over clinical benefit over existing treatments, safety, and overall risk-benefit of the drug for the subset of lung cancer patients for whom the drug has been developed.
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What We're Reading: Hospitals Will Help Pay for Medicaid Expansion in Louisiana
April 7th 2016What we're reading, April 7, 2016: hospitals will help Louisiana pay for Medicaid expansion; Pfizer considers splitting the company after deal with Allergan falls through; and Pfizer gets 300 lawsuits dismissed.
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What We're Reading: IRS Could Alert Uninsured Americans About ACA Subsidy Eligibility
April 6th 2016What we're reading, April 6, 2016: the federal government could be doing more to alert uninsured individuals about their eligibility for subsidies; the White House will transfer leftover Ebola funds to combat the Zika virus; and Senate companion bill to 21st Century Cures Act is almost done.
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What We're Reading: New Rules Could Derail Pfizer-Allergan Merger
April 5th 2016What we're reading: new rules from the Treasury Department could derail the Pfizer-Allergan merger; false medical beliefs could lead white medical students and residents to suggest inappropriate treatment for black patients; and while prescriptions were down, sales were up for the top 10 drugs in the US.
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What We're Reading: Medi-Cal Will Be Open to Children in the Country Illegally
April 4th 2016What we're reading: California will open Medi-Cal to all low-income children regardless of immigration status; Arizona governor signs bill to follow earlier FDA guidelines for abortion-inducing drug; and the loss of 2 Obamacare provisions could result in increased premiums in 2017.
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What We're Reading: FTC Files Lawsuit Over Pay-to-Delay Deals
April 1st 2016What we're reading, April 1, 2016: Federal Trade Commission files lawsuit to stop pay-to-delay deals; CMS' bundled payment initiative for joint replacement takes effect; and scientists confirm link between Zika virus and microcephaly.
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What We're Reading: FDA Changes Label for Abortion Pill, Potentially Increasing Access
March 31st 2016What we're reading, March 31, 2016: the FDA changed guidelines for the use of the abortion pill, which could expand access; meanwhile Donald Trump isolated himself by saying women seeking abortion should face punishment; and drug makers are paying less fines for bad behavior.
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What We're Reading: SCOTUS Asks for More Information in Contraception Case
March 30th 2016What we're reading, March 30, 2016: the Supreme Court asks for more information in birth control case; Americans display lack of knowledge about Zika virus; and China provides an opportunity for drugs that fail to make it to market elsewhere.
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What We're Reading: Obama to Unveil Measures to Combat Opioid Epidemic
March 29th 2016What we're reading, March 29, 2016: the Obama administration is expected to announce new measures to combat opioid addiction; cholesterol test results from Theranos could throw off doctors' decisions; and Republicans aren't talking as much about Obamacare on the campaign trail.
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What We're Reading: Covered California Tells IRS Thousands of Insured Were Not Covered
March 28th 2016What we're reading, March 28, 2016: Covered California mishap with insured consumers' tax forms; Ted Cruz needs to outline his Obamacare replacement plan; and Google's life sciences startup runs into trouble.
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What We're Reading: Congress Leaves on Spring Recess Without Zika Funding Vote
March 25th 2016What we're reading, March 25, 2016: Congress went on its spring recess without voting on Zika emergency funding; HealthCare.gov has more than 300 cybersecurity incidents; and Indiana's Medicaid expansion model has caught the attention of other conservative states.
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What We're Reading: Valeant Increases Aid-in-Dying Drug Price Ahead of California's New Law
March 24th 2016What we're reading, March 24, 2016: Valeant doubles the price of aid-in-dying drug; the Supreme Court seems split on contraception case; and less than 3% of Americans meet qualifications for a healthy lifestyle.
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What We're Reading: Moderate Drinking May Have No Health Benefits
March 23rd 2016What we're reading, March 23, 2016: moderate alcohol consumption may not have any health benefits; Johnson & Johnson researching the development of 2 diseases; and 2 more California hospitals received ransom demands from hackers.
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What We're Reading: Obamacare, Not Economy, Drove Insurance Coverage Gains
March 22nd 2016What we're reading, March 22, 2016: the reduction of the uninsured rate was driven mostly by the Affordable Care Act, not economic recovery; heart disease rates dropped; and participation in meaningful use program declines.
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What We're Reading: Poorly Performing Hospitals Could Be Removed From Covered California
March 18th 2016What we're reading, March 18, 2016: Covered California is considered removing hospitals with poor performance from the exchange; an outbreak in Wisconsin spreads to Michigan; #ZikaVirus infection in the US climbs to 450.
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What We're Reading: Industry Money Linked to Increased Prescriptions of Brand Name Drugs
March 17th 2016What we're reading, March 17, 2016: doctors who receive more industry money prescribe more brand name drugs; researchers project risk of Zika virus transmission in the US; and use of generic Gleevec could save $100,000 per patient.
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What We're Reading: Rural Counties Struggle With Premature Death Rates
March 16th 2016What we're reading, March 16, 2016: there is a big divide between the rural and urban health; exercise is rarely prescribed for chronic conditions; and NFL executive acknowledges link between football and degenerative brain disease.
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What We're Reading: Sanders Proposes HIV/AIDS Drug Development Prize Fund
March 15th 2016What we're reading, March 15, 2016: Bernie Sanders proposes a prize fund to spur drug development for HIV/AIDS; one news outlet is going to court to unseal documents related to OxyContin's marketing; and report highlights the emotional trauma healthcare providers face after making a serious medical error.
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What We're Reading: Hospitals Get Creative to Combat Drug Price Increases
March 14th 2016What we're reading, March 14, 2016: hospitals implement new ways to combat skyrocketing drug prices; some Affordable Care Act's health insurance co-ops could see profits in 2016; and patient anxiety decreases when hospitalists show more empathy.
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