AJMC Staff

A recent report highlights gaps in mortality rates between rural and urban Americans; debt relief does not improve mental health or credit scores, researchers find; worries about sun gazing effects surge.

There is discrepancy between the FDA’s accelerated approval decisions and clinical benefits in cancer treatments; former President Donald Trump’s video statement avoids a clear stance on national abortion legislation; 40% of therapists say they will increase their fees this year.

CMS finalizes policies to enhance consumer protections, promote competition, and expand access to care for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D; digital therapeutic Rejoyn receives FDA clearance for adults with major depressive disorder (MDD); study reveals minimal symptom reduction from nirmatrelvir–ritonavir (Paxlovid) in high-risk, fully vaccinated patients.

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The newest treatment approved for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) will be withdrawn from the market due to negative clinical trial results; former President Trump’s surgeon general is advocating for conservative states to support needle exchanges; new US hepatitis C infections dropped slightly in 2022 after more than a decade of steady increases.

Antismoking groups sued the US government over the long-awaited menthol cigarette ban; the fill rate for Adderall and Vyvanse dropped more than 10% in 2 years despite soaring demand; the Biden administration has responded to offers from the manufacturers of drugs selected for Medicare pricing negotiations.

Insurance plan members find themselves involuntarily switched between plans; the Senate investigates patient safety concerns resulting from private equity practices; base payments to Medicare Advantage (MA) plans will decrease in 2025.

There are now highly effective therapies to treat newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM), but it will still take time for them to be adopted in practice, said Chakra Chaulagain MD, FACP, hematologist/oncologist, Maroone Cancer Center of Cleveland Clinic Florida.

Some nonprofit hospitals now offer concierge physician practices for high-paying patients; Kaiser Permanente partners with investment firms to launch Habitat Health; Gallup data shows a surprising decline in health care's priority ranking.

The Biden administration finalized a new regulation that curbs the use of short-term health insurance plans that do not comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA); the CDC issued an advisory on Thursday alerting health care providers about an increase in invasive meningococcal disease; the number of US tuberculosis (TB) cases in 2023 was the highest in a decade.

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CMS released a final rule to help patients obtain Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage and issued a proposed rule to update Medicare payment policies and rates for inpatient rehabilitation facilities; debate over if gift card incentives are acceptable in health care marketing.

Response rates are important when choosing between therapies to treat multiple myeloma (MM), but improvement overall survival (OS) is the ideal, said Chakra Chaulagain MD, FACP, hematologist/oncologist, Maroone Cancer Center of Cleveland Clinic Florida.

The Supreme Court seems likely to reject a challenge to the abortion pill mifepristone; the FDA is inspecting far fewer pharmaceutical companies conducting clinical research; AstraZeneca has sued to block an Arkansas law that it said would unlawfully expand the 340B program to include for profit-pharmacy chains.

Lack of routine testing can lead to tragic consequences for patients with cancer; an analysis raises questions about clinical benefits of digital diabetes management tools; overuse of antibiotics poses risks to patients with a misdiagnosis of pneumonia.

Flat funding for HHS leaves critical health initiatives stagnant; Supreme Court weighs tightening regulations on abortion pill; manufacturing delay sparks access concerns for insulin medication.

While there is, rightfully, a lot of optimism around the latest treatments for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, not everyone is gaining the same benefit, said Kenneth Shain, MD, PhD, of H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center.

The White House has called out the Republican Study Committee’s budget proposal for backing legislation that would put restrictions on abortion access; nearly 108,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2022; surgeons in Boston have transplanted a kidney from a genetically engineered pig into an ailing 62-year-old man.

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CMS is highly likely to negotiate the price of the obesity medication semaglutide in the coming years; many health care providers are trying to determine whether their cyberattack insurance will help cover their losses after the Change Healthcare hack; the US life expectancy increased for the first time in 2 years.

New data has shown the benefits of adding a CD38 monoclonal antibody onto the standard 3-drug regimen for patients with newly diagnosed, transplant-eligible multiple myeloma (MM).

A global AIDS program that was in limbo for months got temporary relief after congressional negotiators agreed to a 1-year renewal in the next government funding package; the outcome of the November presidential election could determine the state of fetal tissue research in the US; federal officials and industry executives failed to make improvements that stop hacking attacks.

UnitedHealth Group aims to restore services amid investigations; providers advised to administer measles vaccine to infants before international travel; study finds significant increase in medication abortions after Supreme Court decision.

For transplant-ineligible patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, the evidence now supports the use of 3-drug regimens instead of 2-drug regimens.

AstraZeneca joins efforts to address high drug prices by capping out-of-pocket costs for its inhalers; Opill, the first OTC birth control pill, is now accessible through online sales; expansion prompts questions on the effectiveness and regulation of remote monitoring technology.

The fiscal 2025 budget will prioritize investments in rapid tests and antimicrobial drugs; women who were pregnant as teenagers are more likely to die before 31 years; leaders push for reform as part of spending bill for federal health agencies.

The HHS Office for Civil Rights is investigating whether patient data were exposed in the cyberattack on Change Healthcare; a new study claims that the US’ high maternal mortality rates are the product of flawed data; HHS secretary is open to drug testing recipients of welfare.