AJMC Staff

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.

An appeals court rules against the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America in a 340B contract pharmacy dispute; for-profit investors’ acquisition of nursing homes has raised concerns about the quality of care provided in these facilities; President Joe Biden’s proposed budget for 2025 includes changes that would do away with the current system of biosimilar interchangeability.

Most private health insurers have yet to publish criteria for when they will cover postpartum depression drug, zuranolone; state lawmakers are increasingly opposing health care mergers that they believe do not serve the public interest; Medicaid extensions made in 2021 led to a 40% decline in postpartum lack of insurance.

Novo Nordisk is working with authorities in several countries to tackle counterfeit versions of popular diabetes drug semaglutide (Ozempic); Amylyx’s controversial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) drug failed to help patients in a large follow-up study; disruptions from the Change Healthcare cyberattack are costing health providers as much as $1 billion a day.

The FDA has pushed back its approval deadline for donanemab, Eli Lilly’s experimental Alzheimer’s treatment; Cigna recently announced the launch of a program on aimed at capping annual weight-loss drug cost increases for health insurance providers and employers at 15%; a new monoclonal antibody product to protect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was 90% effective at preventing children from being hospitalized.

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President Biden will preview his plan to more than double the size of Medicare’s new drug price negotiation program in the upcoming State of the Union address; Mexicans and Central Americans were most affected by the pandemic in terms of all-cause mortality; two Alabama fertility clinics said they expect to resume in vitro fertilization (IVF) services after a bill was passed to protect doctors.

The US government’s program to send free COVID-19 tests is ending later this week; a new study found that Ozempic (semaglutide) may lower liver disease risks in people living with HIV; scientists use cells from amniotic fluid to grow miniature organs.

Demands for government action grow amid mounting pressures on health care; Opill offers convenient access to contraception without a prescription; the White House announces progress as drugmakers submit counteroffers for Medicare’s drug price negotiation program.

Appeals court to review ruling wiping out some cost-free preventative services; a new legislation aims to boost reimbursement rates for medical providers; changes to coverage may limit elderly home care access

WHO warns of global obesity epidemic challenges; doctors advised to conserve a certain type of tetanus shot; a new set of rules will bar medical debt from consumer credit reports

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Blockage of proposed bill that would protect in vitro fertilization (IVF) reignites debate over reproductive rights and health care access; ransomware attack leaves patients and providers stranded; people 65 years and older should get an additional booster for the COVID-19 vaccine, CDC says.

Test your knowledge of the studies published in the February 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care. Can you get all of the questions right?

Survey highlights widespread opposition to Alabama's law restricting in vitro fertilization (IVF) access; investigation focuses on potential anticompetitive practices; Medicare weighs options for implementing a new program to deliver healthy meals to seniors with chronic conditions.

The Community Oncology Alliance (COA), which represents independent cancer care practices, has asked CMS to act following a dramatic drop in reimbursements from Express Scripts, Inc. effective January 1, 2024.

Congress is unlikely to include many major health care priorities in the next government funding package; many adults continue to see racism as a problem across aspects of US society; the Endocrine Society will review its clinical guidelines for gender-affirming care.

Patients with cancer express shock and anxiety over the recent ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court regarding frozen embryos; doctors are beginning to charge fees for administrative tasks; some universities are implementing accelerated nursing programs to help with the shortage.

The bispecific antibody is used to treat patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM) who have achieved and maintained a complete response for at least 6 months; this approval allows a dosing frequency of 1.5 mg/kg every 2 weeks.

The House Democratic Women’s Caucus wrote a letter urging insurers to comply with both contraceptive coverage requirements and recent Biden administration guidance; several pharmacy chains are experiencing disruptions following a hack at Change Healthcare, UnitedHealth’s technology unit; the FDA said it is not planning to take a tougher stance against clinical trial reporting requirement noncompliance.

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More than half of US adults have a favorable view of the Affordable Care Act (ACA); smartwatches and rings that claim to measure blood sugar levels without piercing the skin could be dangerous and should be avoided; many believe artificial intelligence (AI) could be the solution to physician burnout.

The amount of in-network care claims jumped significantly after surprise billing protections took effect; experts say the US is in the midst of the “fourth wave” of the opioid epidemic; the prevalence of long COVID symptoms 30 and 90 days post infection was 43% to 58% lower among adults who were fully vaccinated before infection.

Insurers grapple with expanding overage for weight loss medications; a new analysis reveals a potential correlation between COVID-19 vaccinations and various adverse effects (AEs); reshaping Medicaid programs remains an ongoing debate about ensuring health care access.

Discontinuation of asthma drug leaves patients in search of alternative; FDA’s approach to artificial intelligence (AI) raises opportunities and challenges; landmark FDA approval signals hope for millions with severe food allergies.

Medicare beneficiaries are beginning to see the first savings from the Inflation Reduction Act; abortion pills prescribed to patients via telehealth and the mail are safe; nearly half of health care workers have witnessed racism or discrimination in their workplace.

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Details from the final interim data analysis of the ADAPT+ study confirm previous findings seen with efgartigimod (Vyvgart) in generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), the rare neuromuscular autoimmune disease.

The Federal Trade Commission and HHS will examine generic drug shortage causes; the Biden administration recently dedicated an additional $515 million to a major initiative to study long COVID; cybersecurity experts warn that US hospitals are at risk for attacks and the government is doing little to prevent such breaches.