The Supreme Court refused to hear 2 cases arising from efforts by states to bar Planned Parenthood clinics from the Medicaid program; the NIH will spend up to $20 million over 2 years to find and develop alternatives to using fetal tissue in research projects; whether or not the United States needs another opioid painkiller on the market has been widely debated since the FDA approved Dsuvia last month.
The Supreme Court refused to hear 2 cases arising from efforts by states to bar Planned Parenthood clinics from the Medicaid program, The New York Times reported. In letting stand the decisions allowing patients to challenge state funding determinations, the Supreme Court effectively sided with Planned Parenthood. That drew criticism from the court’s 3 most conservative justices: Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr., and Neil M. Gorsuch. The other 2 conservatives—Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh—declined to join, indicating a desire to steer clear of controversial topics.
The NIH will spend up to $20 million over 2 years to find and develop alternatives to using fetal tissue in research projects, The Hill reported, after facing pressure from anti-abortion groups. NIH said it will solicit applications soon to "develop" or "further refine" human tissue models that can model human biology. In addition, HHS is still conducting a review of more than $100 million in federal funding of fetal tissue research projects. Many biologists argue fetal tissue is critical to improving biomedical research, especially in HIV applications.
Whether or not the United States needs another opioid painkiller on the market has been widely debated since the FDA approved Dsuvia last month. STAT analyzed whether or not the drug, a fast-acting tablet version of a decades-old intravenous painkiller that is up to 10 times more potent than the highly addictive fentanyl, lives up to its promises. The approval was championed by the military, which said the drug is needed in combat zones. While the drug could prove useful in some situations, the approval could be problematic, the report said.
CMS' 340B Repayment Proposal May Harm Vulnerable Hospitals, Reward Those With Higher Revenues
April 26th 2024The 340B hospitals not receiving an offsetting lump-sum payment from CMS following 2018-2022 cuts later ruled unlawful are disproportionately rural, publicly owned, and nonacademic, according to a new study.
Read More
Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen
Empowering Community Health Through Wellness and Faith
April 23rd 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are bringing you a special month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. In the third episode, Camille Clarke-Smith, EdD, MS, CHES, CPT, discusses approaching community health holistically through spiritual and community engagement.
Listen
Kaiser Permanente was hit by a data breach in mid-April, impacting 13.4 million health plan members; GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) sued Pfizer and BioNTech for allegedly infringing on its messenger RNA technology patents in the companies’ COVID-19 vaccines; the CDC announced the first-known HIV cases transmitted via cosmetic injections.
Read More