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What We're Reading: 5-Day Quarantine Guidance; Ban on Surprise Medical Billing; Booster Impact on Global Vaccine Supply
Anthony Fauci, MD, said the CDC is considering changes to its guidance requiring a negative COVID-19 test after 5-day quarantine; bipartisan legislation banning surprise medical billing goes into effect; booster vaccine programs may be limiting global vaccine supply for low- and middle-income countries.
Fauci Says Testing Negative Being Considered After New 5-Day Quarantine
The chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden, Anthony Fauci, MD, said Sunday that the CDC is considering changes to its recent controversial guidance indicating that individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 do not require a negative test to end isolation after 5 days. Reported by ABC News, the CDC said that the initial change in guidance had been advised by research demonstrating the majority of COVID-19 transmission occurs early in the course of illness–1 to 2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2 to 3 days after. Fauci said that a testing component could be implemented at the end of the 5-day quarantine period, with a record number of more than 580,000 US cases of COVID-19 reported last week.
Ban on Suprise Medical Billing Goes into Effect
As reported by The New York Times, the bipartisan legislation banning surprise medical billing took effect this past weekend, in which nearly all emergency medical services and most routine care will now be covered. Adding up to billions in costs for consumers yearly, those undergoing emergency medical care will now no longer be able to be billed extra by out-of-network doctors or hospitals that they did not choose and who did not accept their insurance. Consumers will still be responsible for deductibles or co-payments, but will not be charged more than the cost-sharing amount that has been established for in-network services.
Booster Programs May Limit Global Vaccine Supply
As demand for booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines continue to increase worldwide amid the Omicron variant surge, Biden officials noted that more doses than previously expected could be disproportionately consumed by countries with already high levels of vaccination vs low- and middle-income areas. Reported by POLITICO, global health advocates have cited hope regarding Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine to help fill the gap in vaccine distribution. However, Novavax has yet to receive regulatory approval by the FDA or other European regulators where its manufacturing sites are located, which may impact its ability to meet distribution targets in 2022.
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.
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What We’re Reading: FDA Approves UTI Antibiotic; Ozempic, Wegovy Price Investigation; US Births Fall
April 25th 2024The FDA recently approved an antibiotic for the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women; a Senate committee recently launched an investigation into the prices of Novo Nordisk’s diabetes and weight loss drugs; US births fell last year, resuming a national slide after a previous increase during the pandemic.
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Navigating Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in National Health Plans
February 13th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the February 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on how health plans can screen for health literacy, social determinants of health, and perceived health care discrimination.
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The Federal Trade Commission's (FTC's) vote to ban most employers from issuing and enforcing noncompete clauses could have varying impacts on the health care workforce; federal regulators vastly under-enforced antitrust laws in the hospital sector during the last 2 decades, resulting in increased health costs; the FDA recently found genetic evidence of the H5N1 bird flu virus in pasteurized commercially purchased milk.
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Polatuzumab Vedotin and R-CHP Appropriate for Untreated DLBCL
April 24th 2024Population pharmacokinetic and exposure-response analyses revealed a favorable benefit-risk profilane for the treatment combination of polatuzumab vedotin and rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone (R-CHP).
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