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What We’re Reading: Appeals Court Hears ACA Case; Wildfire Smoke Sparks Health Alerts; Latest COVID-19 Vaccine Data
A federal appeals court heard argument about whether to freeze preventative health screenings and care in the Affordable Care Act (ACA); Canadian wildfires trigger health threats as smoke descends south; a large study displayed the safety of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in young children.
Appeals Court Deliberating on ACA Freeze
A federal appeals court panel seemed suspicious on Tuesday of calls to execute a nationwide freeze on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) rules for no-cost coverage of preventive care while litigation in the Braidwood v Becerra case continues, reported Politico. Both sides agreed that the individual Texas businesses that sued over the mandate should be protected as litigation proceeds; they were divided on if more harm would be caused by keeping the current coverage rules unbroken for everyone else in the country, or by suspending them nationwide. The Biden administration warned that halting coverage would threaten access to more than 50 types of care for millions of Americans.
Wildfire Smoke Triggers Health Alerts
Officials across nearly half of the United States issued warnings about the health threats from air polluted by smoke from unprecedented early summer wildfires in eastern Canada, according to The New York Times. Wildfire smoke can cause harm even at low concentrations, and those with lung or heart diseases, older adults, children, and pregnant women are at higher risk, said Environment Canada. In New York City, field trips were canceled, and some commuters returned to waring masks if they had to be outdoors.
Large Study Demonstrates COVID-19 Vaccine Safety in Young Children
Messenger RNA vaccines for COVID-19 present little risk to young children, with no myocarditis (inflammation of heart muscle) or pericarditis (inflammation around the heart) seen in vaccine recipients age 0 to 4, reported CIDRAP. Data were collected via the Vaccine Safety Datalink and in collaboration with the CDC that obtained patient information from 8 major US health systems. Children were followed for 9 months. However, vaccine uptake in the age group was low.
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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Navigating Health Policy in an Election Year: Insights From Dr Dennis Scanlon
April 2nd 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with Dennis Scanlon, PhD, the editor in chief of The American Journal of Accountable Care®, about prior authorization, price transparency, the impact of health policy on the upcoming election, and more.
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Dr Dalia Rotstein: Physicians Must Be Aware MS Affects People of All Backgrounds
April 24th 2024Dalia Rotstein, MD, MPH, emphazises the importance of awareness that multiple sclerosis (MS) impacts patients from various backgrounds as clinicians think through ways to improve access to care and research efforts in MS.
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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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