President Joe Biden plans to announce new steps aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19; spotlighting the rise of unsubstantiated diagnoses and subsequent drugging in nursing homes; CDC report finds unvaccinated people are 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19.
According to Surgeon General Vivek Murphy, MD, MBA, President Joe Biden will announce new steps aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 prior to the United Nations General Assembly meeting, whose first session opens on Tuesday with the first day of general debate scheduled for the following week. As reported by Reuters, potential steps were not specified by Murthy, although he noted that more actions will continue to be worked on, particularly on the global front. Last week, Biden said he would require all federal workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, as well as mandate large employers to either require vaccination or regular testing in their workplaces.
Although schizophrenia is typically diagnosed before the age of 40, an article by The New York Times finds that the number of residents with a schizophrenia diagnosis has risen 70% since 2012, with at least 21% of nursing home residents on antipsychotic drugs. These drugs are known to be dangerous for older people with dementia, whose risk of death from several ailments is doubled by antipsychotic prescriptions, and the article suggests that understaffed nursing homes may use the sedatives to lessen the need to hire more staff to care for residents. Notably, a report by HHS’ Office of Inspector General indicated that nearly one-third of long-term nursing home residents with schizophrenia diagnoses in 2018 had no Medicare record of being treated for the condition.
As reported by NPR, a study published in the CDC's latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that unvaccinated people are 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than fully vaccinated individuals. Analyzing data from 600,000 Americans between April 4 and July 17, fully vaccinated people were also indicated to be 5 times less likely to become infected with COVID-19 and 10 times less likely to require hospitalization. So far, nearly 74% of eligible Americans have received at least 1 COVID-19 vaccine dose.
Real-World Study Reveals Key Insights into DLBCL Treatment Patterns, Outcomes
April 18th 2024A recent study offers valuable insights into the characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in patients across different lines of therapy, providing a look into the landscape of DLBCL management.
Read More
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.
Listen
Pegcetacoplan for PNH More Cost-Effective Than Anti-C5 Monoclonal Antibodies
April 18th 2024A cost-utility analysis conducted from the perspective of the Italian health system found that pegcetacoplan was more effective and less costly than 2 complement 5 (C5) inhibitors for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).
Read More
Drs Raymond Thertulien, Joseph Mikhael on Racial Disparities in Multiple Myeloma Care Access
December 28th 2023In the wake of the 2023 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition, Raymond Thertulien, MD, PhD, of Novant Health, and Joseph Mikhael, MD, MEd, FRCPC, FACP, chief medical officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, discussed health equity research highlights from the meeting and drivers of racial disparities in multiple myeloma outcomes.
Listen
Gene and Cell Therapies Hold Potential—but How Can Payers Manage Their Costs?
April 18th 2024Presenters at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2024 annual meeting discussed the current promise and future potential of gene and cell therapies, as well as payer management strategies for these costly treatments.
Read More
Prices for care at hospital trauma centers vary across hospitals; drug shortages reached a record high during the first quarter of 2024; although 3 of the biggest makers of asthma inhalers pledged to cap out-of-pocket costs for some US patients at $35, these do not apply to daily inhalers used by the youngest kids with asthma.
Read More