What We’re Reading: Medicare Advantage Changes; RSV Vaccine Effective; Brain Scans Show Obesity Differences

Regulators Clamp Down on Medicare Advantage Charges

CMS has finalized plans to lessen overpayments to Medicare Advantage insurers over the next 3 years after they opposed the changes, reported The Hill. These changes will include using diagnostic codes that are in use by the rest of the health care system and implementing new data that are more accurate at estimating health care costs. The private contracted insurers CMS pays, known as Medicare Advantage organizations, have been criticized for “upcoding” patients to receive more money from the federal government. The health insurance industry has campaigned against these changes and run ad campaigns saying that the federal government is cutting Medicare funding. These changes could result in billions in reduced payments.

Vaccine 82% Effective in Preventing RSV in Infants

Pfizer Inc’s experimental respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine was shown to be 82% effective in preventing acute infections in infants when given to pregnant women in the second half of their pregnancy, according to trial details published Wednesday that confirm preliminary study data, according to Reuters. In November, trial results were released by Pfizer that are under review by health regulators in the United States and Europe, with the FDA expected to decide in August on the vaccine’s use. The vaccine’s approval could make it the first maternal injection available to prevent RSV in infants.

Different Factors in the Brains of Men and Women Can Influence Obesity

Obesity seems to be influenced by different brain factors between men and women, according to brain scans, reported NBC News. In women with obesity, brain changes tended to be in regions related to emotions, while men with obesity tended to have brain changes found in regions that play a role in gut sensations, like how hungry or full they feel, in the new study published in Brain Communications. Understanding these differences could promote more targeted approaches to weight loss.