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What We’re Reading: Paying for COVID-19 Vaccines; High Court Retains Abortion Pill Access; HIV Goal May Fall Short
The Biden administration and drug manufacturers are looking at different ways to keep free access to COVID-19 vaccines; mifepristone remains available without new restrictions while a court battle continues; the goal to reduce HIV in the US by 2030 may fall short, some warn.
US, Drug Makers Look at Ways to Ensure COVID-19 Vaccine Coverage
While Americans with insurance are still expected to be able to get vaccinated for COVID-19 free of charge, it is unclear how the process will work for those without coverage. As the public health emergency for COVID-19, ends, the Biden administration and manufacturers are looking at different ways to ensure free access, according to The Hill. Pfizer and Moderna are expecting the prices of their shots to increase by as much as 4-fold.
Supreme Court Halts Restrictions on Mifepristone
Although the Supreme Court has temporarily preserved access to a medication used in abortion, mifepristone, advocates for reproductive health care are gearing up for a long fight, according to Reuters. The Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of the case, meaning mifepristone could still be restricted or banned at a later stage. Providers welcomed the news but said they are still stockpiling both drugs used in medication abortion—mifepristone and misprostol—just in case access is lost in the future.
Initiative to Reduce HIV Infections May Fall Short of Reaching Goal
The US government has a national initiative to reduce the number of new HIV infections by 75% by 2025 and 90% by 2030 by funding new community-specific strategies to deliver care to marginalized groups, but some question if the target will be reached, according to Kaiser Health News. Launched in 2016, the program practices a new approach to treating and preventing HIV infections that combines telehealth with direct outreach. But people living with HIV, doctors, infectious disease experts, community groups, and some HIV officials say the initiative could miss its main 2030 goal due to complications arising from the pandemic, workforce shortages, anti-LGBTQ+ messaging from some politicians in conservative states, and bureaucratic adversaries.
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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