Teenage brains prematurely aged by 3 years during pandemic lockdowns; Washington state health officials report high flu activity and 7 deaths; medical groups ask a Texas judge to refrain from issuing a nationwide injunction against the preventive health screenings covered by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
MRI scans of adolescent brains before and after pandemic lockdowns show stress prematurely aged their brains by at least 3 years, and in ways previously seen in children affected by adverse childhood experiences, The Washington Post reported. By comparing MRI scans performed before and after lockdowns, the researchers found growth in the hippocampus and amygdala, which respectively control access to some memories and help regulate fear, stress, and other emotions, and also discovered thinning of the tissues in the cortex, which is involved in executive functioning. The study was published in Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science.
Seven people in Washington state, including 1 child, have died so far this season from influenza, according to the Associated Press. Health officials reported over 1200 new flu cases from November 13 to 19, more than double the case count of previous weeks. There was a peak of 296 flu deaths during the 2017-2018 season, and 26 in last year’s season.
Medical groups this week filed a friend-of-the-court brief in Braidwood Management v Becerra, asking Texas Judge Reed O’Connor to refrain from issuing a nationwide injunction that would invalidate US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations. In September, he ruled that the Affordable Care Act’s process for determining what kinds of preventive care must be fully covered by private health insurance is unconstitutional, noted The Hill.
Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Thyme Care CEO and Cofounder Robin Shah
October 2nd 2023Robin Shah, CEO of Thyme Care, which he founded in 2020 with Bobby Green, MD, president and chief medical officer, joins hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, to discuss his evolution as an entrepreneur in oncology care innovation and his goal of positively changing how patients experience the cancer system.
Listen
Data analysis showed that 40% of patients who filled a prescription for Wegovy in 2021 or 2022 were still taking it a year later; both Democrats and reproductive rights organizations are pressuring the Biden administration to ensure health insurers fully cover contraception; CMS implemented Medicare changes in March that limited access to blood tests that help transplant recipients ensure their organs remain healthy.
Read More
Insufficient Data, Disparities Plague Lung Cancer Risk Factor Documentation
September 24th 2023On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the senior author of a study published in the September 2023 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® on the importance of adequate and effective lung cancer risk factor documentation to determine a patient's eligibility for screening.
Listen
The Impact of Nurse Practitioner Attribution in Medicare Shared Savings ACOs
December 5th 2023Allowing nurse practitioners to serve as attribution-eligible providers for Medicare Shared Savings Program accountable care organizations leads to no change in hierarchical condition category risk scores and modest growth in attributed beneficiaries.
Read More