Brianna Labuskes
Happy Friday! In issues I’ve discovered as we speak that I can’t cease interested by: We apparently carry fat in our tongues? And you’ll be able to lose it like every other fats in your physique. This seems like one thing I ought to have referred to as a human, and but I by some means managed 30-plus years with out this info. Anyway, now that everybody is considering an excessive amount of about their tongues, let’s head to the information.
Democrats have requested the Supreme Court to expedite the case on the constitutionality of the well being regulation, pushing for a ruling on the case throughout this time period. This may appear paradoxical — because the decrease courts have dominated towards the ACA — however, as you Breeze readers know, the transfer is politically savvy. The well being regulation is extra well-liked than ever, and Democrats have been proudly owning that benefit. If they’ll preserve the Republicans’ assault on the laws within the entrance of voters’ minds heading into the 2020 elections, there could possibly be a repeat of the blue-wave midterms.
SCOTUS gave the Trump administration and Republicans till as we speak to reply. (As of press time, they haven’t but.)
The New York Times: Democrats Ask Supreme Court for Quick Decision on Obamacare
In a reasonably harsh actuality verify, a brand new research this week discovered that a well-liked concept for slicing well being spending doesn’t pan out once you have a look at the information. The technique relies on figuring out the hardest-to-treat, most costly sufferers and higher coordinating their care. But, regardless of the hype, the strategy didn’t reduce hospital readmissions for these sufferers. The research highlights as soon as once more what everyone knows: Health care is difficult. And hyped-up guarantees to chop prices that sound too good to be true too usually are.
Kudos to the evangelists of the strategy, although, for acknowledging it doesn’t work. “We could have coasted on the publicity we were getting,” mentioned Dr. Jeffrey Brenner, a household doctor in New Jersey who based this system that was studied. “It’s my life’s work. So, of course, you’re upset and sad.”
The New York Times: These Patients Are Hard to Treat
The administrative prices of working a single-payer system in Canada are available at $551 per individual per 12 months. That looks as if rather a lot, proper? That’s what I believed, too, till I noticed the full for Americans, which is *drum roll* $2,497 per 12 months.
Los Angeles Times: U.S. Health System Costs Four Times More to Run Than Canada’s
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed that California get into the drug-selling enterprise — generic medicine, that’s. The concept behind it’s to extend competitors and drive down costs. But regardless of generics accounting for 90% of the prescriptions stuffed within the nation, they aren’t actually the issue when speaking excessive drug costs. It’s unusual for these kinds of meds to solely have one participant within the market, so pricing already tends to be aggressive. For the typical individual, Newsom’s plan wouldn’t make a lot of a dent.
Los Angeles Times: Q&A: What You Need to Know About Gov. Newsom’s Drug Plan for California
But a technique some persons are hoping would make a distinction is the VA mannequin. The troubled federal company may not have many brilliant spots today, however sufferers who get prescriptions by means of Veterans Affairs are much less probably than different insured Americans to skip doses and fewer prone to delay filling prescriptions as a result of they have been unable to afford them. What’s extra, this system appears to curb racial disparities in accessing meds.
Stat: The VA Approach to Buying Drugs Means Patients Are Less Likely to Skip Medications Due to Cost
Mark your calendar: The annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference runs by means of subsequent week, and, because it nears, Stat appears to be like again on the previous 20 years of the occasion and the way it has formed the well being care world. What emerges is a narrative of heroes and villains, booms and busts, sensational scandals, drinks and offers, flaring tempers and silly predictions, and much more drama than anybody might count on from well being care business executives.
Stat: The Ghosts of JPMs Past: How 20 Years of Deals Have Shaped Health Care
In the newest signal that red-state resistance towards Medicaid growth is fading, Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly fulfilled a marketing campaign promise by reaching a cope with Kansas Senate Republican Leader Jim Denning after a years-long deadlock between the state’s two events. Denning is eyeing a troublesome reelection race for subsequent 12 months — which might make the choice all of the extra notable.
The Wichita Eagle: Kansas Governor Kelly, Senate GOP Leader Reach Medicaid Deal
In a uncommon glimpse of fine information, most cancers loss of life charges plummeted dramatically over a one-year interval within the largest drop ever seen in nationwide most cancers statistics relationship to 1930. The motive? Advancements in lung most cancers therapies.
The Associated Press: Cancer Group Finds Biggest One-Year Drop in U.S. Death Rate
The back-and-forth over whether or not child powder could be linked to ovarian most cancers is the talk that launched 1,000 lawsuits (plus a few thousand extra). An enormous research, nevertheless, tries to place the matter to relaxation. Research — that was deemed “overall reassuring” — now exhibits there isn’t any robust connection between the 2.
The Associated Press: Big Study Finds No Strong Sign Linking Baby Powder & Cancer
In the unending finger-pointing sport that alerts a reckoning within the opioid disaster, main drugstore chains like CVS and Walgreens are saying, “Nuh-uh, not our fault!” Instead, they are saying, docs are responsible. Who are pharmacists to query docs’ orders? The counter-argument, after all, is that once you’re filling prescriptions that equate to 1000’s of ache capsules per individual in a city you’re serving, it may be anticipated that somebody would elevate a purple flag. Just perhaps.
Experts say that by citing the docs and suppliers, the pharmacy chains may be making an attempt to complicate the case additional, in hopes of mitigating some injury to themselves.
The Washington Post: Major Drugstore Chains Sue Doctors in Sprawling Federal Opioid Case
In the miscellaneous file for the week:
— You’ve heard of ambulance-chasing attorneys, however what about ambulance-chasing docs? It’s changing into a rising follow for docs to vow plaintiffs in personal-injury circumstances free upfront care with the hope of cashing in when the settlement comes. While the technique is authorized and doesn’t technically violate any moral guidelines, it nonetheless appears somewhat off — and may also go away sufferers with large payments if their lawsuits don’t go as deliberate.
The Wall Street Journal: Who Wins in a Personal-Injury Lawsuit? It Can Be the Doctor
— Public well being specialists are warily watching the event of a pneumonia-like sickness in China, with echoes of the SARS outbreak not distant sufficient not to attract comparability and concern.
The New York Times: China Identifies New Virus Causing Pneumonia-Like Illness
— As we proceed to look at suicide charges skyrocket, specialists scramble to determine what could be carried out to halt the disturbing rise. Now, analysis suggests hope might come from an fascinating technique: elevating the minimal wage by simply $1.
NPR: For Suicide Prevention, Try Raising the Minimum Wage, Research Suggests
— A truism that has emerged for me over my decade-plus in journalism is that the place there’s a disaster or catastrophe, there’s somebody who stands to achieve one thing. In this case, it’s the windfall that may come to hospitals if the flu season is as dangerous as predicted.
Bloomberg: Record 2019-2020 Flu Season May Be Good for Hospitals
On that cheerful notice, that’s it from me. Have an ideal weekend!
Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a nationwide well being coverage information service. It is an editorially unbiased program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which isn’t affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.