Daily Edition for Wednesday, August 2, 2023
Opioid settlement funds, “implicit bias” law, drug shortages, covid cases rise, maternal health, psychedelics, and more are in the news.
The Real Costs of the New Alzheimer’s Drug, Most of Which Will Fall to Taxpayers
By Arthur Allen
The annual cost of lecanemab treatment quadruples if the expense of brain scans to monitor for bleeds and other associated care is factored in. The full financial toll likely puts it beyond reach for low-income seniors at risk of Alzheimer’s, experts say.
Repeating History: California County Plugs Budget Gap With Opioid Settlement Cash
By Aneri Pattani
State attorneys general vowed that opioid settlement funds — unlike the tobacco settlement of the 1990s — would go toward tackling the underlying crisis. But in Mendocino County, officials have found a way to use some of its share to help fill a budget shortfall — a throwback to what agreement architects hoped to avoid.
Daily Edition for Tuesday, August 1, 2023
An illegal lab, tainted water, ambulance fees, covid, medical cannabis, hospital rankings, and more are in the news.
Epidemic: Do You Know Dutta?
Who gets credit for wiping smallpox from the planet? American men have been widely recognized while the contributions of South Asian public health workers have been less celebrated. Episode 2 of the “Eradicating Smallpox” podcast tells the story of Mahendra Dutta, an Indian public health leader, whose political savvy helped usher in a transformative approach to finding and containing smallpox cases.
Daily Edition for Monday, July 31, 2023
Cancer test, homelessness, hunger, mental health care, nursing shortage, RSV and covid vaccines, gun violence, and more are in the news.
Sen. Sanders Says Millions of People Can’t Find a Doctor. He’s Mostly Right.
By Michelle Andrews
The Vermont senator sees beefing up the primary care workforce as a critical step in expanding Americans’ access to health care.
To Protect a Mother’s Health: How Abortion Ban Exemptions Play Out in a Post-‘Roe’ World
By Christopher O’Donnell, Tampa Bay Times
Florida’s six-week abortion law allows exemptions in cases of rape, incest, and human trafficking, and to save the health or life of the mother. But the recent history of such exemptions in other states suggests that very few women will be able to take advantage of them.
Be Aware: Someone Could Steal Your Medical Records and Bill You for Their Care
By Michelle Andrews
Consumers should know that this type of fraud can happen, whether from a large-scale breach or theft of an individual’s data. The result could be thousands of dollars in medical bills.
Blood Test That Screens for Cancer Raises Hopes, and Worries
By Mark Kreidler
The first of a new wave of cancer-detection blood tests likely saved Gilbert Milam Jr.’s life. But many cancer researchers, wary of overtesting, argue it’s premature to prescribe the Galleri test widely.
