About Covid-19
COVID-19 Rebound After VV116 vs Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir Treatment “Viral load rebound and symptom rebound are both common and not significantly different after a standard 5-day course of treatment with either VV116 or nirmatrelvir-ritonavir for mild-to-moderate COVID-19.”
About health insurance/insurers
Primary Care Physicians In Medicare Advantage Were Less Costly, Provided Similar Quality Versus Regional Average “Assessing primary care physician costliness based on the gap between observed and predicted costs for their traditional Medicare patients, we found that the average primary care physician in MA networks was $433 less costly per patient (2.9 percent of baseline) compared with the regional mean, with less costly primary care physicians included in more networks than more costly ones. Favorable selection of patients by MA primary care physicians contributed partially to this result. The quality measures of MA primary care physicians were similar to the regional mean. In contrast, primary care physicians excluded from all MA networks were $1,617 (13.8 percent) costlier than the regional mean, with lower quality. Primary care physicians in narrow networks were $212 (1.4 percent) less costly than those in wide networks, but their quality was slightly lower. These findings highlight the potential role of selective contracting in reducing costs in the MA program.”
Medicare Index Report for 2024 Coverage “Highlights
--Average premium for Medicare Advantage plans is unchanged year over year: $9 is the average monthly premium among Medicare Advantage selected by eHealth customers during the AEP for 2024 coverage, a figure unchanged from the previous year.
--Demand for $0-premium Medicare Advantage plans is stable: For the second year in a row, 84% of those selecting Medicare Advantage plans at eHealth during AEP chose plans with a $0 monthly premium.
--Average deductible for Medicare Advantage plans drops below $100: For the first time since eHealth began tracking it, the average annual deductible for Medicare Advantage plans selected by eHealth customers during AEP fell below $100 (to $95).
--Average Part D plan premium is down but average deductible is up: $29 is the average monthly premium for stand-alone Medicare Part D plans selected by eHealth customers during AEP, down 9% from the year prior ($32); meanwhile the average deductible for Part D plans increased 14%, from $389 to $445.
--Average premium for Medicare Supplement plans is up this year: Though enrollment in Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans is not governed by AEP, the average premium for plans selected by eHealth customers during this period is up 9% year over year, from $173 to $189 per month.”
About pharma
The efficacy of GLP-1s, compared FYI
Eli Lilly partners with Amazon Pharmacy for home delivery of its weight loss, diabetes and migraine drugs “Eli Lilly is partnering with Amazon's pharmacy unit to offer home delivery for diabetes, migraine and obesity medications, including GLP-1 weight loss drug Zepbound.
The drugmaker launched its direct-to-consumer service, LillyDirect, in January to provide consumers access to telehealth and pharmacy services and the ability to get some medications directly from the company via online pharmacies.
Lilly selected Aazon Pharmacy to serve as a third-party dispensing provider for LillyDirect Pharmacy Solutions, delivering prescribed Lilly medications directly to a patient’s home, according to an Amazon Pharmacy blog post.”
About the public’s health
Adolescent Δ8-THC and Marijuana Use in the US “In this nationally representative 2023 survey, 11.4% of 2186 US 12th-grade students self-reported Δ8-THC use and 30.4% self-reported marijuana use in the past year. Δ8-THC use prevalence was higher in the South and Midwest US and in states without legal adult-use marijuana or Δ8-THC regulations. Marijuana use prevalence did not differ by cannabis policies.”
About healthcare IT
FBI Internet Crime Report 2023 Once again, healthcare entities top the list of targeted organizations.