About Covid-19
Long COVID linked to persistently high levels of inflammatory protein: a potential biomarker and target for treatments “SARS-CoV-2 triggers the production of the antiviral protein IFN-γ, which is associated with fatigue, muscle ache and depression. New research shows that in Long COVID patients, IFN-y production persists until symptoms improve, highlighting a potential biomarker and a target for therapies.”
About health insurance/insurers
Medicare Advantage’s 33 million club “Roughly 33.4 million people were enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan at the start of 2024, according to new federal data that we analyzed last week. It’s an increase of 7.1% from the same time last year, although it appears the true annual growth rate is closer to 6% after factoring in some errors within Medicare’s 2023 data…”
About hospitals and healthcare systems
States ranked by hospital beds per 1,000 population FYI. Not a surprise that more rural states need more hospitals to provide adequate access.
About pharma
Walgreens' VillageMD to close all Florida primary care clinics “Clinics in the Tampa and Orlando areas will close March 15 as the company exits the Florida market, a company spokesperson confirmed Feb. 21. VillageMD's website lists about 40 clinic locations in Florida, all co-located with Walgreens stores….
The closures are part of a $1 billion cost-cutting initiative Walgreens implemented late last year that involves closing 60 VillageMD-operated clinics in five markets. As of the company's January earnings call, it had closed nearly half of those, CEO Tim Wentworth told analysts. It shuttered 10 clinics in Jacksonville, Fla., and all 12 of its clinics in Indiana last month.”
FDA approves a drug to treat severe food allergies, including milk, eggs and nuts “Xolair was greenlit by the Food and Drug Administration on Friday to help reduce severe allergic reactions brought on by accidental exposure to certain foods. It is considered the first medication approved by the FDA that can help protect people against multiple food allergies.
The medication is not intended for use during an allergic reaction. Instead, it is designed to be taken repeatedly every few weeks to help reduce the risk of reactions over time. The FDA said people taking the drug should continue to avoid foods they are allergic to…
The cost of the medication ranges from $2,900 a month for children and $5,000 a month for adults, though the cost could be brought down with insurance…”
About the public’s health
Boosting Health for Children: Transition to Electric Vehicles and Clean Power Would Prevent 2.7 Million Asthma Attacks in U.S. Kids From the American Lung Association:
“The new report is based on projected health impacts if all new passenger vehicles sold are zero-emission by 2035 and all new trucks sold are zero-emission by 2040. It also projects that the nation’s electric grid will be powered by clean, non-combustion renewable energy by 2035. According to the report, the transition to zero-emission transportation powered by clean non-combustion energy from 2020 to 2050 would prevent up to:
2.79 million pediatric asthma attacks
147,000 pediatric acute bronchitis cases
2.67 million pediatric upper respiratory symptoms
1.87 million pediatric lower respiratory symptoms
508 infant mortality cases”
Historical Redlining, Persistent Mortgage Discrimination, and Race in Breast Cancer Outcomes “In a cohort study of 1764 women with breast cancer, living in a historically redlined area was associated with increased odds of a diagnosis of estrogen receptor–negative breast cancer in non-Hispanic Black women and increased odds of late-stage diagnosis in non-Hispanic White women. Persistent mortgage discrimination was associated with an increase in breast cancer mortality in non-Hispanic White women, and non-Hispanic Black women were more likely to die of breast cancer no matter where they lived.”
About healthcare personnel
Almost All U.S. Physicians Surveyed Feel Burned Out on a Regular Basis, with Many Having Considered Career Change, according to Recent athenahealth Physician Sentiment Survey “Excessive administrative workloads, reduced staffing, concerns over financial viability, and rising patient expectations around communications are all contributing to major challenges for America’s healthcare industry, athenahealth’s third Physician Sentiment Survey (PSS), conducted by The Harris Poll, has revealed. The survey polled 1,003 primary care and specialist physicians nationwide, with just five percent of respondents identifying as athenahealth customers.
Most physicians (93%) surveyed for the PSS said that they feel burned out on a regular basis, with doctors reporting that they spend an average of 15 hours per week working in ‘pajama time,’ outside their normal work hours. When asked about their current employment situation, a majority (56%) said they have considered leaving the field or remaining in the field but no longer seeing patients.”
About health technology
Do Not Use Smartwatches or Smart Rings to Measure Blood Glucose Levels: FDA Safety Communication “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers, patients, caregivers, and health care providers of risks related to using smartwatches or smart rings that claim to measure blood glucose levels (blood sugar) without piercing the skin. These devices are different than smartwatch applications that display data from FDA-authorized blood glucose measuring devices that pierce the skin, like continuous glucose monitoring devices (CGMs). The FDA has not authorized, cleared, or approved any smartwatch or smart ring that is intended to measure or estimate blood glucose values on its own.”
About healthcare finance
AbbVie eyes selling at least $13 billion of bonds to fund M&A “Pharmaceutical giant AbbVie Inc. is looking to sell at least $13 billion of corporate bonds to help fund its acquisitions of ImmunoGen Inc. and Cerevel Therapeutics Holdings Inc., according to people with knowledge of the matter.
The sale is expected to be announced as soon as Thursday, following fixed-income investor calls on Wednesday, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. The size of the offering is subject to change, and will be determined on the day of the sale. A spokesperson for AbbVie didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.”