Do Not Resuscitate: How We Spend Trillions to Enrich Intermediaries Instead of Making Ourselves Healthier

For-profit Medicare not so profitable (boo hoo) and the Great Medicaid Kick-Off

Do Not Resuscitate this week looks at shrinking profits for Medicare (Dis)Advantage programs and how the insurers are going to make up for it (higher premiums, fewer bennies). Also, 22 million people have been kicked off Medicaid in a year--half of them still eligible. I discuss why this crazy punishment of the poor will help re-elect Joe Biden--kidding! This is digest #351 dated June 14, 2024. Get the whole thing at www.nypan.org/single-payer-news or just send me an email tfrasca@yahoo.com
Here are the links for everything mentioned in the podcast: 
Nada Hassanein, “Missed care, fewer patients: Rural families and clinics feel Medicaid cuts,” Stateline, May 17, 2024 https://bit.ly/45B8YKJ
Katheryn Houghton, “Safety-net health clinics cut services and staff amid Medicaid ‘unwinding,’” KFF Health News/U.S. News & World Report, May 30, 2024 https://bit.ly/3VAxbNM
Stephanie Colombini, “Nearly 600,000 Florida kids lost Medicaid/CHIP during 2023 unwinding, report shows,” Health News Florida/WUSF, May 9, 2024 https://bit.ly/4enfMQ6
Natalie Krebs, “One year into Medicaid unwinding, the number of Iowans who have been disenrolled far exceeds initial projections,” Iowa Public Radio, May 3, 2024 https://bit.ly/4ar1pXy
Melodie Edwards, “Of 10 farm states, Wyoming is most reliant on federal government for healthcare,” Wyoming Public Radio, May 30, 2024 https://bit.ly/4aLQNma
Rebecca Pifer, “Move over, Medicare Advantage—UnitedHealth, Centene flag higher Medicaid utilization concerns,” Healthcare Dive, May 30, 2024 https://bit.ly/3Kqx2Ge
Rebecca Pifer, “Medicare Advantage unrest, Change Healthcare fallout and more big takeaways from insurers’ Q1,” Healthcare Dive, May 13, 2024 https://bit.ly/45lKhS5
Rebecca Pifer, “Minnesota’s Medicaid program to block for-profit insurers from participation,” Healthcare Dive, May 30, 2024 https://bit.ly/3VnLSni
Shalina Chatlani, “Montana could be a model as more GOP states weigh Medicaid work requirements,” Stateline, May 7, 2024 https://bit.ly/3yHBduJ
Emily Olsen, “MA health assessments contribute to inflated coding intensity,” Healthcare Dive, May 8, 2024 https://bit.ly/4aLjiRc
Angela Hart, California’s $12 billion Medicaid makeover banks on nonprofits’ buy-in,” KFF Health News/NPR, May 16, 2024 https://bit.ly/3X5cD18
Maya Goldman, “Medicare Advantage to end hospice experiment early amid struggles,” Axios, May 6, 2024 https://bit.ly/3K8rcsN
“Hiking boots, parks fees and other perks were covered by health insurer. That’s now over,” St Louis Post-Dispatch, Annika Merrilees, 5/13 https://bit.ly/4c2sdid
Rebecca Pifer, “Humana and CVS are downsizing their Medicare Advantage plans for 2025. Which insurers could benefit?” Healthcare Dive, Jun 6, 2024 https://bit.ly/3VjzzqO
Kevin Williams, “Why Walmart, Walgreens, CVS retail health clinic experiment is struggling,” CNBC, May 28, 2024 https://cnb.cx/3yVcDGW
Ken Alltucker, “Imagine if the government offered dental care. New federal rule could make that a reality,” USA Today, May 20, 2024 https://bit.ly/455us1P
 

Why Covid mishandling harmed the single-payer movement (Do Not Resuscitate #350 Jun 7 2024)

In this week's “Do Not Resuscitate," I connect the ongoing Covid debates with the campaign for a single-payer "Medicare for All" type system. We should eliminate for-profit insurance and replace it with a government-funded resource pool because we believe, contra Thatcher, that we live in a society and can act collectively for the common welfare. Undermining public health as Covid has done weakens that impulse toward solidarity.
Here are the links to all the articles mentioned in this podcast: 
Emily Kopp, “Fauci aide triggers deeper concerns about hidden emails on COVID origins,” U.S. Right To Know, May 22, 2024 https://bit.ly/3X30QQE
David Hilzenrath, “After grilling an NIH scientist over Covid emails, Congress turns to Anthony Fauci,” KFF Health News, May 31, 2024 https://bit.ly/3wULaED
Joseph Choi, “5 takeaways from Fauci’s heated House hearing,” The Hill, Jun 3, 2024 https://bit.ly/3KruPKP
Benjamin Mueller, “U.S. suspends funding for group at center of Covid origins fight,” New York Times, May 15, 2024 https://nyti.ms/4aH8mnG and Joseph Choi, “HHS looks to debar group at center of COVID lab-leak theories,” The Hill, May 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/3Kq8rkZ
Alina Chan, “Why the pandemic probably started in a lab in 5 key points,” New York Times, Jun 3, 2024 https://nyti.ms/3RdHrbU
Matt Taibbi, “Did Anthony Fauci impede the investigation of the Covid-19 pandemic?” Racket News, Sep 28, 2023 https://www.racket.news/p/did-anthony-fauci-impede-the-investigation
John Snow Project, “Honesty about Covid is essential for progress,” May 14, 2024 https://bit.ly/3VcNSxo
Matt Taibbi, “Anthony Fauci was America’s warmup dictator,” Racket News, Sep 30, 2023 https://www.racket.news/p/anthony-fauci-was-americas-warmup
Amy Maxmen & Céline Gounder, “4 ways vaccine skeptics mislead you on measles and more,” KFF Health News/CBS News, May 22, 2024 https://bit.ly/3VvUpEC  
Shalina Chatlani, “As states loosen childhood vaccine requirements, health experts’ worries grow,” Stateline, May 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/4c4i8Bo
Mary Van Beusekom, “HPV vaccine program tied to big drop in cervical cancers across all socioeconomic strata,” Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP), May 16, 2024 https://bit.ly/3VkppY2
Betsy Ladyzhets, “‘They bungled it:’ NIH documents reveal how $1.6 billion Long Covid initiative has failed so far to meet its goals,” Sick Times, May 31, 2024 https://bit.ly/45fu8gV
You can also find all my back archives at www.nypan.org/single-payer-news
And you can get my weekly digest straight to your inbox by writing me at tfrasca@yahoo.com
 

The Fat Shots Will Bankrupt Us -- But We Like Them! May 31, 2024

Do Not Resuscitate (This System) for the week of May 31, 2024 focuses on pharmaceuticals, their crazy prices, the fad for the fat shots, the vast sums of public and private cash involved, and how we're going to be persuaded that they're good us and worth every penny. I throw in other news about methadone clinic cartel behavior, the nefarious PBMs, and why cancer drugs are often given in deadly high doses when they might be just as effective with less. 
If you want my weekly digest in your inbox, write me at tfrasca@yahoo.com
The full archive of my digests is housed at www.nypan.org/single-payer-news 
Here are links to all the articles mentioned: 
Johann Hari, “A year on Ozempic taught me we’re thinking about obesity all wrong,” New York Times, May 7, 2024 https://nyti.ms/3V5ryqm
Dave McKinney, “Weight-loss drug coverage for Illinois state workers could cost hundreds of millions of dollars,” WBEZ, Apr 30, 2024 https://bit.ly/4bqn3wm
Joseph Choi, “1 in 8 adults has taken Ozempic or other GLP-1 drug,” The Hill, May 10, 2024 https://bit.ly/4bVSmiG
Annika Kim Constantino & Ashley Capoot, “How digital health companies are capitalizing on the GLP-1 boom,” CNBC, May 25, 2024 https://cnb.cx/3wRAYN7
Rachel Cohrs Zhang, “Has Bernie Sanders reached the limit of his Pharma bullying effort?” STAT, May 20, 2024 https://bit.ly/3QZL1pZ
Nathaniel Weixel, “Wegovy could bankrupt US health system, Sanders says in new report,” The Hill, May 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/3wTQMiq 
Renuka Rayasam, “High price of popular diabetes drugs deprives low-income people of effective treatment,” KFF Health News, May 21, 2024 https://bit.ly/3x5BiYu
Khristopher J. Brooks, “Nestlé to launch food products that cater to Wegovy and Ozempic users,” CBS News, May 21, 2024 https://cbsn.ws/4e1bjCo
Gigen Mammoser, “‘Forever’ chemicals and other endocrine-disruptors may increase child obesity risk,” Healthline, May 24, 2024 https://bit.ly/3R4IjQg
Suzanne Blake, “Medicare could save $500 million with coverage change,” Newsweek, May 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/4aG24EE
Tina Reed, “Weight-loss drugs help lift pharma’s reputation,” Axios, May 23, 2024 https://bit.ly/452B9BO
Matthew Perrone, “US challenges ‘bogus’ patents on Ozempic and other drugs in effort to spur competition,” Associated Press, Apr 30, 2024 https://bit.ly/4aCVkav
Lisa Schencker, “Illinois bill would ban step therapy,” Chicago Tribune, Apr 25, 2024 https://bit.ly/3QmPSkU
Kerry Cullinan, “Colombia issues compulsory license to enable HIV drug, dolutegravir,” Health Policy Watch, April 25, 2024 https://bit.ly/3V6HtVy
Arthur Allen, “Amgen plots ahead with costly, highly toxic cancer dosing despite FDA challenge,” KFF Health News/Washington Post, May 7, 2024 https://bit.ly/4bpnUO3
John Ingold, “A Colorado board wants to lower prescription drug costs. Why are so many patients opposed?” Colorado Sun, Apr 30, 2024 https://bit.ly/3KlwfpU
Helen Santoro, “Pharma’s Dems are doing Trump’s dirty work on drug prices,” The Lever, May 10, 2024 https://bit.ly/3V5Klkn
Anna Claire Vollers, “More addiction patients can take methadone at home, but some states lag behind,” Stateline, May 8, 2024 https://bit.ly/4aJBb2x
Lev Facher, “At Las Vegas conference, methadone clinics blast idea of doctors prescribing directly,” STAT, May 28, 2024 https://bit.ly/3wYVzz1

Hospitals go bankrupt, others merge, rural hospitals get couch lint

Do Not Resuscitate (This System) #348 looks at hospital financing, how private equity loots hospitals and dumps the smoking ruins onto cities and states, and the lame offers of measly assistance to rural hospitals struggling to avoid closure with pathetic payments in exchange for eliminating "unessential" services like childbirths. It's all part of how we pay trillions of dollars to make intermediaries rich and getting lousy care in exchange. 
This podcast is based on my weekly digest that you can get direct to your inbox by writing me at tfrasca@yahoo.com
All my digest archives at are www.nypan.org/single-payer-news
The articles mentioned today are linked below: 
Susanna Vogel, “Steward Health Care files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy,” Healthcare Dive, May 6, 2024 https://bit.ly/4ahYIYd
Jonathan Weil, “The private-equity deal that flattened a hospital chain and its landlord,” Wall Street Journal, May 7, 2024 https://on.wsj.com/4dEcW8N
Jenna Carlesso, “Yale New Haven Health wants out of deal to buy Prospect hospitals,” CT Mirror, May 3, 2024 https://bit.ly/3wq1fly
Tina Reed, “Hospital prices paid by private insurers vary widely, report finds,” Axios, May 13, 2024 https://bit.ly/4dIBk98
Daniel Payne, “Hospitals’ new message for patients: Stay home,” Politico, May 11, 2024 https://politi.co/4dAOcOR
Caitlin Owens, “U.S. health care is increasingly like a casino,” Axios, May 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/3V072aC
Grace Vitaglione, “HCA pruned staff at Mission Hospital, reaped soaring profits, academic study finds,” Carolina Public Press/NC Health News, May 2, 2024 https://bit.ly/3yn9nUr
Michelle Crouch, “New freestanding ERs: faster care, but it can cost you,” Charlotte Ledger/NC Health News, May 13, 2024 https://bit.ly/4bHuLSL
Noam N. Levey, “Their first baby came with medical debt. These Illinois parents won’t have another,” KFF Health News/NPR, May 10, 2024 https://bit.ly/3WEKVrx
Mathew Holding Eagle III, “In money-saving move, Mahnomen hospital shutters inpatient beds, keeps outpatient and emergency care,” Minnesota Public Radio, May 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/4bwfEeU
David Dayen, “Hospital lobbyists fought to cut penalties for cybersecurity breaches,” American Prospect, Apr 18, 2024 https://bit.ly/44AWbr8   
Dave Muoio, “Nonprofit hospitals aren’t immune to FTC’s noncompete ban, lawyers, Fitch analysts warn,” Fierce Healthcare, May 2, 2024 https://bit.ly/4dLVqzk
Kristen Hwang, “An ‘impossible situation’: Why California hospitals are suing a major health insurer,” Cal Matters, Apr 23, 2024 https://bit.ly/44NSq1j
Dave Muoio, “Jefferson Health, Lehigh Valley Health Network sign definitive agreement for $14B merger,” Fierce Healthcare, May 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/3K4Of7R
Rebecca Pifer, “Walmart Health shuts down,” Healthcare Dive, Apr 30, 2024 https://bit.ly/4dGtqND
 
 
 

Why we are handling avian flu as badly as Covid (Do Not Resuscitate This System #347)

Every week I review the mainstream and specialty healthcare news media about how we spend trillions of dollars making intermediaries rich instead of making ourselves healthier. This week I look at bird flu (H5N1), which is exposing how little we learned from Covid and how discredited and debased our public sector is. I cite one op-ed writer: “It’s entirely possible that we’ll get lucky with H5N1 and it will never manage to spread among humans. But when dangerous novel pathogens emerge among humans, there is only a small window of time in which to stop them before they spiral out of control.” I propose to look at whether we are acting on that principle and why or why not.
All the article cited are linked below. If you want to get my written digest direct to your inbox, write me at tfrasca@yahoo.com
 
India Bourke, “‘Unprecedented’: How bird flu became an animal pandemic,” BBC, Apr 26, 2024 https://bbc.in/3UEwYbE
Lambert Strether, “H5N1 happily mutates away while public health establishment plods along, treating the virus as a food supply issue and not as a potential pandemic,” Naked Capitalism, Apr 30, 2024 https://bit.ly/4bxvk1b
Ed Cara, “Florida dolphin dies of bird flu as alarm grows over species spread,” Gizmodo, Apr 26, 2024 https://bit.ly/3UDQZ12
Melissa Rudy, “Texas cats die on dairy farm after drinking raw milk contaminated with bird flu, CDC warns,” Fox News, May 3, 2024 https://fxn.ws/3whbVmt
Berkeley Lovelace Jr., “Bird flu: 1 in 5 samples of pasteurized milk had bird flu virus fragments, FDA says,” NBC News, Apr 25, 2024 https://nbcnews.to/4bkOqro and Julie Steenhuysen & Tom Polansek, “Bird flu: US tests show pasteurized milk is safe,” Reuters, Apr 26, 2024 https://reut.rs/3USusyA
Emily Cadei, Marcia Brown & David Lim, “The ‘milk supply is safe’: Biden administration scrambles to reassure Americans as bird flu spreads,” Politico, Apr 25, 2024 https://politi.co/44uQZoF
Will Stone, “The U.S. may be missing human cases of bird flu, scientists say,” NPR, May 2, 2024 https://n.pr/3US6OCn
Megan Molteni, “Cattle testing for H5N1 bird flu will be more limited than USDA initially announced,” STAT, Apr 26, 2024 https://bit.ly/44GqQ6f
Erika Edwards, “Bird flu cases are likely being missed in dairy workers, experts say,” NBC News, Apr 27, 2024 https://nbcnews.to/4dxg5Hs
F.D. Flam, “Start mass testing dairy workers for bird flu,” Bloomberg, Apr 26, 2024 https://bloom.bg/44B0ceY
Zeynep Tufekci, “This may be our last chance to halt bird flu in humans, and we are blowing it,” New York Times, Apr 24, 2024 https://nyti.ms/3ww31l1
Jessica Wildfire, “Worried about bird flu? Welcome to the party, pal. You’re late,” OK Doomer, Apr 28, 2024 www.okdoomer.io/worried-about-bird-flu-welcome-to-the-party-pal-youre-late
“How did bird flu virus fragments get into milk sold in stores?” Morning AgClips/The Conversation, Apr 28, 2024 https://bit.ly/4bwtgXh and Meredith Lee Hill, David Lim & Marcia Brown, “‘They need to back off’: Farm states push back on Biden’s bird flu response,” Politico, May 6, 2024 https://politi.co/3ycEYYR
Joe Hernandez, “What consumers should know about the milk testing positive for bird flu,” NPR, Apr 24, 2024 https://n.pr/3KdqsTz and Julian Nowogrodzki, “Bird flu in US cows: is the milk supply safe?” Nature, Apr 25, 2024 https://go.nature.com/3y6RUPM
Kristina Fiore, “Are we testing enough for H5N1?” MedPage Today, Apr 25, 2024 Are We Testing Enough for H5N1? 

Good news at last! health insurers lose money and take heat from Congress

This is “Do Not Resuscitate (This System”) #346 for May 3, 2024, in which I review the latest news about how we spend trillions of dollars making intermediaries rich instead of making ourselves healthier. This week, we can cheer at long last over a few items:  Oregon is taking concrete steps toward eliminating commercial health insurance while California is tinkering with some sort of price cap on medical costs. On Capitol Hill, the steady trend of increased concentration of the healthcare sector came under congressional scrutiny, and a big insurer’s stock price suddenly tanked. What’s not to like? 
My full weekly written digest is available at <nypan.org/single-payer-news> as well as the archive going back 6 years. You can also get my digest straight to your inbox by writing me at tfrasca@yahoo.com
Here are all the links to the articles mentioned in the podcast. 
John Canham-Clyne, “California, Oregon eye universal health coverage,” Healthcare Dive, Apr 24, 2024 https://bit.ly/4dgPRsH
Adam Beam, “New California rule aims to limit health care cost increases to 3% annually,” Associated Press, Apr 24, 2024 https://bit.ly/44jdflh
John Tozzi & Riley Griffin, “UnitedHealth CEO defends Change Healthcare deal after hack,” Bloomberg, Apr 16, 2024 https://bloom.bg/4dbTIai
Paige Minemyer, “‘Too big to fail’: Consolidation concerns loom over hearing on Change Healthcare cyberattack,” Fierce Healthcare, May 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/44plyfg
Paige Minemyer, “CVS stock tumbles as Medicare Advantage pressures drag Q1 results,” Fierce Healthcare, May 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/3wnbhDR
D. Lipshutz, “Wall Street Journal editorial board’s love letter to Medicare Advantage ignores wasteful overpayments,” Center for Medicare Advocacy, May 2, 2024 https://bit.ly/4bh1Lkg
Tom Murphy, “J&J to pump another $13B into its MedTech business with Shockwave deal,” Associated Press, Apr 5, 2024 https://bit.ly/3JFzng1
Julie Steenhuysen, “Alzheimer’s drug adoption in US slowed by doctors’ skepticism,” Reuters, Apr 23, 2024 https://reut.rs/3UefKAs
[no byline] Brazil opens insulin-producing plant,” MercoPress, Apr 27, 2024 https://bit.ly/3UCyyej
Berkeley Lovelace Jr., Erin McLaughlin & Jason Kane, “How one state is trying to make weight loss drugs cheaper,” NBC News, Apr 24, 2024 https://nbcnews.to/4def4nH
Linda Searing, “Some 11% of U.S. children have been diagnosed with ADHD,” Washington Post, Apr 22, 2024 https://wapo.st/3WvJT1f
Robert Freedman, “FTC noncompete ban risks blowing up private equity deals,” Legal Dive, Apr 25, 2024 https://bit.ly/3JDPo62
Patrick M. Rucker & David Armstrong, “A doctor at Cigna said her bosses pressured her to review patients’ cases too quickly. Cigna threatened to fire her,” ProPublica, Apr 29, 2024 https://bit.ly/3WlMSsH
Anna Claire Vollers, “You’ve covered your copayment; now brace yourself for the ‘facility fee,’” Stateline, Apr 25, 2024 https://bit.ly/4dkromc
Michelle Crouch & Charlotte Ledger, “The rise of mega-hospitals,” Charlotte Ledger/North Carolina Health News, Apr 22, 2024 https://bit.ly/3UFsrWy

Khan's FTC bans non-compete agreements, hospital CEOs' panties in huge twist

In “Do Not Resuscitate (This System”) #345 for the week ending April 26, 2024, I bring some unusual good news coming from the Federal Trade Commission where head Lina Khan prohibited non-compete agreements that keep workers in indentured servitude because they're banned from getting new jobs elsewhere. It's particularly important for doctors and other providers who have been turned into serfs by private equity and hospitals. (An incredible 45% of family doctors already toil under this insane straitjacket.) Khan on also trying to slow down the ongoing creation of hospital monopolies and making some progress, even attracting support from her GOP enemies in some cases. There's lots more in this episode--all the articles mentioned are linked below. And you can get my written digest straight to your inbox by writing me at tfrasca@yahoo.com as well as the full archive going back 6 years at nypan.org/single-payer-news
Matt Stoller, “FTC enrages corporate America by eliminating non-compete agreements,” BIG, Apr 24, 2024 https://bit.ly/44jj8ii
Julie Rovner & David Hilzenrath, “FTC chief says tech advancements risk health care price fixing,” KFF Health News, Apr 23, 2024 https://bit.ly/3UAWezQ  
Mike Scarcella, “North Carolina backs FTC bid against $320 million health system deal, Reuters, Apr 16, 2024 https://reut.rs/4d5uWJ3
Noah Weiland, “5 Takeaways from a year of Medicaid upheaval,” New York Times, Apr 16,
Tina Reed, “Lawmakers target mergers in first hearing on Change Healthcare hack,” Axios, Apr 17, 2024 https://bit.ly/3WenYeG
Samantha Liss, “Medical providers still grappling with UnitedHealth cyberattack: ‘More devastating than Covid,’” KFF Health News, Apr 19, 2024 https://bit.ly/3UeNzBr
Julie Appleby, “Lawsuit alleges Obamacare plan-switching scheme targeted low-income consumers,” KFF Health News, Apr 16, 2024 https://bit.ly/3QfAIxT
Mohana Ravindranath, “These tech startups are betting on hospital price transparency rules,” STAT, April 17, 2024 https://bit.ly/3w6HzTr
Bruce Jaspen, “Elevance Health and private equity firm to invest in primary care,” Forbes, Apr 16, 2024 https://bit.ly/3U6UT28 and Lis Schencker, “Walgreens embarks on another
Kate Wells, “He thinks his wife died in an understaffed hospital. Now he’s trying to change the industry,” KFF Health News/Michigan Public/NPR, Apr 19, 2024 https://bit.ly/44hhnSU
Dahlia Lithwick, “The absurd case about whether doctors can let you bleed out in the ER is
Kathleen Blackburn, “We regulate a tiny fraction of the 12,000 ‘forever chemicals.’ There’s a better way,” New York Times, Apr 21, 2024 https://nyti.ms/4aMuPAD
Quinn Coffman, “Missouri House gives initial OK to bill protecting pesticide-makers,” Columbia Missourian/St. Louis Public Radio, Apr 19, 2024 https://bit.ly/3xN70d3

Do Not Resuscitate (This System) #344 Apr 19 2024

On “Do Not Resuscitate,” I tell you about how we spend trillions of dollars making insurance companies and other intermediaries rich instead of making ourselves healthier. This week, I review some articles about the sorry state of public health; more on private equity piracy in the healthcare sector; some pharmaceutical news; and a few other topics. Here are the links to all the articles mentioned: 
Tom Frieden, “To rebuild trust in public health: Better communication, fewer mandates, and small wins,” STAT, Apr 11, 2024 https://bit.ly/49A90mk
David Hilzenrath & Holly K. Hacker, “Ten doctors on FDA panel reviewing Abbott heart device had financial ties with company,” KFF Health News/NBC News, Apr 8, 2024 https://bit.ly/4bgqeqf
Lauren Weber, “How Ohio’s GOP governor sells public health: Don’t call it that,” Washington Post, Apr 10, 2024 https://wapo.st/4d2cpx5
Jason Horowitz & Gaia Pianigiani, “What happened when this Italian province invested in babies,” New York Times, Apr 1, 2024 https://nyti.ms/3UkB0G0 
Susanna Vogel, “Over 20% of healthcare bankruptcies last year were linked to private equity,” Healthcare Dive, Apr 17, 2024 https://bit.ly/4b3mFnc
Susanna Vogel, “Medical Properties Trust offloads 5 hospitals to Prime Healthcare,” Healthcare Dive, Apr 11, 2024 https://bit.ly/49HKcca
Susanna Vogel, “Steward bankruptcy likely as massive debt remains, with few options left,” Healthcare Dive, Apr 16, 2024 https://bit.ly/3Q4h5c3
Rebecca Pifer, “Elevance partners with private equity firm on primary care,” Healthcare Dive, Apr 16, 2024 https://bit.ly/4d0219a
Dave Muoio, “High volume, high value hospital transactions kick off 2024,” Fierce Healthcare, Apr 11, 2024 https://bit.ly/3U7ID1e
Ricky Sayer, “Lawmakers plead for help to finalize Washington Health System’s merger with UPMC,” CBS News/KDKA, Apr 10, 2024 https://cbsn.ws/3Unjfpu
Jessica Lyons, “96% of US hospital websites share visitor info with Meta, Google, data brokers,” The Register, Apr 11, 2024 https://bit.ly/3UdiRZM
Rebecca Pifer, “Florida issues Medicaid managed care awards booting out UnitedHealth, CVS and Molina,” Healthcare Dive, Apr 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/3W2rmJv
Sydney Lupkin, “Drugmakers’ low U.S. taxes belie their high sales,” NPR, Apr 15, 2024 https://n.pr/4d02sAk
Robert Langreth, Fiona Rutherford & Tanaz Meghjani, “Americans are paying billions to take drugs that don’t work,” Bloomberg, Apr 15, 2024 https://bloom.bg/3JlmTdx
Tom Murphy, “It’s the first drug shown to slow Alzheimer’s. Why is it off to a slow start?” Associated Press, Apr 13, 2024 https://bit.ly/4b1OrQV
Bob Herman & Rachel Cohrs, “Medicare expects to spend $3.5 billion on new Alzheimer’s drug in 2025,” STAT, Apr 11, 2024 https://bit.ly/3W0F0g8
Varsha Bansal, “This delivery app takes away health insurance when workers don’t meet quotas,” Rest of World, Apr 12, 2024 This delivery app takes away health insurance when workers don’t meet quotas
You can find all the articles and the full archive at nypan.org/single-payer-news and write me at tfrasca@yahoo.com to receive the written digest straight to your inbox. 
 

Do Not Resuscitate (This System) #343 Apr 12 2024

This week I get into the weeds on private equity's infiltration of the healthcare sector as well as the newly discovered backbone among Federal regulators in dealing with runaway costs of for-profit Medicare insurers under Medicare (dis)Advantage. Plenty of news about different ways we are being scammed and tricked, the failure of the Oregon drug decriminalization experiment, but also that state's successful experiment with hospital price caps. Lots to learn about. Here is the site for the full written digest and back archive <nypan.org/single-payer-news> and here is how to get my digest direct to your inbox <tfrasca@yahoo.com> Below are all the links to the articles mentioned: 
Dave Muoio, “Senator probes private equity, physician staffing firms for emergency care cost cutting,” Fierce Healthcare, Apr 2, 2024 https://bit.ly/3UcbSBq
Chris Hamby, “In battle over health care costs, private equity plays both sides,” New York Times, Apr 7, 2024 https://nyti.ms/4aunlC3
Bob Herman, “Biden administration sticks with slight cuts to 2025 Medicare Advantage payments,” STAT, Apr 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/3VRrCeq and Rebecca Pifer, “Biden administration finalizes modest cut to 2025 Medicare Advantage rates,” Healthcare Dive, Apr 2, 2024 https://bit.ly/3JcrSgf
D. Lipschutz, “CMS holds the line against insurance industry pressure, but plans remain significantly overpaid,” Center for Medicare Advocacy, Apr 4, 2024 https://bit.ly/3UeS4xn
Rebecca Pifer, “CMS caps broker payments in Medicare Advantage,” Healthcare Dive, Apr 8, 2024 https://bit.ly/43PGKeh
Caitlin Owens, “Hospital and insurer battles over Medicare Advantage set to grow,” Axios, Apr 4, 2024 https://bit.ly/3W2lgZs
Tony Pugh, “Rural hospitals seek help as private Medicare patients increase,” Bloomberg Law, Apr 3, 2024 https://bit.ly/3vL89RY
Berkeley Lovelace Jr., “Will Medicare raise your monthly premiums to cover Wegovy?” NBC News, April 2, 2024 https://nbcnews.to/3vLIQPw
Suzanne Blake, “Medicare recipients lose thousands to ‘phantom billing,’” Newsweek, Apr 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/4aPPH9G
Sydney Halleman, “One year, 19M disenrollments: A look at Medicaid redeterminations so far,” Healthcare Dive, Apr 2, 2024 https://bit.ly/4awEyKY
Noah Weiland, “For red state holdouts like Kansas, is expanding Medicaid within reach?” New York Times, Apr 3, 2024 https://nyti.ms/4apWOpm
Annalisa Merelli, “Medicaid redetermination cost community health centers an average of $600K each,” STAT, Apr 8, 2024 https://bit.ly/3UdqHU9
Julie Appleby, “ACA plans are being switched without enrollees’ OK,” KFF Health News/NPR, Apr 2, 2024 https://bit.ly/49ssE3v
Cecilia Nowell, “Rapid rise in syphilis hits Native Americans in the Southwest hardest,” Source NM/KFF Health News, Mar 26, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cNmfD7
Lev Facher, “Rigid rules at methadone clinics are jeopardizing patients’ path to recovery from opioid addiction,” STAT, Mar 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/3Udthtj
Mike Baker, “Oregon is recriminalizing drugs. Here’s what Portland learned,” New York Times, Apr 1, 2024 https://nyti.ms/3VSLDB2
Roslyn Murray & Andrew Ryan, “Hospital care costs are out of control. Price caps can help,” STAT, Apr 4, 2024 https://bit.ly/3PZ2VsO
 
 

Ddo Not Resuscitate (THis System) #342 Apr 5, 2024

In this podcast I review the week's coverage in mainstream and specialty media about how we spend trillions of dollars making intermediaries rich instead of making ourselves healthier. This week, I look at consolidation & monopolization trends in the hospital sector as well as the continuing massification of insurance/provider combos; the private equity invasion of healthcare; and important news on pharmaceuticals including state attempts to rein in drug prices. I also pass on news about a new billing scam known as the “facility fee.” 
Access the whole digest at nypan.org/single-payer-news or get it free to your inbox by writing me at tfrasca@yahoo.com
Here are all the links to the articles mentioned: 
Brett Kelman & Samantha Liss, “After Appalachian hospitals merged into a monopoly, their ERs slowed to a crawl,” KFF Health News/The Tennessean, Mar 25, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cT3VbI
Susanna Vogel, “Steward’s legal battles offer insight into pattern of mismanagement,” Healthcare Dive, Mar 20, 2024 https://bit.ly/3VEWui7
Dave Muoio, “Optum to buy struggling Steward Health Care’s physician group under proposed deal,” Fierce Healthcare, Mar 27, 2024 https://bit.ly/4alkqvj
Paige Minemyer, “Amedisys says Oregon regulators are reviewing its $3.7B acquisition by UnitedHealth,” Fierce Healthcare, Mar 20, 2024 https://bit.ly/499Gis9
Anna Claire Vollers, “Vets fret as private equity snaps up clinics, pet care companies,” Stateline, Mar 29, 2024 https://bit.ly/3POZYLf
Susanna Vogel, “Ascension will outsource Illinois hospitalist functions to PE-backed staffing firm,” Healthcare Dive, Mar 26, 2024 https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/ascension-outsource-private-equity-chicago/711372/
Phil Galewitz, “Hospitals cash in on a private equity-backed trend: Concierge physician care,” KFF Health News/ABC News, Apr 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/43MfbSV
Katheryn Houghton, “Some Medicaid providers borrow or go into debt amid ‘unwinding’ payment disruptions,” KFF Health News/Daily Yonder, Mar 27, 2024 https://bit.ly/3U429x1
Liz Seegert, “Is Medicare keeping pace with our aging population? Experts say ‘we need to double down and go faster,’” Fortune, Mar 26, 2024 https://bit.ly/3xtBBw2
Paula Span, “When Medicaid comes after the family home,” New York Times, Mar 16, 2024 https://nyti.ms/3J3tau1
Nick Corbishley, “UK medicines regulator’s role as Pharma ‘enabler’ during pandemic comes under microscope,” Naked Capitalism, Mar 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/4aFuJdg
Lev Facher, “Switzerland had a drug overdose crisis. Then it made methadone easy to get,” STAT, Mar 26, 2024 https://bit.ly/3POWZlY
John Ingold, “Pharmaceutical company Amgen sues Colorado over price-setting prescription drug board,” Colorado Sun, Mar 25, 2024 https://bit.ly/3J4kEuR
Mike Scarcella, “AstraZeneca sues Arkansas to block drug-discount program,” Reuters, Mar 26, 2024 https://reut.rs/3PPerXk
Jonathan Gardner, “FDA approves Merck lung disease drug acquired in $11B deal,” Biopharma Dive, Mar 26, 2024 https://bit.ly/3J4vYXT
Daniel Payne, “Who pays when AI steers your doctor wrong?” Politico, Mar 24, 2024 https://politi.co/4avznL4
Melanie Evans, “Hospitals are adding billions in ‘facility fees’ for routine care,” Wall Street Journal, Mar 25, 2024 Hospitals Are Adding Billions in ‘Facility’ Fees for Routine Care