Do Not Resuscitate (This System) #339 Mar 15 2024

On Do Not Resuscitate, I fill you in every week on news about how we spend trillions of dollars making intermediaries rich instead of making ourselves healthier. This week, I’ll talk about some state and federal actions to block hospitals from growing into giant cartels and the invasion of the healthcare sector by private equity; then  there’s more on the big hack of patient data at UnitedHealth, which affects millions of us; and a whole smorgasbord of other pieces on Covid, environmental factors, pharmaceuticals, the fat shots, and you name it. You can get the whole written digest from me by writing to tfrasca@yahoo.com and the back archive at https://nypan.org/single-payer-news

Here are all the articles mentioned in this week's Do Not Resuscitate: 

Susanna Vogel, “Federal government probes healthcare private equity deals,” Healthcare Dive, Mar 6, 2024 https://bit.ly/3Pi41iP

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, “Antitrust scrutiny of private equity in health care intensifies,” JD Supra, Mar 8, 2024 https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/antitrust-scrutiny-of-private-equity-in-7711107/

Dan Primack, ““Hospital debacle puts focus on private equity,” Axios, Mar 6, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cfVkQ3

Anna Claire Vollers, “Facing public backlash, some health care companies are abandoning hospital deals,” Stateline, Mar 11, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cfzxrp

Nancy Lavin, “Rhode Island’s health care system is sick. The State Senate has a 25-bill prescription,” Rhode Island Current, Mar 5, 2024 https://bit.ly/48Tqutk

Seth Tupper, “Medicaid work requirement question will appear on South Dakota ballots in November,” South Dakota Searchlight, Feb 27, 2024 https://bit.ly/49KVME4

Anna Maria Barry-Jester, “Syphilis is killing babies. The U.S. government is failing to stop the disease from spreading,” ProPublica, Mar 4, 2024 https://bit.ly/49OJwmb

Shaun Boyd, “Colorado bill would require insurers and Medicaid to cover weight loss drugs like Wegovy,” CBS News, Mar 6, 2024 https://cbsn.ws/3wTF9HV

Carmen Sesin, “Florida’s Medicaid call center’s wait times, disconnection rates are hindering health care access, study warns,” NBC News, Mar 7, 2024 https://nbcnews.to/3v5VXuI

Emily Olsen, “Change Healthcare faces potential class action as lawsuits rack up,” Healthcare Dive, Mar 7, 2024 https://bit.ly/3PhFV7H

American Hospital Association, “AHA expresses concerns with UHG program in response to cyberattack on Change Healthcare,” Mar 4, 2024 https://bit.ly/3VdQWeh

Ashish K. Jha, “The CDC’s new, relaxed Covid isolation guidance makes perfect sense,” STAT, Mar 6, 2024 https://bit.ly/3PkhQ09

Star-Ledger Editorial Board, “We ignored AIDS. Let’s not repeat the mistake on long COVID,” NJ.com, Mar 10, 2024 https://bit.ly/49Sye0f

Bonnie Castillo, “We won’t let them ban our stories,” National Nurses United, Feb 23, 2024 https://nnubonnie.medium.com/we-wont-let-them-ban-our-stories-02eef9dfa71b

Keith M. Phaneuf, “Lamont negotiates big pay hike for CT home health aides,” CT Mirror, Mar 5, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cbi0Rj

Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez, “Operating in the red: Half of rural hospitals lose money as many cut services,” KFF Health News, Mar 7, 2024 https://bit.ly/4a3tdlH

Lindsey Leake, “Mark Cuban’s $141K mistake: The Cost Plus Drugs cofounder says CEOs don’t understand health care coverage, and it’s costing them big,” Fortune, Mar 8, 2024 https://bit.ly/3uY0ZcM

Rebecca Pifer, “Community Health Systems to buy drugs from Mark Cuban Cost Plus,” Healthcare Dive, Mar 8, 2024 https://bit.ly/3x0dKUt

Nancy Lapid, “Plastic lodged in arteries may be linked to higher risk of heart disease and death,” Reuters, Mar 6, 2024 https://reut.rs/3PgXsx5

David Hilzenrath, “VIP health system for top U.S. officials risked jeopardizing care for soldiers,” KFF Health News/USA Today, Mar 8, 2024 https://bit.ly/4chyCHh

Jacob Bell, “Amylyx ALS drug fails crucial study, putting company’s future in doubt,” Biopharma Dive, Mar 8, 2024 https://bit.ly/3Vh8iGV

Cory Doctorow, “Palantir’s NHS-stealing big lie,” Pluralistic, Mar 8, 2024 Pluralistic: Palantir’s NHS-stealing Big Lie (08 Mar 2024) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow