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

What would Harris do? Do Not Resuscitate (This System) #356 Jul 26 2024

The week ending July 26, 2024, was pretty wild, so I'll try to catch up with what the new options in November might mean for healthcare policy. The Biden record wasn't great, which doesn't mean things can't get worse! But there were glimmers of positive news out there, so all is not lost. 
Here are the links to all the articles discussed in this episode: 
Nathaniel Weixel, “Where Kamala Harris stands on health care issues,” The Hill, Jul 22, 2024 https://bit.ly/3A4MTIs
Josh Nathan-Kazis, “What Kamala Harris’ ascendance means for healthcare investors,” Barron’s, July 22, 2024 https://bit.ly/3YdJUrm
Matt Stoller, “What would Kamala Harris do about corporate power?” BIG, Jul 23, 2024 https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/what-would-kamala-harris-do-about
Caitlin Owens & Adriel Bettelheim, “Biden’s fragile legacy on health care,” Axios, Jul 22, 2024 https://bit.ly/3WAkbbk
Clara Bates, “Pediatricians say Missouri children are losing Medicaid coverage at alarming rate,” Missouri Independent, Jul 21, 2024 https://bit.ly/4feUdBz
Sudhin Thanawala, “Judge refuses to extend timeframe for Georgia’s new Medicaid plan, only one with work requirement,” Associated Press, Jul 16, 2024 https://bit.ly/4diIqAv
Ian Randall, “US health care now unaffordable for nearly half of Americans,” Newsweek, Jul 17, 2024 https://bit.ly/3zWZnSD
Elisabeth Rosenthal, “Her hearing implant was preapproved. Nonetheless, she got $139,000 bills for months,” KFF Health News/NPR, Jul 17, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cUpfwO
Dave Muoio, “FTC probing DaVita, Fresenius Medical Care’s noncompetes for dialysis clinic medical directors,” Fierce Healthcare, Jul 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/3WANHxL
Michael Juliano, “DaVita agrees to pay $34.5m for kickbacks,” Benzinga, Jul 19, 2024 https://bit.ly/3zSLXqO
Joseph Choi, “Biden faces heavy lift with pledge to end medical debt,” The Hill, Jul 20, 2024 https://bit.ly/3LCYp0l
Julie Appleby, “Biden Administration tightens broker access to healthcare.gov to thwart rogue sign-ups,” KFF Health News, Jul 19, 2024 https://bit.ly/3YAyQ83
Julie Appleby, “HealthSherpa and insurers team up to curb unauthorized ACA enrollment schemes,” KFF Health News, Jul 16, 2024 https://bit.ly/4bWIvsy
Jakob Emerson, “15 health systems dropping Medicare Advantage plans,” Becker’s Hospital Review, Jul 24, 2024 https://bit.ly/3YkumSM
Sonali Kolhatkar, “Project 2025’s plan to gut Medicare and Medicaid,” Counterpunch, Jul 19, 2024 https://bit.ly/3y8MXXf
F. Douglas Stephenson, “Trump’s Project 2025 abolishes Medicare; We need to fight back and expand it,” Informed Comment, Jul 21, 2024 https://bit.ly/3ybqR6m
Wendell Potter, “Private Medicare plans and vertical integration yield UnitedHealth $15.8 billion in profits between January and June,” Healthcare Un-covered, Jul 16, 2024 https://bit.ly/3yq8Np7
Find my entire archive of article summaries and links at <www.nypan.org/single-payer-news-archive> You can also get my written digest direct to your inbox by writing me at tfrasca@yahoo.com
I'll be back next week with more on how we pay trillions to make intermediaries rich instead of improving our health! 

How the Supreme Court's Chevron ruling will screw up healthcare

Do Not Resuscitate (This System) #355 is about last month’s Supreme Court ruling that will weaken if not cripple the administrative/regulatory state, and the impact of that decision on the healthcare sector. The case in question is known as “Loper Bright,” and the precedent it overturned is called Chevron Deference or just “Chevron.
This podcast is about how we spend trillions of dollars making intermediaries rich instead of making ourselves healthier. And the Supremes have really outdone themselves this time by stripping federal agencies of the benefit of the doubt in interpreting laws relevant to their mandates. Listen for a quick summary of what the ruling said and why it matters. Here are all the articles mentioned in this week's podcast.
Matt Stoller, “What is Chevron Deference, and how much does it matter?” BIG, Jul 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/3LwQp0U
Kaye Pestaina, Michelle Long & Justin Lo, “Supreme Court decision limiting the authority of federal agencies could have far-reaching impacts for health policy,” KFF Health News, Jul 01, 2024 https://bit.ly/3y1eM3G
Chuck Dinerstein, “The morning after Chevron: Courts tell the FDA how to do its job,” American Council on Science and Health, Jul 03, 2024 https://bit.ly/3WubLlC
Amy Howe, “Supreme Court strikes down Chevron, curtailing power of federal agencies,” SCOTUSblog, Jun 28, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cLUSbV
Verge Staff, “What SCOTUS just did to broadband, the right to repair, the environment, and more,” The Verge, Jun 28, 2024 https://bit.ly/3SfwgQN
Andrew Cass, “How the Supreme Court's Chevron deference ruling could affect healthcare,” Becker’s Hospital Review, Jun 28, 2024 https://bit.ly/3LB8YRn
“What does the end of Chevron Deference mean for federal health care programs?” Foley & Lardner LLP, Jul 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/3Y9gTgp
Brownstein Client Alert, “Health care impacts following Chevron decision,” Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, Jul 3, 2024 https://bit.ly/3y1sW4S
Noah Tong, “How Chevron’s demise could impact employers, purchasers, and health payers,” Fierce Healthcare, Jul 11, 2024 https://bit.ly/3zP8DrX
Dave Muoio, “Hackensack Meridian Health cites Chevron’s demise in new lawsuit over DSH pay formula,” Fierce Healthcare, Jul 2, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cLTAhg
Noah Tong, “Court pauses CMS broker compensation rule for Medicare Advantage plans,” Fierce Healthcare, Jul 11, 2024 https://bit.ly/3YaToDQ
You can also find the entire archive of my digests at www.nypan.org/single-payer-news and get the full newsletter direct to your inbox by writing me at tfrasca@yahoo.com
 
 

Rube Goldberg Invented Our Healthcare Payment System (SPL #354)

Putting for-profit intermediaries in charge of our healthcare spending (all $4.5 trillion of it) is nuts, but the trend is toward making a failing system worse--and not just here. The new Labour government in the U.K. is set to accelerate privatization of its once-heralded National Health Service. And from all indications, the undermining of Medicare continues apace here as well. We can only keep up with the details of these perverse trends and stay alert to possible ways of pushing back or at the very least alerting people to why they are a terrible idea.
Here are all the links to articles mentioned in this podcast. If you want my full newsletter, write me at tfrasca@yahoo.com and you can also check the full archive at www.nypan.org/single-payer-news
 
Nick Corbishley, “It is now Labour’s turn to expand the piecemeal privatization of the UK’s National Health Service,” Naked Capitalism, Jul 9, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cuNku2
Dave Muoio, Emma Beavins & Noah Tong, “CMS' proposed 2.8% physician pay decrease for CY2025 earns quick condemnation from docs,” Fierce Healthcare, Jul 10, 2024 https://bit.ly/3xQ6YBL
Kristine Sorensen, “UPMC, leaders celebrate acquisition of Washington Health System,” CBS News, Jun 12, 2024 https://cbsn.ws/4cSrSyW
Paul van Osdol, “Months before announcing 1,000 layoffs, UPMC leases new $50 million jet,” WTAE/ABC News, Jul 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cSicEE
Dave Muoio, “Steward Health Care spent millions spying on critics amid failing finances,” Fierce Healthcare, Jul 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/4f02hG0
Michelle Crouch, “North Carolina unveils plan to incentivize hospitals to forgive medical debt and beef up charity care,” Charlotte Ledger, Jul 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/461h5Ai
Taylor Knopf, “‘Something from a horror novel’: U.S. Senate slams owner of N.C. psych hospitals,” North Carolina Health News, Jun 27, 2024 https://bit.ly/3VX9uy0
Tina Reed, “Smallest businesses feel crush of health care costs,” Axios, Jun 27, 2024 https://bit.ly/3XWIvoM
Judith Graham, “Lack of affordability tops older Americans’ list of health care worries,” KFF Health News/CNN, Jul 3, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cVFJo9
Wenonah Hauter, “The corporate greed behind bird flu,” The Progressive, Jul 3, 2024 https://bit.ly/3zEj81a
“We’ve put all our eggs in one basket,” literally, says this author. “Industrial factory farms cram hundreds of thousands of animals with near-identical genetics into desperately tight quarters, creating perfect breeding grounds for infectious disease.” Once upon a time, we acquired our food from diversified, small-scale farms that could withstand new infectious agents. No longer.  
*
Megan Molteni, “Bird flu snapshot: Live H5N1 virus grown from raw milk samples as Delaware moves to legalize its sale,” STAT, Jul 8, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cCZQb8
Lori Kersey, “West Virginia’s soft drink tax is repealed this week,” West Virginia Watch, Jul 2, 2024 https://bit.ly/4bCHrtt
Brenda Goodman, “In new Alzheimer’s criteria, some see progress while others fear profit-driven ‘diagnostic creep,’” CNN, Jul 1, 2024 https://cnn.it/3W1jZAe
Maya Goldman, “Health insurers take on the affordability crisis—in housing,” Axios, Jun 5, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cA3L8i
Andrew Goudsward & Tyler Clifford, “US charges 193 people in $2.75 billion health care fraud bust,” Reuters, Jun 27, 2024 https://reut.rs/3VX76Ht

Here's why people don't trust healthcare institutions (Do Not Resuscitate #353)

For the week ending June 28, 2024, we look at how people cope with healthcare institutions that abuse them, betray their trust, and give them lousy serices, all while exhorting us to trust The Science™. But we lead with a victory for New York City retirees who successfully fought off attempts to shove them into for-profit Medicare (Dis)Advantage in breach of their contracts. Also, a lot on our unpreparedness for a bird flu epidemic if one were to emerge. More examples of how we spend trillions of dollars making intermediaries rich instead of making ourselves healthier. 
To see the full archive of my years of written digests on these subjects, go to www.npan.org/single-payer-links.
To get my digest to your inbox, write me at tfrasca@yahoo.com
Here are links to all the articles mentioned: 
Bob Hennelly, “After rebuff from retirees, UFT’s Mulgrew bails on Medicare Advantage,” City & State NY, Jun 23, 2024 https://bit.ly/3VOCnwu
Joey Rettino, “These big health insurers covered fewer people in the commercial market in 2023 than they did in 2013. Yet profits were up. Here’s how,” Health Care Un-covered, Jun 20, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cihnoO
Danielle Ofri, “Even doctors like me are falling into this medical bill trap,” New York Times, Jun 17, 2024 https://nyti.ms/3xBGDqP
Elizabeth Dwoskin, Daniel Gilbert & Tatum Hunter, “Doctors couldn’t help. They turned to a shadow system of DIY medical tests,” Washington Post, Jun 9, 2024 https://www.democraticunderground.com/114234697
Associated Press, “Being a patient is getting harder in a strained and complex U.S. health care system,” Jun 2, 2024 https://bit.ly/45IdbMp
Peggy Lowe & Bram Sable-Smith, “Super Bowl parade shooting survivors await promised donations while bills pile up,” KCUR/KFF Health News, Jun 21, 2024 https://bit.ly/3zmoUEw
Rachana Pradhan & Samantha Liss, “Medicaid for millions in American hinges on Deloitte-run systems plagued by errors,” KFF Health News/Fortune, June 24, 2024 https://bit.ly/3XHcEZp
Susanna Vogel, “Under the watch of the attorney general, Northwell overhauls charity care policy,” Healthcare Dive, Jun 5, 2024 https://bit.ly/3L4x3QE
Dave Muoio, “HHS finalizes info blocking disincentives for hospitals, clinician groups and ACOs,” Fierce Healthcare, Jun 24, 2024 https://bit.ly/3VyVB96
Brett Kelman, “Tennessee gives this hospital monopoly an A grade—even when it reports failure,” KFF Health News/States Newsroom, May 29, 2024 https://bit.ly/3zstX66
Rebecca Pifer, “Walgreens-backed CityMD settles with Justice Department over alleged COVID fraud,” Healthcare Dive, Jun 10, 2024 https://bit.ly/3xIh2fR
Chris Bing & Joel Schectman, “Pentagon ran secret anti-vax campaign to undermine China during pandemic,” Reuters, Jun 14, 2024 https://reut.rs/3zdGnyI
Marianne Cooper & Maxim Voronov, “We’ve hit peak denial. Here’s why we can’t turn away from reality,” Scientific American, Jun 18, 2024 https://archive.md/YNK3D
Evan Blake, “The destruction of public health and the growing threat of an H5N1 bird flu pandemic,” World Socialist Web Site, Jun 20, 2024 https://bit.ly/4eCUUnV
Julia Doubleday, “COVID infection endangers pregnancies and newborns. Why aren't parents being warned?” The Gauntlet, Jun 21, 2024 https://bit.ly/3XKDSOD
Jessica Wildfire, “Years into a pandemic, we’re stuck in long denial,” OK Doomer, Jun 21, 2024 https://bit.ly/3RKOn0t
Andrew Joseph, Rachel Cohrs Zhang, Helen Branswell & Megan Molteni, “Three months into bird flu outbreak in U.S. dairy cows, experts see deep-rooted problems in response,” STAT, Jun 26, 2024 https://bit.ly/3ztqCUm
Neil Barsky, “Does the American Diabetes Association work for patients or companies? A lawsuit dared to ask,” Guardian, May 2, 2024 https://bit.ly/3WI39Zn
Rebecca Beitsch, “Potatoes will remain classified as a vegetable, not a grain, Collins says,” The Hill, May 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/3WNKFXj

The U.S. spends nearly $5 trillion a year on health--why do we look so sick?

This week, I’ll look at the nearly $5 trillion dollars that we shell out as a nation for healthcare and where all that loot ends up, who gets the biggest share of that enormous pie, and efforts to rein in the relentless increases in costs and what people go through to pay for their care—or go without. 
Here are links to all the articles mentioned. At the bottom I include the link for an archive to all my digests going back 7 years and my email if you want the digest delivered to your inbox. 
Ahmed Aboulenein, “U.S. healthcare spending rises to $4.8 trillion in 2023, outpacing GDP,” Reuters, Jun 13, 2024 https://reut.rs/3z7W36K
Cory Doctorow, “The health industry’s invisible hand is a fist,” Pluralistic, Jun 13, 2024 https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/13/a-punch-in-the-guts/
Nora Kenworthy, “What the toxic morality of crowdfunded healthcare says about American society,” Literary Hub, May 24, 2024 https://bit.ly/4c5WpcG
Molly Castle Work, “Los Angeles County launches ambitious plan to tackle medical debt. Hospitals groan,” KFF Health News/LAist, May 23, 2024 https://bit.ly/3R75Obc
Noam Levey, “Why one New York health system stopped suing its patients,” KFF Health News, May 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/3VXHDiF
Bernard J. Wolfson, “California becomes latest state to try capping health care spending,” KFF Health News/LAist, Jun 4, 2024 https://bit.ly/3KQ9ryT
Paige Minemyer, “UnitedHealth chief Andrew Witty was 2023’s highest-paid payer CEO,” Fierce Healthcare, May 20, 2024 https://bit.ly/3V7rOUQ
Dave Muoio, “The top 10 nonprofit health systems by 2023 operating revenue,” Fierce Healthcare, Jun 17, 2024 https://bit.ly/4b8GSHL
Aletha Adu, “Tory party CEO is director at cancer care firm benefiting from NHS waiting lists,” Guardian, Jun 14, 2024 https://bit.ly/3xcDPR3
Thom Hartmann, “Why are any of us paying for the scam that is Medicare Advantage?” Common Dreams, May 20, 2024 https://bit.ly/4csHtVU
Julie Appleby, “Biden team’s tightrope: Reining in rogue Obamacare agents without slowing enrollment,” KFF Health News/NPR, May 7, 2024 https://bit.ly/3K9kzXn and Rebecca Pifer, “Medicare Advantage sales middleman sues HHS over rule capping broker compensation,” Healthcare Dive, Jun 3, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cnKhDy
Susanna Vogel, “Court strikes down FTC’s latest attempt to block Novant-CHS deal,” Healthcare Dive, Jun 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/3Xrsvek and Dave Muoio, “Judge denies FTC’s preliminary bid to block Novant, CHS’ $320M hospital deal,” Fierce Healthcare, Jun 5, 2024 https://bit.ly/3XnphbQ
Josh Sisco, “Judge throws out FTC case against private equity firm in Texas anesthesia antitrust case,” Politico, May 14, 2024 https://bit.ly/3KlReJd
Rebecca Pifer, “CHS sues MultiPlan for allegedly colluding to lower provider reimbursement,” Healthcare Dive, May 10, 2024 https://bit.ly/4eqilAN
Boston Globe, “Getting a grip on health care costs,” [editorial], May 30, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cmccUi
Shahryar Rana, “How to change the rural health care crisis: immigrant doctors,” Dallas Morning News, May 21, 2024 https://bit.ly/3yT6KcY
Kavitha Chekuru, “Gaza’s stolen healers: Hundreds of Palestinian doctors disappeared into Israeli detention,” The Intercept, May 24, 2024 https://bit.ly/4e5tp5Y
See the full archive at www.nypan.org/single-payer-news and get my written digest sent to your inbox by writing me at tfrasca@yahoo.com

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?