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

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

Do Not Resuscictate (This System) #341 Mar 29 2024

In this podcast, I review the news about how we spend trillions of dollars making intermediaries rich instead of making ourselves healthier. This week, I comment on several reports on likely links between pollutants and disease because it goes to the heart of our relentless focus on treatments rather than prevention, which makes sense if we are slaves to market logic in our decisions about where to direct our resources. I also touch upon developments in Medicare financing, state efforts to rein in drug costs, some Covid and long Covid news, and the usual horror stories on the ongoing invasion of healthcare by private equity.
Here are all the links to the articles mentioned. I also include my email if you would like to get my digest direct to your inbox. 
Medical News Today, “Another 3 common pesticides are now linked to Parkinson's disease risk,” Mar 9, 2024 https://bit.ly/4983ln7
Jessica Kutz, “Louisiana’s toxic air is linked to low-weight and pre-term births,” The 19th, Mar 14, 2024 https://bit.ly/3v7zjSQ
Jonathan Buonocore et al., “Climate policies to reduce motor vehicle emissions can improve children’s health, save money,” Science Daily, Mar 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/3Vq3aAv
Rebecca Pifer, “CMS launches model to increase primary care investment in Medicare,” Healthcare Dive, Mar 20, 2024 https://bit.ly/4a7T2Ry
Susanna Vogel, “Hospitals could face revenue hit if insurers play hardball over MA,” Healthcare Dive, Mar 21, 2024 https://bit.ly/3TSWkCj
Andy Miller & Renuka Rayasam, “Georgia’s Medicaid work requirements costing taxpayers millions despite low enrollment,” KFF Health News/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Mar 20, 2024 https://bit.ly/4a9oz5p
Dave Muoio, “Providers ‘wasted’ $10.6B in 2022 overturning claims denials, survey finds,” Fierce Healthcare, Mar 22, 2024 https://bit.ly/4acbqbS
Brett Arends, “Medicare Advantage is overbilling Medicare by 22%,” Morningstar, Mar 26, 2024 https://bit.ly/3PF2qnp
A. Bers, “Good progress in litigation against Medicare drug price negotiations,” Center for Medicare Advocacy, Mar 21, 2024 https://bit.ly/4avfovT
Casey Smith, “Indiana AG Todd Rokita files lawsuit against drug companies, PBMs over inflated insulin prices,” Indiana Capital Chronicle, Mar 20, 2024 https://bit.ly/4a9JmWC
Angela Roberts, “Baltimore sues Eli Lilly, other drugmakers for artificially inflating insulin prices,” Baltimore Sun, Mar 20, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cv4HeH
Maya Goldman, “States’ drug pricing boards off to a slow start,” Axios, Mar 22, 2024 https://bit.ly/4avKvYo
Sharlin Chatlani, “Taxpayers were overcharged for patient meds. Then came the lawyers,” Stateline, Mar 21, 2024 https://bit.ly/3TzfXOy
Matt Stoller, “Monopoly round-up: How FTC Chair Lina Khan cut inhaler costs to $35,” BIG, Mar 25, 2024 https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/monopoly-round-up-how-ftc-chair-lina
Daniel Gilbert, “Failure of ALS drug puts a spotlight on controversial FDA approvals,” Washington Post, Mar 16, 2024 https://wapo.st/3TSIYG7
T. Edelman, “A model for nursing home enforcement,” Center for Medicare Advocacy, Mar 21, 2024 https://bit.ly/3PEVKFU
Sean Campbell & Charlene Harrington, “For-profit nursing homes are cutting corners on safety and draining resources with financial shenanigans—especially at midsize chains that dodge public scrutiny,” The Conversation, Mar 14, 2024 https://bit.ly/3VyKoHl
Jane Merrick, “Thousands of disabled people died after Covid treatment withheld, inquiry to probe,” iNews, Mar 22, 2024 https://bit.ly/4ctBH75
John-Paul Ford Rojas, “Britain is suffering its longest sick note epidemic for 25 years as 2.7 MILLION people claim they are too ill to work,” Daily Mail (U.K.), Mar 24, 2024 https://bit.ly/3TvKixv
Anthony J. Leonardi, “The attack on Long Covid: A revisionist assault,” Easy Chair, Mar 25, 2024 https://www.easychair.info/p/the-attack-on-long-covid
Jess McAllen, “How Covid changed nursing,” The Baffler, Mar 14, 2024 https://thebaffler.com/latest/how-covid-changed-nursing-mcallen
 
write me directly at tfrasca@yahoo.com or find my entire archive at nypan.org/single-payer-news

Do Not Resuscitate (This System) #340 Mar 22 2024

On “Do Not Resuscitate" I review the week's healthcare news about how we spend a ton of money making intermediaries rich instead of ourselves healthier.  This week, I look at the updated CDC guidelines advising us not to worry about Covid; people with long Covid who advise us that we might want to worry a little; then there's the mega-Hack of our health payment information and the ensuing chaos; some stuff on how drug prices make Massachusetts so expensive for healthcare; and an unusual tale of a hospital-social housing alliance that bears watching. If you want my full digest, write to <tfrasca@yahoo.com> or check out all my archives at nypan.org/single-payer-news
Here are the links to all the articles mentioned: 
Amy Maxmen, “Health workers fear it’s profits before protection as CDC revisits airborne transmission,” KFF Health News/NBC News, Mar 19, 2024 https://bit.ly/3x4REAv
Sara Moniuszko & Michael George, “Up to 5.8 million kids have long COVID, study says. One mother discusses the ‘heartbreaking’ search for answers,” CBS News, Mar 15, 2024 https://cbsn.ws/494HblZ
Melody Schreiber, “‘Alarming’ rise in Americans with long Covid symptoms,” The Guardian, Mar 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/3Vq4xzh
Rachel Beale, “Long Covid, with no treatment in sight, took my life as I knew it,” USA Today, Mar 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/3PtAXEW
Jeffrey D. Sachs, “What might the U.S. owe the world for Covid-19?” Common Dreams, Mar 16, 2024 https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/covid-19-gain-of-function-us-research
Jocelyn Kaiser, “‘Lab-leak’ proponents at Rutgers accused of defaming and intimidating COVID-19 origin researchers,” Science, Mar 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/3wZxxDQ
Pat Garofalo, “Oh so close to tackling the corporatization of medical care,” Boondoggle, Mar 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/3PtBlmV
Susanna Vogel, “For-profit hospital operators bet on outpatient services, expense reductions in 2023,” Healthcare Dive, Mar 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/3x072Ou
Harris Meyer, “Concerns grow over quality of care as investor groups buy not-for-profit nursing homes,” KFF Health News/Fortune, Mar 13, 2024 https://bit.ly/3Vpn12Q
Tina Reed, “Health care providers losing up to $1B a day from cyberattack,” Axios, Mar 11, 2024 https://bit.ly/4ahcLOg
Emily Olsen, “CMS releases Medicaid payment flexibilities during Change cyberattack,” Healthcare Dive, Mar 18, 2024 https://bit.ly/3THZTeA
John Tozzi, Ike Swetlitz & Riley Griffin, “Cancer clinics face cash crunch after hack rocks U.S. health care,” Bloomberg, Mar 13, 2024 https://bloom.bg/3ILHtU6
Jackie Llano, “Florida set to spend $1.5 billion in variety of health care programs; Here’s where the funds would go,” Florida Phoenix, Mar 14, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cqkjzZ
Emily Wagster Pettus, “Mississippi has the nation’s worst infant mortality. It will allow earlier Medicaid to help babies,” Associated Press, Mar 13, 2024 https://bit.ly/3IGfu8e
Julia Johnson, “Sen. Braun demands full audit of Medicare after massive fraud discovery,” Fox News, March 13, 2024 https://fxn.ws/3wZydZV
John Parkinson, “Measles cases are being reported: Are we losing our herd immunity?” Infection Control Today, Mar 4, 2024 https://bit.ly/3IJzG96
Paul Law, “No parent who has seen the children I’ve treated for measles would refuse a vaccine,” STAT, Mar 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/3x3fAUT
Noah Tong, “Breaking down Biden's $7.3T proposed budget for 2025: Here are his top health priorities,” Fierce Healthcare, Mar 11, 2024 https://bit.ly/3x40dvq
Lynn Parramore, “Negotiating Big Pharma’s prices won’t stifle innovation—they don’t use the money to innovate!” Institute for New Economic Thinking, Mar 14, 2024 https://bit.ly/3x1QdTi
April Dembosky, “A new postpartum depression drug is here. How will insurers handle it?” KQED/KFF Health News, Mar 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cgBDHP
Nada Hassanein, “New way for states to cover pricey gene therapies will start with sickle cell disease,” Stateline, Mar 14, 2024 https://bit.ly/3VqElEt
Dave Muoio, “Health spending spikes in Massachusetts amid high drug expenses, unprecedented patient cost sharing, regulator warns,” Fierce Healthcare, Mar 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/43qzV2s
Patrick Sisson, “In hospitals, affordable housing gets the long-term investor it needs,” New York Times, Mar 12, 2024 In Hospitals, Affordable Housing Gets the Long-Term Investor It Needs

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
 

Do Not Resuscitate (This System) #338 Mar 8 2024

The week's news about how we squander trillions on medical care to make intermediaries rich instead of ourselves healthier. Hihglights: the big cyberattack on UnitedHealth affecting 200 million users and why that's likely to be repeated elsewhere; the new CDC guidelines on Covid, a.k.a. "Relax and Sneeze!" [snark]; some Medicaid updates; is Medicare Advantage losing its lustre for investors?; and some environmental dangers that we ignore in favor of finding expensive pharmaceuticals treatments for the diseases they cause. 
The articles mentioned are the following: 
Rebecca Pifer, “Walgreens to close VillageMD clinics in Florida,” Healthcare Dive, Feb 22, 2024 https://bit.ly/3wDUagE and Emily Olsen, “Walgreens’ VillageMD to exit Illinois,” Healthcare Dive, Mar 1, 2024 https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/walgreens-villagemd-closes-illinois-clinics/709012/
Darius Tahir, “Hacking at UnitedHealth unit cripples a swatch of the U.S. health system: What to know,” KFF Health News/CBS News, Mar 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/4c3iFEb and James Rundle, Catherine Stupp & Kim S. Nash, “Medical providers fight to survive after Change Healthcare hack,” Wall Street Journal, Mar 1, 2024 https://on.wsj.com/3T7eZZp
Elise Takahama, “Why health care has become a top target for cybercriminals,” Seattle Times/Tribune News Service, Mar 1, 2024 https://bayareane.ws/3T1zOpn
Maureen Tkacik, “Zoomer hackers shut down the biggest extortion ring of all,” American Prospect, Mar 1, 2024 https://prospect.org/health/2024-03-01-zoomer-hackers-shut-down-unitedhealthcare/
Wendell Potter, “UnitedHealth Group: Vulnerable and ill-equipped to defend against modern threats like cyberattacks,” Healthcare Un-covered, Mar 5, 2024 https://wendellpotter.substack.com/p/unitedhealth-group-vulnerable-and
Susanna Vogel, “Kaiser lays off IT workers for a second time in 4 months,” Healthcare Dive, Mar 5, 2024 https://bit.ly/3uSwOng
The Lancet, [editorial] “What has the impact been of privatisation on the quality of care? Does competition work in this arena?” March 2024 https://bit.ly/49HlIjR
Nia Clark, “Some UnitedHealthcare members lose Mount Sinai coverage,” Spectrum/NY1, Mar 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/49ClgU4
Julie Appleby & Phil Galewitz, “America worries about health costs—and voters want to hear from Biden and Republicans,” KFF Health News/CBS News, Mar 4, 2024 https://bit.ly/3uPR9tn
Christopher T. Su & Scott D. Ramsey, “Medical debt—an iatrogenic epidemic with mortal consequences,” JAMA, Mar 4, 2024 https://bit.ly/4342ClG
Nada Hassanein, “States consider menthol cigarette bans as feds delay action,” Stateline, Feb 29, 2024 https://bit.ly/437OcAV
Brian Platt & Laura Dhillon Kane, “Trudeau introduces bill on national drug coverage program,” Bloomberg, Feb 29, 2024 https://bloom.bg/3IqWXwv
Maya Goldman, “Why Medicare is adding prior authorization requirements as others cut back,” Axios, Mar 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/49IYj1M
Anne Blythe, “Dentists lobby for higher Medicaid reimbursement rates,” North Carolina Health News, Feb 28, 2024 https://bit.ly/49Cyald
Wendell Potter & Philip Verhoef, “Medicare Advantage is bad for patients and bad for investors,” STAT, Feb 28, 2024 https://bit.ly/3v2EPG7
Tony Leys, “Without Medicare Part B’s shield, patient’s family owes $81,000 for a single air-ambulance flight,” KFF Health News/NPR, Feb 27, 2024 https://bit.ly/3SZAk73
Eric Topol, [Twitter thread], Mar 4, 2024 https://bit.ly/4c0Kj4R
Katherine J. Wu, “Why are we still flu-ifying COVID?” The Atlantic, Feb 28, 2024 https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2024/02/covid-anniversary-flu-isolation-cdc/677588/
Melody Schreiber, “Covid taught us a lot. The CDC now wants us to forget it,” New Republic, Feb 28, 2024 https://newrepublic.com/article/179304/covid-cdc-guidelines-isolation-symptoms
Keren Landman, “The CDC has finally loosened Covid isolation guidelines. Here’s why that’s a good thing,” Vox, Mar 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/3Tq9dDV
Keith Schneider, “New report sparks questions and controversy over possible causes for Iowa ‘cancer crisis,’” New Lede, Mar 4, 2024 https://bit.ly/4c31dQk
Saboto Caesar, “Global pesticide ban is only way to stop us from a health epidemic,” Newsweek, Feb 28, 2024 https://bit.ly/49E9acZ
Find my whole archive at <nypan.org/single-payer-news>, and if you'd like to get my weekly digest direct to your inbox, write me at tfrasca@gmail.com

Do Not Resuscitate (This System) #337 Mar 1 2024

I’m Tim Frasca, and every week I tell you about what’s in 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’ll look at some good news about excessive concentration in the healthcare sector; why people with long Covid and getting the short shrift; what’s happening to fight the runaway prices of prescription drugs; some interesting debates on where public health went wrong; and a look at why some hospitals are rich and others go broke. Here are all the links to the articles I mention: 
Paige Minemyer, “WSJ: Department of Justice conducting antitrust probe of UnitedHealth Group,” Fierce Healthcare, Feb 27, 2024 https://bit.ly/42YfHN7
Rebecca Pifer, “Pharmacies and providers nationwide are struggling to process prescriptions following the attack,” Healthcare Dive, Feb 23, 2024 https://bit.ly/3wvjjKH
Dave Muoio, “PE-backed anesthesiology group ends contracts with 5 Colorado hospitals, phases out non-competes to resolve monopoly inquiry,” Fierce Healthcare, Feb 27, 2024 https://bit.ly/49viDmR
Marcus Neubauer, “Cancer patients in the crosshairs of hospital consolidation,” MedPage Today, Feb 16, 2024 https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/second-opinions/108780
Sara Fischer, “FTC chair Khan: Stop monopolies before they happen,” Axios, Feb 13, 2024 https://bit.ly/42YjoCH
John Snow Project, “Long Covid is one of the world’s biggest challenges,” Feb 22, 2024 https://bit.ly/49OPqDk
Erica Sweeney, “How repeat Covid infections can harm your health,” Men’s Health, Feb 21, 2024 https://bit.ly/49lIoGl
Jason Gale, “A spike in heart disease deaths since Covid is puzzling scientists,” Bloomberg, Feb 26, 2024 https://archive.ph/lRG9N#selection-1181.0-1181.66
Rachel Cohrs & Betsy Ladyzhets, “The NIH has poured $1 billion into long Covid research—with little to show for it,” STAT/MuckRock, Apr 20, 2023 https://bit.ly/3IiQvru
Eduardo Cuevas & Karen Weintraub, “Millions of Americans suffer from long COVID. Why do treatments remain out of reach?” USA Today, Feb 26, 2024 https://bit.ly/48verCA
Mike Tanglis, “Mapping the PhRMA Grant Universe,” Public Citizen, Dec 14, 2023 https://bit.ly/3UYeJ1v
Full report: https://www.citizen.org/article/mapping-the-phrma-grant-universe/
Luke Lukert, “Sky high prescription drug prices have Md. legislators looking for consumer relief,” WTOP, Feb 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/48xl72T and Stephanie Hudson, “Virginia doctors support board to lower prescription drug costs,” WAVY.com, Feb 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/42WZO9H
Arthur Allen, “Patients see first savings from Biden’s drug price push as Pharma lines up its lawyers,” KFF Health News/ABC News, Feb 16, 2024 https://bit.ly/3wAdagh
Sheila Poole, “Researchers find association between air pollution and Alzheimer’s,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Feb 23, 2024 https://bit.ly/42QQPXT
Jonathan Mattise & Geoff Mulvihill, “14 GOP-led states have turned down federal money to feed low-income kids in the summer. Here’s why,” Associated Press, Feb 16, 2024 https://bit.ly/42WLo9V
Eric Reinhart, “Want to fix public health? Stop thinking like a doctor,” The Nation, Mar 6, 2024 https://bit.ly/3Idxw1o
Greg Gonsalves, “We’re letting a public health disaster unfold in slow motion,” The Nation, Feb 22, 2024 https://www.thenation.com/article/society/undermining-public-health/
Amy Maxmen, “Florida defies CDC in measles outbreak, telling parents it’s fine to send unvaccinated kids to school,” KFF Health News/CBS News, Feb 23, 2024 https://bit.ly/3UVMJLT
Natalie Krebs, “Report finds more than half of rural Iowa hospitals no longer deliver babies,” Iowa Public Radio, Feb 23, 2024 https://bit.ly/48BA7wC
Elizabeth Cohen, “As midwife-assisted home births rise, so too do high-risk births outside hospitals,” STAT, Feb. 23, 2024 https://bit.ly/3ST7JAj
Rachel Bowman, “Feds launch massive investigation into organ donation firms accusing them of only taking money making tissues and leaving badly needed organs behind,” Daily Mail (U.K.), Feb 26, 2024 https://bit.ly/49OhqqE
Todd Bookman, “NH officials blast Anthem over handling of $69M contract for state retirees,” New Hampshire Public Radio, Feb 22, 2024 https://bit.ly/42Xt6p2

Do Not Resuscitate (This System) #336 Fe 23 2024

This week, I review articles about hospital mergers & acquisitions, some blocked, some successful; private equity’s ongoing hospital-destroying rent extraction doings; corrupt behavior in The Swamp including Biden family dealings; how officialdom demands respect for The Science while ignoring it; good news on Medicaid expansion in North Carolina, and bad news on Medicaid expulsions in Texas. Write me for the full written digest at tfrasca [at] gmail.com and explore the full 6-year archive at nypan.org/single-payer/news. Here are all the links mentioned in this week's run-down. 
Susanna Vogel, “SCAN Group, CareOregon abandon merger plans,” Healthcare Dive, Feb 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/49lsJqE
Rebecca Pifer, “Blue Cross of Louisiana halts sale to Elevance,” Healthcare Dive, Feb 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/3T8bzH2
Susanna Vogel, “Primary care providers Marathon Health and Everside Health merge,” Healthcare Dive, Feb 9, 2024 https://bit.ly/3UHyGcW
Paige Minemyer, “Private equity deals in MA are declining, but experts say regulators should keep an eye on this space,” Fierce Healthcare, Feb 13, 2024 https://bit.ly/3SLmup2
Susanna Vogel, “What’s going on at Steward Health Care?” Healthcare Dive, Feb 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/42JGOf3
Phil Galewitz & Colleen DeGuzman, “In fight over Medicare payments, the hospital lobby shows its strength,” KFF Health News/NPR, Feb 13, 2024 https://bit.ly/49yRrDK
John Ingold & Chris Vanderveen, “UCHealth sues thousands of patients every year. But you won’t find its name on the lawsuits,” Colorado Sun, Feb 19, 2024 https://bit.ly/49lGxBu
Nicholas Florko, “Juul’s internal playbook opens a rare window into influence in Washington,” STAT, Feb 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/4bOErvl
Ben Schreckinger, “Biden’s brother used his name to promote a hospital chain. Then it collapsed,” Politico, Feb 18, 2024 https://politi.co/48vFugN
Ruth Reader, “Artificial intelligence is making critical health care decisions. The sheriff is MIA,” Politico, Feb 18, 2024 https://politi.co/3ORjW7I
Nick Corbishley, “France’s Macron government is trying to criminalise criticism of officially recommended or mandated medical treatments,” Naked Capitalism, Feb 16, 2024 https://bit.ly/48rul0w
Julia Doubleday, “New CDC guidelines: Work ‘til you drop,” The Gauntlet, Feb 15, 2024 https://www.thegauntlet.news/p/one-little-covid-infection-is-no
Joshua Goodman & Jim Mustian, “DEA reverses decision stripping drug distributor of licenses for fueling opioid crisis,” Associated Press, Feb 7, 2024 https://bit.ly/49Lpw3t
Maya Goldman, “More than 2 million people dropped from Medicaid in Texas,” Axios, Feb 13, 2024 https://bit.ly/3SLNnsM
Jaymie Baxley, “NC Medicaid rolls grow by 1,000 people a day as smooth expansion rollout continues its third month,” North Carolina Health News, Feb 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/49oXACu
 
 

Do Not Resuscitate (This System) #335 Feb 16 2024

Tim Frasca here to tell you about what’s in 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 observe variations on coverage of Bernie Sanders' committee hearing on drug costs. Then, I comment on the failures of health communication and reporting on health-related research, and there are also stories about concentration in the healthcare sector and the ongoing nightmare of medical debt. Here are the links to all the articles mentioned:
Rachel Cohrs, “In a showy hearing, Bernie Sanders gets few answers about lower drug prices,” STAT, Feb 8, 2024 https://bit.ly/3UHNAjl
Sydney Lupkin, “Senators ask CEOs why their drugs cost so much more in the U.S.,” NPR, Feb 8, 2024 https://n.pr/3uyA07i
Ben Botkin, “Oregon lawmakers look for ways to curb prescription costs,” Oregon Capital Chronicle, Feb 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/3uCneVq
Nathaniel Weixel, “Biogen walks away from controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm,” The Hill, Jan 31, 2024 https://bit.ly/3UHT3XA
Helen Branswell, “HHS leaves vacant more than half the slots on a key vaccine advisory panel,” STAT, Feb 8, 2024 https://www.statnews.com/2024/02/08/acip-vacancies-hhs-vaccines/
Regina Benjamin & Jerome Adams, “Former U.S. surgeons general: The U.S. should ban menthol cigarettes,” STAT, Feb 9, 2024 https://bit.ly/3P7KIc7
Adam Kucharski, “Epidemiology has a causality problem,” Understanding the Unseen, Jan 29, 2024 https://kucharski.substack.com/p/epidemiology-has-a-causality-problem
Jonathan Yeatman, “Mission sale wasn’t good for HCA either: A former top exec argues for a return to local control, nonprofit status,” Asheville Watchdog, Feb 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/3OL4CcJ
Rebecca Pifer, “Amazon closing One Medical corporate offices,” Healthcare Dive, Feb 9, 2024 https://bit.ly/42EygFY
Are Amazon’s latest forays into healthcare failing again? It acquired One Medical in 2023, keeps losing money on it, and laid off hundreds there as well as at Amazon Pharmacy. Being huge apparently isn’t enough to achieve success in this field. Maybe people just don’t want to get doctored by Mr Bezos. 
Andrew Perez, “Republicans are planning to totally privatize Medicare—and fast,” Rolling Stone, Feb 5, 2024 https://bit.ly/48ovgyJ
Vallari Vaidya, “How a staggering rise in urinary catheter bills led investigators to alleged $2 billion Medicare scam,” Market Realist, Feb 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/3UCoMt5
Verónica Zaragovia, “With Medicaid expansion off the table, entrepreneurs and nonprofits help Florida’s uninsured,” Health News Florida/WLRN, Feb 6, 2024 https://bit.ly/3wpX4p7
Anna Claire Vollers, “Governments can erase your medical debt for pennies on the dollar—and some are,” Stateline, Feb 13, 2024 https://bit.ly/49hlgZq
Elisabeth Rosenthal, “GoFundMe has become a health care utility,” KFF Health News/The Atlantic, Feb 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/4bAOXGz
Tina Reed, “How one company managed to cut its health spending by almost half,” Axios, Feb 8, 2024 https://bit.ly/4bDkdoe
Gustavo Rivera, “Cutting expensive middle-men out of home care will save New York billions,” City Limits, Jan 22, 2024 https://bit.ly/49y7DoA
You can get my weekly written digest at tfrasca@gmail.com or delve into the archive of 6 years of links and comments at nypan.org/single-payer-news