People with type 1 diabetes have a higher risk of dying from Covid-19. Why are they lower on CDC’s vaccine priority list
The CDC's vaccine guidelines put people with type 1 diabetes further down the list than people with type 2 diabetes. More
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Colonoscopy Alternative Comes Home
An at-home test for colon cancer is as reliable as the traditional screening, health experts say, and more agreeable. More
Vitamin D sales are up. But experts still don’t know whether it can prevent or treat covid.
Links between vitamin D deficiencies and coronavirus infections have been seen in studies, but “correlation doesn’t prove causation.” More
Even during a pandemic, hospitals must make family visits and communication the standard of care
As the nation copes with Covid-19, it sorely needs a plan to allow family visits to and communication with hospitalized loved ones. More
And the Shkreli Awards go to …
Should pharma charity contributions be publicly disclosed, just like doctor payments? Senators say yes
Pharma companies have inked a series of federal settlements over payments to charity organizations, which the federal government argues are a “conduit” to boosting drug sales. Now, after an opioid investigation, two Senators want all those charity payments disclosed publicly. More
Northwell’s 2,500 lawsuits against patients made headlines; hours later, they were rescinded
New York City-based Northwell Health will rescind thousands of lawsuits filed against patients for unpaid medical bills amid the pandemic, the system told Becker's Hospital Review. More
Should I take a Cholesterol Medication to Protect my Heart? With Dr. Rita Redberg
In today’s episode, Dr. Rita Redberg, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, and Editor-in-chief at JAMA Internal Medicine, explains why a healthy lifestyle and regular exercise are much more important for preventing heart attacks and strokes than a daily cholesterol pill. More
Why you can’t buy your way to better health
Do the most privileged Americans get the best care in the world? A new study has some surprising results... More
‘Shkreli Awards’ Shame Healthcare Profiteers
Greedy corporations, uncaring hospitals, individual miscreants, and a task force led by Jared Kushner were dinged Tuesday in the Lown Institute's annual Shkreli awards, a list of the top 10 worst offenders for 2020. In third place: four California hospital systems that refused to take COVID-19 patients or delayed transfers from hospitals that were out of beds. "In the midst of such a pandemic, to continue that sort of behavior is mind boggling," said Saini. "This is more than the proverbial wallet biopsy." Connecticut internist Steven Murphy, MD, ran COVID-19 testing sites for several towns, but conducted allegedly unnecessary add-ons such as screening for 20 other respiratory pathogens. "As far as I know, having an MD is not a license to steal, and this guy seemed to think that it was," said Brownlee. More
Brigham CEO, Moderna earn ‘Shkreli awards’ for profiteering in pandemic
A local health care watchdog group has bestowed its annual dubious distinction on vaccine maker Moderna Inc. and the president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital for what it calls "greed and profiteering" during the pandemic. More
VIDEO: 2020 Shkreli Awards countdown!
If you missed the live Shkreli Awards countdown on January 5th, don't fret! You can watch the full recording below. More
Sorting Out Whether Vitamin D Deficiency Raises COVID-19 Risk
This Medical News Quick Uptake examines the debate about a link between vitamin D and COVID-19 risk. More
“Shkreli Award” goes to Moderna for “blatantly greedy” COVID vaccine prices
Award judges cited Moderna’s pricing of its COVID-19 vaccine, which was developed with $1 billion in federal funding. Still, despite the tax-payer backing, Moderna set the estimated prices for its vaccine significantly higher than other vaccine developers. The Lown Institute’s judges wrote that, “given the upfront investment by the US government, we are essentially paying for the vaccine twice.” More
Covid-19: “Shkreli Awards” go to pandemic’s top profiteers
The Shkreli Awards for profiteering and dysfunction in healthcare, an annual tribute to the worst actors of the US health system, have unsurprisingly focused this year on misconduct during the covid-19 pandemic, with the place of dishonour taken by the Trump administration’s federal personal protective equipment (PPE) task force. “What was even worse,” said award judge Patricia Gabow, “was that Moderna ‘selected’ Brigham and Women’s Hospital for the vaccine trial and Dr. Nabel sold Moderna stock, after it quadrupled in price with the vaccine development.” More
Biden can lower drug prices without Congress doing anything
The Biden administration could fix our patent system, making it easier for generics to reach the market. More
Doctors on social media are being cyberbullied and sexually harassed. It’s time to change that
A year ago, physicians who championed public health initiatives on social media were often harassed online. The pandemic made it worse. More
Hospital Prices Just Got a Lot More Transparent. What Does This Mean for You?
Hospitals face the new year with new requirements to post price information they have long sought to obscure: the actual prices negotiated with insurers and the discounts they offer their cash-paying customers. More
Medicaid Expansion: Effects On Hospital Finances And Implications For Hospitals Facing COVID-19 Challenges
This study estimated the effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion on hospital finances in 2017 to update earlier findings. The analysis also explored how the ACA Medicaid expansion affects different types of hospitals by size, ownership, rurality, and safety-net status. More
Covid ‘Decimated Our Staff’ as the Pandemic Ravages Health Workers of Color
Covid-19 has taken an outsize toll on Black and Hispanic Americans — and those disparities extend to medical workers. More