Federal officials misappropriated millions earmarked for biomedical research: Investigation
Using those funds for non-BARDA purposes was "so common, there was even a name for it within the agency: "Bank of BARDA," OSC said. More
Remdesivir, Given to Half of Hospitalized Covid Patients in U.S., Is Big Win for Gilead — Boosted by Taxpayers
With U.S. cases skyrocketing, demand for Gilead’s dark horse antiviral is only growing. Biden appointees propose potential legal tactics to tamp down the price for patients. More
We Already Paid for These Vaccines Once
So why do we talk about Pfizer or Moderna, when these should be the people’s vaccines? More
With All Eyes on Covid-19, Drug-Resistant Infections Crept In
The spread of other dangerous germs is surging — a result, in part, of the chaotic response to the pandemic. More
WHO platform for pharmaceutical firms unused since pandemic began
Covid-19 ‘pool’ to share information has received no contributions since May 2020 More
Are hospitals complying with the new price transparency rule?
Hospitals now have to disclose on their website the prices they negotiate with insurers. But many hospitals are lagging when it comes to revealing their "real" prices... More
Shkreli Awards: Profiteering and Dysfunction in US Healthcare
Last year we did an episode on the third annual Shkreli Awards from the Lown Institute – ten examples of profiteering and dysfunction in healthcare. The ins and outs of the healthcare system are the bread and butter of this channel, so we were more than happy to dedicate another episode to the fourth annual Shkreli Awards, and this year’s did not (or did?) disappoint. More
Video Teaser for Lown Presents: Hospital Cooperation
Watch and share this video sneak peek of what Shannon, Vikas, and our guests will be talking about at Lown Presents: The Promise of Hospital Cooperation on January 27th. More
Departing CEO paid $5.2 million ‘retention’ bonus by nursing home chain that lost 2,800 residents to covid
Nearly 3,000 residents of Genesis Healthcare nursing homes have died from covid-19. The company's CEO got a $5.2 million "retention" payment in October, then announced he was retiring in January. More
Azar’s ‘Sunset Rule’ will bring a dangerous new dawn for health regulation
The Sunset Rule would force HHS to accomplish a herculean task: reassess the impacts of its 17,000-plus regulations every 10 years. More
The Shkreli Awards for health care dysfunction and greed
Each year the Lown Institute calls for nominations from health care experts, journalists and others. This year an outstanding panel of judges selected 10 egregious examples of profiteering. More
Shkreli Awards: “Dishonorable Mentions”
In case you missed it, the 2020 Shkreli Award winners, the top ten examples of profiteering and dysfunction in health care, were released earlier this month. But what about nominations that didn't make the top ten? More
Problematic Promotion of Medications by Nurse Ambassadors—Legal and Ethical Issues
In August 2020, the pharmaceutical company AbbVie agreed to pay California $24 million to settle a whistleblower case that involved its nurse ambassador program for adalimumab (Humira), while not admitting any wrongdoing. More
Unsupported Price Increases (UPI) of prescription drugs in the United States
Out of 10 identified drugs that had substantial 2019 price increases on top of already high current spending, seven were not supported by new clinical evidence; the net price increases on these seven drugs alone cost Americans an additional $1.2 billion in annual drug spend. More
One Ambulance Ride Leads to Another When Packed Hospitals Cannot Handle Non-Covid Patients
A Kansas woman thought she’d find help at her local emergency room. What she found instead was a packed hospital and an ambulance ride to someplace else. 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
‘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