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
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
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
So why do we talk about Pfizer or Moderna, when these should be the people’s vaccines? More
The spread of other dangerous germs is surging — a result, in part, of the chaotic response to the pandemic. More
Covid-19 ‘pool’ to share information has received no contributions since May 2020 More
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
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
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
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
The Sunset Rule would force HHS to accomplish a herculean task: reassess the impacts of its 17,000-plus regulations every 10 years. More
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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