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What We’re Reading: Biden to Boost Care Worker Compensation; Social Media Hype Drives Weight Loss Drug Demand; Reducing Fatigue From Long COVID
President Joe Biden signs order to boost care worker compensation and support caregivers; social media adds are fueling weight loss medication demands; an investigational metabolic modulator has been shown to mitigate fatigue in patients with long COVID.
Biden Signs Executive Order to Boost Compensation for Care Workers
President Joe Biden will sign an executive order on Tuesday addressing issues in child care and long-term care in the United States, according to The Hill. The order focuses on boosting compensation for care workers, supporting family caregivers, and expanding affordable care options through 50 directives to federal agencies. It also includes provisions to improve access to home-based care for veterans, increase pay and benefits for Head Start teachers and staff, and streamline processes for American Indian and Alaska Native communities to access child care.
Social Media Drives Demand for Weight Loss Medications, Triggering Regulatory Concerns
Social media ads, which can include misinformation, have driven up the demand for weight loss drugs, according to CBS News. Although doctors have expressed concerns about inappropriate use and unreliable sources for the drug, regulatory systems have limited tools to curb misleading advertising from prescribers on social media. Simultaneously, pharmaceutical companies are leading campaigns to raise awareness of obesity without mentioning their drugs. Overseas regulators have also been active in auditing and removing some instances of unethical advertising.
New Metabolic Modulator Shows Promise in Reducing Fatigue in Patients With Long COVID
AXA1125, an investigational metabolic modulator, has shown promising results in reducing physical and cognitive fatigue in patients with long COVID, according to researchers at the University of Oxford. The phase 2 pilot study included 41 adults with fatigue-dominant long COVID who received either AXA1125 or placebo orally for 4 weeks. AXA1125 was associated with a significant reduction in fatigue scores and improved mitochondrial health, suggesting potential therapeutic benefits for patients with long COVID, although further research is needed in larger trials.
Varied Access: The Pharmacogenetic Testing Coverage Divide
February 18th 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the author of a study published in the February 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® to uncover significant differences in coverage decisions for pharmacogenetic tests across major US health insurers.
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More Care Doesn't Equal Happier Patients in Traditional Medicare
March 17th 2025Data on care satisfaction, ease managing care, and out-of-pocket spending were the outcomes of interest for this new analysis that investigated the relationship between healthcare utilization and beneficiary experience within traditional Medicare.
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The Impact of Cost Sharing on High-Value Care
March 14th 2025Michael Chernew, PhD, professor of health care policy and director of the Healthcare Markets and Regulation Lab, Harvard Medical School, shares how cost-sharing policies shape access to critical health care services and influence value-based insurance design.
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