- Center on Health Equity & Access
- Clinical
- Health Care Cost
- Health Care Delivery
- Insurance
- Policy
- Technology
- Value-Based Care
What We’re Reading: Duration of COVID-19 Immunity; Caregiver Political Support; T2D Drug Recalled
Patients with mild cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had cellular immunity after 6 months; political support among caregivers of patients with COVID-19 was spotlighted; 2 lots of type 2 diabetes (T2D) drug metformin recalled over possible contamination.
Study Examines Duration of COVID-19 Immunity After Infection
As reported by Reuters, a study from the United Kingdom examining a small patient cohort of 100 nonhospitalized patients with mild or asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) found that cellular immunity to the virus remained present after 6 months, indicating that those infected may have some level of protection for at least that amount of time. Although scientists presenting the findings indicated that this discovery is reassuring, they note that people may still be prone to rare cases of being infected twice with COVID-19.
COVID-19 Caregivers’ Political Support
In an article by The New York Times, political support amongst caregivers of patients with COVID-19 was spotlighted. With almost 40% of all American COVID-19 deaths being linked to nursing homes and similar facilities, caregivers and frontline workers have been subject to rising fatalities as they provide support to older people at risk of isolation, distress, and mortality. In Pennsylvania, 1 of the country’s most important battleground states, caregivers described how their experiences are shaping their political support amidst the election, with some noting that faster, clearer, and better-coordinated government intervention could have saved lives.
T2D Drug Metformin Recalled Over Possible Carcinogen Contamination
CNN reports that 2 lots of the widely used type 2 diabetes (T2D) medication metformin were recalled over possible contamination with a potentially cancer-causing compound known as nitrosamine, or NDMA. The recall, which was posted by the FDA, occurred in Nostrum Laboratories Inc, based in Kansas City, Missouri, and involved metformin HCI extended release tablets, USP 750 mg. Considered a possible carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency, NDMA has been found in certain blood pressure drugs and antacids, with this case exhibiting levels of the compound that are above the acceptable limit.
Urticaria Diagnosis Challenged by Overlapping Pruritic Skin Conditions
April 23rd 2025Urticaria is complicated to diagnose by its symptomatic overlap with other skin conditions and the frequent misclassification in literature of distinct pathologies like vasculitic urticaria and bullous pemphigus.
Read More
New Research Challenges Assumptions About Hospital-Physician Integration, Medicare Patient Mix
April 22nd 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Brady Post, PhD, lead author of a study published in the April 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care®, challenges the claim that hospital-employed physicians serve a more complex patient mix.
Listen
Personalized Care Key as Tirzepatide Use Expands Rapidly
April 15th 2025Using commercial insurance claims data and the US launch of tirzepatide as their dividing point, John Ostrominski, MD, Harvard Medical School, and his team studied trends in the use of both glucose-lowering and weight-lowering medications, comparing outcomes between adults with and without type 2 diabetes.
Listen
ACOs’ Focus on Rooting Out Fraud Aligns With CMS Vision Under Oz
April 23rd 2025Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are increasingly playing the role of data sleuths as they identify and report trends of anomalous billing in hopes of salvaging their shared savings. This mission dovetails with that of CMS, which under the new administration plans to prioritize rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse.
Read More
