- Center on Health Equity & Access
- Clinical
- Health Care Cost
- Health Care Delivery
- Insurance
- Policy
- Technology
- Value-Based Care
What We’re Reading: Effects of COVID-19 Vaccination on Menstrual Cycles; Reduced Medicare Part B Premiums; J&J Announces Kenvue
COVID-19 vaccination is associated with a small, temporary increase in menstrual cycle length; CMS announced a 3% reduction in Medicare Part B premiums; Johnson & Johnson (J&J) announced Kenvue as the name of its new consumer health company set to launch next year.
Link Between COVID-19 Vaccination and Menstrual Cycle Length Changes
A large study funded by the National Institutes of Health confirmed findings from a previous study linking COVID-19 vaccination with a small temporary increase in menstrual cycle length. The study included nearly 20,000 people from North America and Europe and found an average increase in menstrual cycle length of less than 1 day, but this increase was not associated with changes in the number of days of menstrual bleeding. Compared with individuals who did not receive a COVID-19 vaccine and compared with at least 3 cycles prior to vaccination, individuals experienced a .71 day increase in cycle length after their first dose and a .56 day increase after their second dose, on average. Those who received both doses in a single cycle saw the greatest change in menstrual cycle length, with a 3.91 day increase, on average. The study included 9 different vaccines and found no changes based on which vaccine an individual received. More research is needed to understand why these changes are occurring.
Medicare Part B Premiums to Decrease in 2023
The Biden administration announced a reduction in Medicare Part B premiums in 2023, marking the first time these costs will be lowered since 2012, The Hill reported. CMS specifically said there will be a 3%, or $5.20, reduction, with premiums going from $170.10 to $164.90 per month. The annual deductible will also drop by $7, from $233 to $226. The year 2022 saw the greatest increase in Medicare Part B premiums with a 14.5% increase linked to the FDA-approval of Alzheimer drug Adulhelm.
Johnson & Johnson to Launch New Consumer Health Company
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) announced Kenvue as the name of its new consumer health company set to launch in 2023. J&J’s consumer health segment generated $14.6 billion in revenue in 2021, and Kenvue as a standalone company is expected to generate sales in over 100 countries. In the news release, J&J noted this planned separation is subject to legal requirements, such as consultations with works councils and employee representatives.
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
