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What We’re Reading: Long COVID-19 Research; Oklahoma Abortion Ban; Walgreens Opioid Lawsuit
President Joe Biden announced plans to increase research on long COVID-19; the Oklahoma House voted 70-14 in favor of a near-total abortion ban; Walgreens is going to trial in Florida’s opioid epidemic lawsuit.
Biden Administration Announces Plans to Increase Long COVID-19 Research
President Biden announced plans on Tuesday to increase research on long COVID-19, reports The Washington Post. According to a federal watchdog report published in March, long COVID-19 affects 7.7 to 23 million Americans. This government-wide action plan, coordinated by HHS, will include increased enrollment in a major National Institutes of Health study, expansion of long COVID-19 clinics run by the Department of Veteran Affairs, and greater federal protections for Americans with the condition. The Biden administration will issue a report after 120 days that details available services and support for these individuals.
Oklahoma House Votes in Favor of Abortion Ban
On Tuesday, Oklahoma lawmakers approved a near-total ban on abortion, reports The New York Times. The Oklahoma House voted 70-14 to send Senate Bill 612 to Governor Kevin Stitt, who vowed in September to sign “every piece of pro-life legislation” that was sent to him, according to his office. This bill states that performing an abortion, with the exception of saving a pregnant woman’s life in a medical emergency, would be considered a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. Planned Parenthood operates 2 of the 4 abortion clinics in Oklahoma and plans to challenge the legislation in court.
Walgreens Refuses to Settle in Florida Opioid Lawsuit
The Associated Press is reporting that Walgreens will go to trial in Florida’s opioid epidemic lawsuit, despite most defendants in the case settling for more than $870 million. Florida is arguing that Walgreens has played a major role in the opioid epidemic, with 1 location selling 2.2 million opioid tablets in a town of 12,000 residents and other locations allegedly increasing their orders by 600% in 2 years. Walgreens has denied these claims. Opening statements are scheduled for early next week.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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