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What We're Reading: Rarity of Breakthrough COVID-19 Cases; COVID-19 Testing for Uninsured Americans; EU Seeks Fine for AstraZeneca
A CDC report finds that the risk of COVID-19 infection among those fully vaccinated is 0.01%; HHS announce it is designating $4.8 billion to cover COVID-19 testing for uninsured US residents; European Union seeks significant fine for AstraZeneca over breach of vaccine supply contract.
CDC Report Finds COVID-19 Infection After Vaccination Exceedingly Rare
As the United States reached a milestone this week with more than half of US adults now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, a report issued by the CDC finds that the risk of infection among these populations is 0.01%. According to ABC News, reported cases of breakthrough infections, defined as when a fully vaccinated individual becomes infected with SARS-CoV-2, can still occur because vaccines do not provide 100% protection. Currently, 10,262 breakthrough infections have been reported, of which 10% have required hospitalization and 2% have led to death among mostly elderly adults older than 80 years.
HHS to Fund $4.8B Worth of COVID-19 Testing for Uninsured Americans
As reported by The Hill, HHS announced yesterday it is designating $4.8 billion of funding from the American Rescue Plan to provide relief funding for COVID-19 testing to uninsured US residents. Covering approximately 29 million Americans without insurance, the move will allow providers to bill the program directly for any COVID-19 tests administered to these populations, as well as aid efforts to track and address where the virus is prevalent.
EU Seeks Fine for AstraZeneca Over Vaccine Contract Breach
After taking AstraZeneca to court last month over a disparity in the distribution of its COVID-19 vaccine, a lawyer of the European Union said it is seeking a significant fine for the manufacturer. According to Reuters, AstraZeneca had said it would aim to deliver 100 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine by the end of June, falling short of the 300 million that was noted in the supply contract. The lawyer, Rafael Jafferali, said the European Union is seeking 10 euros or $12.20 for each day of delay for each dose, along with an additional penalty of at least 10 million euros for each breach of contract that the judge will decide. A verdict is expected next month.
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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