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What We’re Reading: Spurring Development of Antibiotics; Legislation to Protect IVF; Vaccine Misinformation Poses Threat
Bipartisan lawmakers aim to pass bill that could incentivize development of new antibiotics; the right to use in vitro fertilization (IVF) may be enshrined in law; CDC director says that vaccine misinformation is a public health threat.
Bill Focuses on Development of Antibiotics
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is aiming to pass a bill that would fund the development of antibiotics for pathogens that are resistant to current drugs, according to Kaiser Health News. The PASTEUR Act would give $6 billion in federal funding to incentivize drugmakers to develop lifesaving medications to treat infections that are resistant to current antibiotics. The act has received support from the health care and drug industries, as it could provide stable funding for an area that may not have been viewed as a good business opportunity. However, some believe that this act would represent a giveaway to the pharmaceutical industry.
Protection for IVF Could Be Decided in Senate
The Right to Build Families Act, introduced by Senators Tammy Duckworth and Patty Murray and Representative Susan Wild, could be a way to legally protect the right for families to use in vitro fertilization (IVF), according to USA Today. The overturning of Roe v Wade threw into question the validity of IVF in the long term. The CDC approximates that IVF is responsible for 84,000 babies per year. Several states with abortion bans do not explicitly make an exception for IVF, which has drawn concern from supporters. The Right to Build Families Act would ban any limits on receiving or seeking assisted reproductive therapy.
CDC Head Deems Vaccine Misinformation a Public Health Crisis
The director of the CDC, Rochelle Walensky, MD, said that misinformation about vaccines is among the biggest challenges in public health, according to NBC News. The Kaiser Family Foundation found that 28% of adults were against children entering kindergarten being required to receive certain vaccines, which is an increase from 16% of adults in 2019. There was also an increase in the percentage of parents who believed that there shouldn’t be vaccine requirements in school, with 35% of parents believing it should be the decision of the parents, up from 23% in 2019.
Infant Mortality Increases Across US Following Dobbs Decision
October 25th 2024The Dobbs decision was associated with a 7% absolute increase in overall infant mortality—equivalent to 247 excess deaths—and a 10% increase among infants with congenital anomalies, corresponding to 204 additional deaths.
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Addressing Maternal Mortality in Medicaid by Focusing on Mental Health
February 15th 2023On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Inland Empire Health Plan, a managed care plan serving more than 1.4 million residents on Medi-Cal in California, about a new maternal mental health program aimed at supporting new mothers, both before they give birth and afterward.
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Etonogestrel Contraceptive Implants Reduce Pain Crises in Women With Sickle Cell Disease
October 23rd 2024Etonogestrel-releasing contraceptive implants in women with sickle cell disease significantly reduced pain intensity and frequency of pain crises over 12 months, with no adverse changes in metabolic or liver function markers.
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Aetna Announces Simplified Access to Fertility Services
August 27th 2024Aetna has become the first major US insurer to expand access to fertility services by covering intrauterine insemination as a medical benefit for all eligible plans, marking a significant move toward greater equity in family-building options for people of all backgrounds.
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