What We're Reading: Gilead Sued Over PrEP; Seasonal Workers and Medicaid; Preventable Deaths

HHS Sues Gilead Over Truvada, Descovy Patents

After failing to reach a licensing deal with Gilead, HHS sued the drug maker in federal court, saying the company is infringing on patents held by CDC and paid for by taxpayers. AIDS activists maintain that the government could use the royalties to fund HIV prevention and treatment services. Gilead said in a statement the patents are not valid, STAT News reported.

New Montana Medicaid Law Viewed as Too Restrictive

Seasonal workers in Montana who had been eligible for health coverage under Medicaid expansion worry they may lose access to benefits due to new reporting requirements that could go into effect in January, according to Kaiser Health News. However, similar work requirement laws were blocked this year in Arkansas, Kentucky, and New Hampshire.

New CDC Report Claims More Preventable Deaths Occur in Rural Areas

In 2017, the 5 leading causes of death for persons older than 80 years in the United States were heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke, according to data released Thursday in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. For the study period, percentages were higher for all 5 in nonmetropolitan counties.