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What We're Reading: Hepatitis C Cases Rise; FEMA, HHS Shift COVID-19 Testing; Pharmacies Struggle
New CDC data documents a sharp rise in hepatitis C cases among millenials; FEMA and HHS are asking states to take charge of drive-through testing sites for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); some pharmacies are ill-prepared to stem COVID-19 transmission.
Data Shows Sharp Increase in Hepatitis C Infections
New CDC data shows annual rates of hepatitis C infection tripled from 2009 to 2019. Infection rates were highest among millennials in their 20s and 30s. Specifically, in individuals between the ages of 20 and 29, rates increased by 300% from 0.7 per 100,000 in 2009 to 3.1 in 2018. In individuals aged 30 to 39, rates increased by around 400% from 0.5 in 2009 to 2.6 in 2018. Researchers note that rapid increases in acute hepatitis C vinfections among younger adults are concurrent with the nation’s opioid crisis. The CDC is recommending a universal testing strategy be implemented among adults, including pregnant women.
FEMA, HHS Shift Testing Control to States
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and HHS have asked states to consider taking control of drive-through testing sites for novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Politico reports. The federal agency-run sites have already tested more than 77,000 individuals. However, states are worried that as a result of the transition plan, communities will lose supplies and funding needed to operate the sites. According to an HHS spokesperson, the federal government will continue to operate the testing sites if governors request assistance. States such as Colorado, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Texas have already asked for continued federal support.
Pharmacies Struggle to Cope With Demand While Keeping Customers Safe
Workers in pharmacies are contracting COVID-19, yet as an essential industry, pharmacies can scarcely afford a shortage of employees, ProPublica reports. Employees at CVS and Walgreens have requested more protective gear, cleaning supplies, and sick pay in the wake of the pandemic. According to ProPublica, Walgreens and CVS employees have said anonymously they’re coping with more customers, prescriptions, and payments than ever before. The influx of orders and customers, along with a lack of protective equipment among employees, could mean pharmacies become hotspots for virus transmission, said Denis Nash, a professor of epidemiology at the CUNY School of Public Health.
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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