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What We're Reading: Home-Dialysis Device Trial; Title X Funding; EPA Allows Pesticide Use
CVS is lauching a clinical trial for a new device that would allow patients with kidney disease to receive dialysis at home; in response to the Trump administration's family planning rule, Planned Parenthood of Illinois will stop accepting Title X funding so providers can discuss abortion as an option when counseling pregnant women; the Environmental Protection Agency will not ban the use of controversial pesticide chlorpyrifos, which has been linked to health issues in infants anf children.
CVS Launches Trial for Home-Dialysis Device
Illinois Planned Parenthood Will Defy Title X Rule
EPA Will Allow Use of Pesticide Linked to Health Issues
In an unexpected move into kidney care, CVS has initiated a clinical trial for a new device that would allow people with kidney disease to receive dialysis at home, reported The Wall Street Journal. The move comes shortly after the Trump administration announced the Advancing American Kidney Health initiative, which seeks to move more dialysis into the home. CVS is planning to offer home dialysis services with the new device as well as through peritoneal dialysis. Alan Lotvin, executive vice president at CVS, said that the company is looking to implement a broader approach to kidney care, including managing the care of those with renal decline who aren’t yet eligible for dialysis.The Trump administration announced this week that its new family planning rule that denies Title X funds from providers that offer or make referrals for abortion will go into effect immediately. The Chicago Tribune has reported that in reponse, Planned Parenthood of Illinois plans to stop accepting Title X funding so providers can discuss abortion as an option when counseling pregnant women. Between September 2018 and March 2019, Planned Parenthood of Illnois received nearly $2.5 million in funding, and it was slated to receive another $3.5 million in funding between April 2019 and April 2022.The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that it will continue to allow the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos, which has been linked to health issues in children, on US-grown fruits and vegetables. According to Reuters, the agency denied a petition from dozens of environmental groups, who said studies indicate exposure to the pesticide is linked to low birth weight, reduced IQ, attention disorders, and other issues in infants and children. In 2015, the Obama administration’s EPA banned the use of the pesticide, but the decision was reversed in 2017 by Scott Pruitt, Trump’s first EPA administrator.
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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