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What We're Reading: Senate Passes Government Budget Bill With Zika Virus Funding
What we're reading, September 29, 2016: as part of the bill to prevent a government shutdown, the Senate has finally approved Zika virus funding; electronic health record breaches skyrocketed from 2014 to 2015; and California passes "right to try" law for terminally ill patients.
Congress managed to agree to a government budget bill to avoid a shutdown. Included in the bill, which passed the Senate and is pending in the House, is $1.1 billion to fight the Zika virus, according to NPR. In order to get the deal made, language that prevented money from going to Planned Parenthood clinics was removed. The New York Times also reported that the bill, which funds the government through December 9, also authorizes aid for Flint, Michigan.
From 2014 to 2015, the number of electronic health record breaches skyrocketed from 12.5 million to 113 million. The Washington Post reported that hackers are becoming more creative and successful when it comes to accessing personal information, and the healthcare system has been hit hard. Health records are valuable for use or sale because they contain extensive amounts of information about an individual.
California has passed legislation that would allow terminally ill patients to have access to experimental treatments. Under the “right to try” law, drug manufacturers can offer new treatments to patients who have tried FDA-approved ones, according to The Hill. California’s governor vetoed a similar bill last year because he was hoping the FDA would shorten its approval process. Some experts believe the law offers false hope to patients with life-threatening illnesses since experimental drugs have a small chance of success.
Could On-Body Delivery of Isatuximab Bring More Competition to Anti-CD38 Myeloma Treatment?
June 6th 2025Results for IRAKLIA show noninferiority for Sanofi's on-body delivery system for isatuximab, compared with IV administration. Patients overwhelmingly preferred the hands-free delivery option.
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Laundromats as a New Frontier in Community Health, Medicaid Outreach
May 29th 2025Lindsey Leininger, PhD, and Allister Chang, MPA, highlight the potential of laundromats as accessible, community-based settings to support Medicaid outreach, foster trust, and connect families with essential health and social services.
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ICS Use Tied to Fewer Exacerbations in Patients With Bronchiectasis and Elevated Blood Eosinophils
June 6th 2025Inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) use was common among patients with bronchiectasis and was associated with reduced exacerbations and hospitalizations in those with elevated blood eosinophil counts.
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Inside the Center's MDD Value Model and Its Use of Dynamic Pricing
May 13th 2025Larragem Raines, MS, of the Center for Innovation & Value Research, discusses the organization's major depressive disorder (MDD) open-source value model, dynamic pricing, and the future role of artificial intelligence in care.
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Real-World Data Support Luspatercept vs ESAs for Anemia in Lower-Risk MDS
June 5th 2025Patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) who received luspatercept showed greater hemoglobin gains and transfusion independence compared with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) in a real-world analysis.
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At EHA 2025, Hematology Discussions Will Stretch Across Lifespans and Locations
June 5th 2025The 2025 European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress, convening virtually and in Milan, Italy, from June 12 to June 15, 2025, will feature a revamped program structure for the meeting’s 30th anniversary while maintaining ample opportunities to network, debate, and absorb practice-changing findings in hematology and oncology.
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