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What We're Reading: Walmart in Talks With Humana; CDC Director Predicts End to AIDS; Dementia Directives in New York
Walmart is in talks to buy insurer Humana; new CDC Director Robert Redfield told his staff he thinks an end to AIDS is possible wiithin the next 7 years; a New York agency for the dying created directives for those with dementia allowing them to withhold food and water if they wish.
Walmart in Talks to Buy Insurer Humana
Walmart is in preliminary talks to buy insurer Humana, The Wall Street Journal reported. If negotiations are successful, it would be the latest big healthcare deal between a retailer and an insurer. Humana currently has a market value of about $37 billion.
New CDC Director Redfield Says an End to AIDS is Possible
The new CDC director is predicting an end to AIDS within 7 years, according to STAT News. Robert Redfield, MD, also told the agency’s staff the CDC is “a science-based, data-driven organization” in an all-hands meeting this week.
New York Agency for the Dying Creates Directives for Those With Dementia
A New York end-of-life agency has approved a directive that allows people to say in advance that they don’t want food or water if they develop severe dementia, Kaiser Health News reported. In the 7 US jurisdictions that allow medical aid-in-dying, dementia is not a condition covered by the laws. The document from End Of Life Choices New York offers 2 options: 1 for “comfort feeding” and 1 that would halt all assisted eating and drinking, even if a patient seems willing to accept it.
FDA Expands Access to Approved CAR T-Cell Therapies by Eliminating REMS
June 30th 2025The FDA has removed Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) for approved chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies for hematologic malignancies, aiming to ease provider burden and expand patient access.
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Stuck in Prior Auth Purgatory: The Hidden Costs of Health Care Delays
June 19th 2025Delays, denials, and endless paperwork—prior authorization isn’t just a headache for providers; it’s a barrier for patients who need timely care, explains Colin Banas, MD, MHA, chief medical officer with DrFirst.
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