Insights^

VA to Cover Controversial New Alzheimer’s Drug

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has agreed to cover new Alzheimer’s disease drug Leqembi for patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s, making the VA the first and largest health program in the nation to cover the drug.  Developed by Biogen and Esai, the monoclonal antibody treatment is considered controversial because around one-fifth of patients who participated in a clinical trial experienced brain bleeding or brain swelling.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initially approved the drug in January and has since updated its warning label to encourage physicians to warn patients of the side effects.  It appears the VA will remain the only health program to cover the drug, as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has communicated that it wants more evidence about the effectiveness of the Leqembi before making a coverage decision.

JAMA: Mortality Rates for Kids, Teens on the Rise

Following years of progress against pediatric deaths, the all-cause mortality rate for people ages one to 19 years increased by about 10% each year between 2019 and 2021, according to a new study from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).  Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and adolescents, and they account for nearly half of the increase in all-cause mortality in 2020.  Drug overdoses and automobiles were the second and third leading causes of death.  To turn the tide, the study calls for the enactment of sensible firearm safety laws as well as new efforts to address social inequities, segregation, and structural racism.

Maternal Mortality Rates Rose in 2021

The deaths of pregnant women in the US rose last year, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as deaths of pregnant women reached a six-decade high. The report found that 1,205 people died of maternal causes in the U.S. in 2021, which represents a 40% increase from the previous year.  The report also found significant racial disparities in the maternal death rate. In 2021, the rate for Black women was 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, which is over two-and-a-half times the rate for White women, at 26.6 per 100,000.

FDA Approves Pfizer’s COVID-19 Booster for Kids under 5

The FDA authorized Pfizer’s Omicron booster shot for children under five years of age who were previously vaccinated with the company’s initial three-dose vaccine regimen.  Since December, children under five who completed two doses of Pfizer’s original vaccine have been eligible to receive the Omicron booster as their third shot, or last dose in their initial vaccination series. The FDA noted that children who received the Omicron shot as their third dose aren’t eligible for the bivalent booster right now, but they should still be protected against severe complications from COVID-19.

KFF: Non-Profit Hospitals Had Estimated $28M Tax Exemption in 2020

Non-profit hospitals received $28 million in tax subsidies but only provided $16 billion in charity care, according to a new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).  The findings come amid questions from lawmakers over whether nonprofit hospitals provide enough benefits to their communities to justify their federal, state, and local tax exemptions.  Some non-profit hospitals have also come under scrutiny for taking aggressive steps to collect unpaid medical bills, such as suing patients over unpaid medical debt.  According to the analysis, the nearly $28 billion tax exemption is equivalent to about 43% of net income generated by nonprofit hospitals in 2020.

ICYMI: White House Welcomes Special Visitors for St. Patrick’s Day

Irish pubs in Washington, DC aren’t the only institutions making special plans for St. Patrick’s Day.  Today, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will meet with President Joe Biden to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, a peace agreement that saw the end of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.  Additionally, Irish singer and former One Director member Niall Horn will appear in a special performance at the White House today.

Eli Lilly to Cut Price of Insulin

Drugmaker Eli Lilly will reduce prices for its most commonly prescribed insulins by 70%, according to a press release issued by the company on Wednesday.  Eli Lilly also announced that it would expand its Insulin Value Program that caps patient out-of-pocket costs at $35 or less per month.  The high price of insulin has come under increased scrutiny in recent years, as evident by President Biden’s comments on insulin prices in his most recent State of the Union address.  While Congress enacted a $35 monthly cap on insulin prices for Medicare recipients, the new law does not apply to people with diabetes that have commercial insurance coverage.  However, the impact of Eli Lilly’s reduced prices appears to be limited.  The lower prices will only apply to the drugmaker’s older insulin products, and most people who require insulin use products from other drug manufacturers like Novo Nordisk and Safoni.  At the moment, it’s unclear if other insulin manufacturers will follow suit with Eli Lilly.

Colorectal Cancer Rates Among Young People on the Rise

Amid an overall decline in colorectal cancer cases, the number of new colorectal cancer cases among younger Americans is growing, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society.  Adults under the age of 55 comprise about 20% of new colorectal cancers, and the report says that the portion of Americans under age 55 has increased from 11% in 1995 to 20% in 2019.  Cancer experts say the rise in colorectal cancer cases could be attributed to environmental changes and dietary habits such as high consumption of ultra-processed foods. The report also found that more people are surviving colorectal cancer, with the survival rate at least five years after diagnoses increasing from 50% in the mid-1970s to 65% in 2018.

FDA Panel Endorses RSV Vaccines for Seniors

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel voted this week to recommend respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines by Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for adults ages 60 and older.  While most of the panel agreed the vaccines are effective, some members were concerned about the vaccines’ relationship with nervous system disorders like Guillain-Barré syndrome.  The FDA granted priority review status to both vaccines from Pfizer and GSK, which reduces the approval timeline by four months. The end of the review period is expected to be May 2023 for both shots.  There is currently no vaccine for RSV in either adults or children, although vaccine for infants may be available by fall 2023.

Slotkin Announces Bid for Stabenow’s Senate Seat

Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) announced on Monday that she’s running for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).  Her decision to run for the battleground Senate seat leaves an open House seat in a competitive district that Democrats will have to defend.  While Slotkin is the first Democrat to announce her campaign, two Republicans – Michael Hoover and Nikki Snyder – have already declared their candidacy.  First elected to Congress in 2018, Slotkin worked as a Central Intelligence Agency analyst before serving as a senior Defense Department official from 2012 to 2014.  Within 24 hours of her announcement, Slotkin’s campaign raised $1.2 million.

ICYMI: Lawmakers Prevail over Lobbyists in Congressional Hockey Challenge

Members of Congress triumphed over lobbyists for the fifth consecutive time in the Congressional Hockey Challenge on Wednesday night.  Due to the House being out of sessions, Reps. Tom Emmer (R-MN), Dean Phillips (D-MN) were one of the few members of Congress who played for the Lawmakers, as the majority of the team’s roster consisted of current and former congressional aids.  The match took place at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex, the Washington Capitals’ practice facility in Arlington. (Zolpidem)   Nearly all proceeds from the game are directed towards hockey related organizations like the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association and the Fort DuPont Ice Hockey Club.