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Who can benefit from discounts on telehealth visits?
Pharmaceutical companies have long used coupons to lower the out-of-pocket costs patients pay for expensive drugs. And now, as the connections between pharmaceutical companies and telemedicine providers expand, coupons are also reducing the cost of consultations with clinicians who can prescribe products.
But experts warn that discounts on telemedicine appointments, whether obtained directly from drug companies or from your favorite chatty podcast, can set patients on a very different path than a visit with a clinician who has no connection to a particular drug company or drug. “It looks like we got a bargain,” said researcher Stephen Woloshin. “But you’re taking your eye off the prize.”
Katie explains more about the ethical issues surrounding these coupon codes. This is the fourth article in her series exploring how telemedicine is driving the consumerization of medicine. Also read parts 1, 2, and 3 if you haven’t already.
Through 7 hearings, RFK Jr. talks about a new, more moderate MAHA
Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. once claimed that there is no safe and effective vaccine. Yesterday, when the senator asked if he supported getting people vaccinated, Kennedy gave a different answer: “I do.” HHS leaders had already toned down their rhetoric about vaccines since being appointed to run the agency, but there have been more recent changes. (In a new first opinion essay, two lawyers challenging Kennedy’s ACIP changes say his changes are politically motivated and won’t last.)
It’s not just about vaccines. STAT’s Daniel Payne and Chelsea Siluzzo recapped Kennedy’s week-long hearing and found further changes in the Trump administration’s health messaging. read more.
Number of calls to 988 has increased, and suicide among young people has decreased
A new JAMA study finds that after the United States launched the 988 National Suicide and Crisis Hotline, the suicide death rate among adolescents and young adults decreased by 11% compared to predicted rates. I wrote yesterday about this data and the lingering questions about Lifeline’s long-term funding and the Trump administration’s decision last year to remove the “press three” option for LGBTQ+ youth. read more.
Racial inequalities persist in maternal mortality rates
CDC recently released these updates visualization I would like to share the latest maternal mortality data with you here. STAT is reported Over the years, I have spoken out repeatedly about the persistent racial inequities in the U.S. maternal health care system. This data is important to keep in mind amid political pressure from the Trump administration targeting DEI initiatives. In response to that pressure, major medical accrediting bodies recently Requirements removed Teaching Health Equity and Harvard Medical School deleted References to diversity and inclusion from the mission statement.
‘Impressive’ new data on gene therapy for hearing loss
In a clinical trial with the largest cohort to date, involving 42 people aged from infants to 32 years old at eight sites in China, researchers found that 90% of participants reported significant improvements in their hearing after receiving the gene therapy injection.
“It’s been less than 10 years since the[first FDA-approved]gene therapy drug was released, so I don’t think we really know what will happen in the very long term,” said Jenna DeValle, an otolaryngologist who was not involved in the study. “But I think this study is really impressive.” Read more about the growing scientific consensus and the latest research.
what we are reading
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CDC won’t release report showing COVID-19 vaccinations reduce likelihood of hospital visits, The Washington Post
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MAHA moms are lining up, The Atlantic
- AI preclearance federal testing slows care for seniors, report says, STAT
- Senate Democrats are confused when asked about transgender rights, 19th
- Former tobacco executive joins senior CDC leadership, raising concerns about industry influence, STAT
