The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Friday that David Kessler, the chief science officer overseeing the U.S.'s COVID response, is set to retire after serving as a key adviser to President Biden.
U.S. cancer death rates have fallen by a third since 1991, with about 3.8 million deaths averted in that time, according to study published Thursday in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
Why it matters: Cancer is still the second leading cause of death, but the data shows progress from improved treatments and prevention efforts.
House Republicans don't have much of a path to get major health care changes passed with a Democratic Senate and president, with one possible exception: the debt ceiling fight.
Why it matters: It's not clear which spending cuts House Republicans will push for in exchange for expanding the government's borrowing authority later this year — but at least some say health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid should be on the table.
A very soggy edition of the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference, better known as JPM, wrapped up Thursday in San Francisco after filling downtown eateries and crowding hotel lobbies all week.
Why it matters: The annual health care takeover of San Francisco is arguably still the most influential gathering in the business, offering a chance for investors to get a pulse on the upcoming year and for health execs to humblebrag about how many meetings they squeezed in.
Congress should raise Medicare payment rates for hospitals and physicians next year while cutting fees to skilled nursing facilities and home care providers, MedPAC recommended on Thursday.
Why it matters: The adjustments from the board, which advises Congress on Medicare policy, reflect inflationary pressures facing providers and concerns about maintaining Medicare beneficiaries' access to care, committee members say.
The pandemic-fueled boom in home care could be replicating one of the most worrisome hazardsin institutional settings: bloodstream infections from central lines.
Driving the news: Home infusion therapy — whether for cancer drugs, antibiotics or other treatments — is becoming a preferred option for more patients.
Nurses at two New York City hospitals on Thursday reached a tentative agreement to end their strike after three days and return to work.
Driving the news: The deal came after more than 7,000 nurses at two of New York City's major hospitals went on strike, arguing that staffing shortages had caused widespread burnout, hampering patient care, CNN reported.
People experiencing long COVID may see their symptoms ease within a year, per a study published in BMJ medical journal Wednesday.
The big picture: The outcome of this new study may provide some hope for the millions of people left newly disabled during the pandemic with a lingering illness that has no effective treatment.
