Hundreds of members of Congress and their staffs this week were hit by a data breach of their health records in the District of Columbia's health insurance marketplace.
Driving the news: Both the FBI and U.S. Capitol Police are investigating the breach of DC Health Link, the marketplace set up under the Affordable Care Act — an act that may have impacted hundreds of lawmakers and staff, NBC News reports.
Physicians and other health care providers contend the Biden administration's proposed update to Medicare Advantage payment policies could wind up hurting their practices and patients.
Why it matters: With providers joining insurers against the proposed changes, the Biden administration is left with few allies.
Amazon, Walmart, CVS, Dollar General and other big retailers are elbowing their way into health care delivery, pushing a customized consumer experience driven by digital health products.
What's happening: At its core, these companies are pulling together different tech-enabled services — urgent, primary, home and specialty care, pharmacy, and, in some cases, full integration with an insurer.
Amazon, Walmart, CVS, Dollar General and other big retailers are elbowing their way into primary care, pushing a customized consumer experience driven by digital health products.
Here's a look at what some of the major retail brands are doing when it comes to delivering health care.
The U.S. will lift COVID testing restrictions for travelers from China, the Washington Post first reported and Axios has confirmed.
The big picture: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in December a negative test requirement for travelers from the country, which began on Jan. 5 after China saw a spike in coronavirus cases following Beijing's loosening of travel restrictions.
A lawsuit brought by abortion patients in Texas is focusing attention on how some strict state abortion bans could imperil lives by leaving it to providers to prove if a person qualifies for an emergency exception.
The big picture: The Center for Reproductive Rights filed a complaint on behalf of five women challenging Texas' trigger ban and six-week bans, and is asking a state court to declare that physicians have the authority to provide abortion care when they consider it medically necessary.
Select eye drops have been recalled over concerns the products may not be sterile, notices posted on the Food & Drug Administration website show.
Why it matters: The recall notices for select lots of Purely Soothing 15% MSM Drops and Brimonidine Tartrate Ophthalmic Solution did not list any illnesses or injuries from the products but "using contaminated artificial tears increases risk of eye infections that could result in blindness or death," the FDA said.
Digital pharmacy, one of health tech's hottest sectors, is bulking up by slimming down.
Driving the news: WeightWatchers on Tuesday agreed to buy the parent company of Sequence, a subscription telehealth platform that offers weight management programs and medication prescriptions, including for increasingly popular GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.
People who tended to report lower trust in public health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the pandemic believed those agencies' health recommendations were politically influenced and inconsistent, according to a study published Monday in Health Affairs.
Why it matters: While plenty of studies throughout the pandemic tracked levels of trust or sought tobreak it down by demographic groups, this study sought to understand factors that led to higher or lower trust levels.
Increased immigration could help solve nursing homes' persistent workforce shortages and improve the quality of care in communal health settings, a new National Bureau of Economic Research paper found.
Why it matters: Nursing homes have been hit the hardest by staffing shortages post-pandemic, and the Biden administration could issue a rule on minimum staffing requirements as soon as this spring to address quality issues.
Republicans looking for ways to reduce federal spending have served notice they won't cut Medicare and Social Security. But that could mean big proposed cuts for Medicaid.
Why it matters: Over 80 million people were enrolled in Medicaid as of November, higher than the number signed up for Medicare, and the pandemic and successive relief packages have swelled program rolls to record highs.
Five women filed a lawsuit against Texas Monday over laws they say prevented them from getting abortions despite the life-threatening circumstances of their pregnancies, the New York Times first reported.
The big picture: It's the first lawsuit "brought on behalf of women denied abortions" that's been filed against a state that has enacted a ban shutting down abortion access since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June, per a statement from the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is representing the women in the case.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) had a "productive morning" Monday discussing rail safety legislation from the hospital where he's been receiving treatment for clinical depression, his chief of staff said.
Driving the news: "John is well on his way to recovery and wanted me to say how grateful he is for all the well wishes," said Adam Jentleson in a Twitter post that included photos of the senator. "He's laser focused on PA & will be back soon."
The FBI issued more gun seizure orders in the past two years from people who shouldn’t have been able to buy them in the first place than at any other time in history, according to data released by the bureau.
