Children who grow up in different environments tend to have distinct physical health, mental health and cognitive outcomes, according to a new study in JAMA Pediatrics.
Why it matters: The study offers a comprehensive view of how dozens of social determinants of health interact with one another and affect a child's development — and also could serve as a guide for policymakers to better target policies to address glaring health disparities.
A smaller, smarter Rite Aid could emerge from restructuring after the pharmacy retail chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late Sunday, experts tell Axios.
Why it matters: The smallest of the top three U.S. pharmacy chains has been plagued by declining sales, operational challenges and the hefty cost of opioid lawsuits, all while struggling to keep pace with larger competitors Walgreens and CVS.
The slow-motion collapse of Rite Aid threatens to eliminate the nation's third-largest drugstore chain.
Why it matters: With about 2,100 stores and more than 45,000 employees — including 6,100+ pharmacists — Rite Aid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sunday, hoping to emerge as a sustainable enterprise.
The U.S. is failing less-educated people given the dismal life expectancy prospects they face compared to their more educated peers, researchers said.
Why it matters: While the U.S. economy outperforms other countries by metricssuch as economic growth and inflation rates, two prominent economists argue the life expectancy gap says otherwise.
Medicare administrators have finalized plans to broaden coverage of PET scans for Alzheimer's patients — a move that potentially boosts the fortunes of promising new antibody treatments like Eisai and Biogen's Leqembi.
What happened: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Friday lifted a single-test cap on scans for the protein beta-amyloid that's believed to contribute to the condition.
Medicare Advantage plans' average star ratings have fallen for the second straight year, according to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Why it matters: The ratings are a closely watched metric intended to help seniors pick better-performing plans, based on up to 40 quality measures. The scores also determine if insurers qualify for bonuses from Medicare, and consumers can switch into the highest-scoring plans year-round.
If trends hold, more people will choose a Medicare Advantage plan over traditional Medicare during the open enrollment season that began Sunday.
That's amping up concern about the way plans are marketed, how the government pays insurers who administer benefits and the way they've turned down millions of requests for coverage of services and drugs.
The cities with the highest firearm homicide rates are clustered in the South, generally in red states with less restrictive gun laws, according to an analysis by the left-leaning Center for American Progress Action Fund provided exclusively to Axios.
Why it matters: The report argues that the findings refute Republican narratives that progressive policies stoke more crime in cities.
Rite Aid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Sunday and said it plans to close "underperforming stores."
Why it matters: The Philadelphia-based drugstore chain's bankruptcy filing comes as it faces federal, state and other lawsuits tied to allegedly filling unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances, including opioids.
