Axios

Surging demand for blockbuster anti-obesity drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy lifted Novo Nordisk's market value past $500 billion on Wednesday, cementing the Danish drugmaker's status as Europe's biggest company by market cap.

Why it matters: The company's value is more than $100 billion above Denmark's entire GDP, and the GLP-1 drugs could help its sales grow as much as 26% this year.

Fewer than 1 in 5 adults (17%) say they know how much health care products or services will cost in advance, according to new Gallup polling with Bentley University.

Zoom in: No matter how you slice up the data — by age, education level, insurance status, etc. — the results were pretty much the same, "suggesting a society-wide lack of awareness" about personal health care costs, Gallup's Stephanie Marken wrote in a memo.

The stepped-up demand for medical care that's left health insurers nervous is bringing good vibes to the hospital industry, whose outlook was buoyed Tuesday by HCA Healthcare's better-than-expected fourth quarter earnings.

Why it matters: A post-pandemic surge in outpatient care driven by Medicare enrollees who deferred surgeries during the crisis has been good news for hospital operators who've also seen their margins improve and were able to reduce their reliance on costly contract labor where possible.

As everyone in health care is trying to figure out which patients should get pricey new weight-loss drugs, a biotech company spun out of the Mayo Clinic is betting the genetics-based approach it's pioneering may hold the answer.

Why it matters: Despite soaring demand for the class of drugs known as GLP-1s, certain patients may do better with older and cheaper treatments for obesity.

"Sesame Street" favorite Elmo's wellness check-in post on X asking "How is everybody doing?" has been met with thousands of responses this week.

The big picture: Many made clear in the comments section that they're not doing so well — with some citing being laid off, feeling tired or noting they're "depressed and broke."

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill on Tuesday that would ban transgender people's access to public restrooms and locker rooms.

What he's saying: "We want public facilities that are safe and accommodating for everyone and this bill increases privacy protections for all," said Cox, who is running for re-election this year, in a statement.

Unless you're talking about a campfire or stove, it's time to stop worrying about "keeping the spark alive."

Why it matters: Although pop culture and well-meaning friends may have told you that maintaining a "spark" is important for sustaining long-term romantic relationships, sex educator Emily Nagoski says that thinking is misguided.

Syphilis cases have risen to their highest levels since the 1950s, with a sharp increase in infections among newborns, new federal data show.

The big picture: The nation's long-running rise in syphilis cases worsened in 2022 and rates of other sexually transmitted infections remained elevated as the COVID-19 pandemic further strained public health programs.

More providers are participating in cost-cutting alliances of hospitals, doctors and other providers who care for groups of Medicare patients, according to new federal data.

• But participation in Medicare's dominant value-based payment program is still hovering at levels similar to 2019.

The ban on surprise medical bills protected patients from more than 10 million claims for out-of-network services in the first nine months of 2023, according to new estimates by health insurer groups. But the process for settling billing disputes is still in disarray.

Why it matters: AHIP and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association said more than 670,000 claims were submitted to arbitration between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, 2023, with no sign that the number is peaking.

There's a notable gap in new federal rules requiring insurers to streamline decisions on whether they'll cover treatments ordered by doctors: They don't apply to drugs.

Why it matters: Drugs account for a significant share of prior authorization requests, and patients and doctors argue that the new rules, as is, won't increase access to needed treatments.