Axios

Health providers are slamming UnitedHealth Group's response to the crippling ransomware attack against its subsidiary Change Healthcare and are pressing the Biden administration to intervene.

Why it matters: Hospitals and a host other health interests have seen payment systems slow to a crawl because of the attack against Change, with some warning they're running dangerously low on cash as they await a fix.

The first daily birth control pill to be sold without a prescription will be available on store shelves and online later this month with a suggested retail price of $19.99 a month, manufacturer Perrigo said on Monday.

Why it matters: Reproductive rights advocates say the contraceptives, sold as Opill, could increase access for millions of women who lack access to a full range of birth control methods.

Hospitals and pharmacy benefit managers who've repeatedly been targeted in congressional debates over health spending appear to have ducked major federal reforms that could have upended how they do business.

Why it matters: The big congressional spending deal that was unveiled this week with health policy attachments largely keeps the status quo for the two powerful industries, potentially leaving patients exposed to higher health costs.

Americans won't be able to order free COVID tests from the U.S. government again after Friday, the Department of Health and Human Services told Axios Monday.

The big picture: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently eased isolation guidance for the virus and urged older adults to receive a second shot of the updated COVID-19 vaccine.

Families considering starting IVF treatments in Alabama still face a host of unknown legal risks despite new protections Gov. Kay Ivey plans to sign into law, experts warn.

Why it matters: Courts could ultimately consider new legislation, designed to help protect clinics from civil lawsuits and prosecution, contradictory to the state constitution's provision on the sanctity of unborn life.

Tightening restrictions on who can receive the remarkably effective class of new weight-loss drugs is putting a spotlight on an imbalance in how health plans cover obesity care.

Why it matters: The explosive growth of Ozempic and other drugs known as GLP-1 agonists has led to greater recognition of obesity as a chronic condition rather than a lifestyle disease. But it's also sparked major concerns about the potential budget-busting costs of treating the more than 40% of Americans who are obese.

Medicare Advantage patients were found to get skimpier home health care and worse outcomes than their counterparts in traditional Medicare in a study published in JAMA Health Forum.

Why it matters: With more than half of Medicare beneficiaries in MA plans, there's growing concern about how the plans are run, including whether their guardrails around coverage are reducing access to care.