An independent lab asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a petition on Tuesday to recall a group of acne products that could potentially contain elevated levels of cancer-causing benzene.
Why it matters: The lab said the carcinogen was present due to the breakdown of benzoyl peroxide, one of the most ubiquitous ingredients in over-the-counter topical acne treatments.
An FDA advisory panel on Tuesday voted unanimously for a recommendation that the agency adopt a modified flu vaccine for next fall that could make it easier for manufacturers to increase supplies.
The big picture: The panel's recommendation would turn the quadrivalent flu vaccine into a trivalent vaccine — dropping a specific strain that has not been detected since 2020.
When Cerberus Capital Management bought an unprofitable Massachusetts hospital chain in 2010, many viewed the deal as a financial lifeline. Now some believe it was actually a noose.
Why it matters: The company, which Cerberus sold four years ago, is in severe distress and may close facilities, threatening care for thousands of patients, most of whom live in lower-income areas.
For-profit insurers led by CVS Health's Aetna are gobbling up the majority of new Medicare Advantage patients, despite new restrictions on marketing, higher medical costs and other headwinds, a new analysis of enrollment data found.
Why it matters: An aging population and the perceived attractiveness of MA plans over traditional Medicare bode well forthebig insurers, while nonprofit health plans like Blue Cross Blue Shield are seeing market share slip.
Why it matters: Patients left scrambling to determine if insurance will cover drugs or treatmentscould seek damages from the UnitedHealth Group subsidiary, whose stricken payment network is a mainstay of hospitals, pharmacies and physician offices and processes 15 billion transactions annually.
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.
