Medicare will allow coverage of new weight-loss drug Wegovy to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in enrollees.
Why it matters: Medicare bans coverage of drugs for weight loss, but more enrollees will have access to popular anti-obesity medications known as GLP-1 agonists as they are approved for more conditions.
Black patients at large health systems may be less likely than white patients to get responses from doctors to emailed questions,a new JAMA Network Open study suggests.
Why it matters: Online patient portals, which allow patients easier access to their providers and grew in popularity during the pandemic, could be another example of how technology is furthering health care disparities.
Senators are launching an investigation of national security threats posed by high-risk biological research amid intensifying concern over U.S.-China biotech competition and lingering questions about COVID's origins.
Why it matters: The probe by the top lawmakers on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee could help fuel a push for new restrictions on Chinese contract research firms like WuXi AppTec that critics say are tied to Beijing and pose a security risk.
Many health care providers struggling to get paid after the hack of a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary are still trying to figure out if their cyberattack insurance will help cover their losses.
Why it matters: Providers ranging from large health systems to small independent practices are racking up big bills and say efforts to advance payments while Change Healthcare restores medical claims systems are falling short.
The military found more than 1 in 4 essential medicines are at "very high risk" because of their reliance on Chinese ingredients or their unknown origins.
Why it matters: Senators who released a new Defense Department report said it underscored the need to shore up the military's pharmaceutical supply chain as U.S. drug shortages hit the highest level in nearly a decade.
UnitedHealth Group is facing growing class-action lawsuits from health care providers over financial losses they say they've suffered from a massive cyberattack that's crippled payments across the industry for weeks.
Why it matters: It adds to the potential legal fallout for UnitedHealth over the attack at subsidiary Change Healthcare, as it also faces a federal investigation and patient lawsuits over breached data and trouble filling prescriptions.
A successful global AIDS program that was in limbo for months got a temporary reprieve this week when congressional negotiators agreed to a one-year renewal in the next government funding package.
Why it matters: It marked a temporary truce over the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, which is credited with saving 25 million lives since its inception in 2003 but recently became mired in abortion politics.
The 2024 presidential election is shaping up to be the first in a long time that won't feature sweeping plans to overhaul American health care.
Why it matters: President Biden's campaign is emphasizing pocketbook health care issues after already securing major health care victories and amid overriding voter concerns about the economy, while former President Trump has offered little about his health care plans.
