The Biden administration on Friday said it will take more time to review a long-awaited ban on menthol cigarettes, after months of delays have left the fate of the life-saving measure in limbo.
Why it matters: The ban is expected to prevent the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans over the next few decades and have an outsized impact in the Black community, but political considerations are prompting the delay.
Some health systems have recovered from the pandemic much better than others, and those with healthier margins tend to be the ones that made a stronger push into outpatient care.
The big picture: There's a wildly large and growing difference between the operating margins of top-performing health systems and those at the bottom, according to Kaufman Hall data shared with Axios.
Economists say in an ideal world, different hospitals will specialize in different forms of care while others — particularly in rural areas — will focus on providing basic services.
Why it matters: The hospital of the future will likely mean a significantly different patient experience, in ways both obvious (it'll have better technology) and potentially disruptive (it could require more travel).
Hospitals' business models are being upended by fundamental changes within the health care system, including one that presents a pretty existential challenge: People have far more options to get their care elsewhere these days.
Why it matters: Health systems' responses to major demographic, social and technological change have been controversial among policymakers and economists concerned about the impact on costs and competition.
Bird flu has been spotted in dairy cows in at least eight states in recent weeks, but health officials said the trace amounts detected in grocery store milk this month are not infectious.
The big picture: More than 80 countries have reported bird flu outbreaks in in poultry and wild birds in the past two years, according to the World Health Organization. Ten countries across three continents have reported virus outbreaks in mammals.
Food recalls reached their highest level last year since before the pandemic, according to a new report released Thursday.
Why it matters: Outbreaks linked to recalled food products sickened 1,100 people and killed six in 2023, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund report found.
Even as Walgreens sheds major costs, the company is going big on its specialty drug business.
The big picture: The company said Thursday it will roll its specialty pharmacy assets under a new brand and will launch a new service helping manage the high costs and delivery of new cell and gene therapies.
Republicans are needling the Biden administration over a recent cut to Medicare plans, indicating a fight over the program's future could play a bigger role in this year's election.
Why it matters: While the Biden campaign views its Medicare record as a strength with a key voting bloc, recent attacks suggest Republicans see an opportunity to harness voter anger over potential cutbacks to Medicare Advantage — a program that's increasingly popular with seniors.
