The World Health Organization is weighing discussions on whether to declare an international public health emergency as a deadlier strain of mpox spreads in Africa.
Why it matters: Vaccines and public health surveillance could control the virus, which is killing about 3% of those infected with a new strain in Africa this year and spreading via sex, Sciencereports.
Prescriptions for blockbuster drugs that treat diabetes, obesity and heart disease are soaring, but the mix of payers shows access to the drugs is far from equitable, per a study published in JAMA Health Forum.
Why it matters: Patients on Medicare and Medicaid appear less likely to be able to access the drugs than those with private coverage.
U.S. spending on behavioral health topped $280 billion at the start of this decade, with substance abuse treatment exceeding treatment for mental health conditions by nearly 6 to 1, per an analysis by Bourne Partners.
Why it matters: The findings help quantify the scope of mental health and opioid crises even before the worst of the pandemic, while acknowledging there's still a large undiagnosed population.
Conservatives are targeting the hundreds of billions of dollars infederal spending that's led to the highest insured rate in U.S. history — and no program is more in the crosshairs than Medicaid.
Why it matters: The Affordable Care Act expansion of Medicaid for low-income adults helped drive enrollment to nearly 75 million people as of April.
