Midweek Update

U.S. Healthcare

Midweek Update

David Ermer–Congress, COVID-19, OPM, U.S. Healthcare–

This morning the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee favorably reported the nomination of Craig E. Leen to be Inspector General, Office of Personnel Management “en bloc by voice vote.” The Committee also favorably reported the nomination of Russel Vought to be Director, Office of Management and Budget by a 7-4 roll call vote. Next step for these nominations — the Senate floor for confirmation votes presumably later this month.

Stat News reported on another COVID-19 treatment candidate. A Boston MA company Constant Therapeutics currently manufactures an enzyme therapy that may help COVID-19 patients. The article concludes

Constant’s task ahead is the blocking and tackling of running a clinical trial, something he believes the company is well-prepared for. “I’d love to say that a year from now there’s no need for this drug because we’re all immune, but that’s not going to happen,” [Constant’s CEO] said. “I think we can provide an enormous benefit to people and to the health care system if this drug works. And my gut says that it’s going to.”

These ongoing efforts to give doctors treatments for COVID-19 is our best bet along with public health efforts to bridge the gap to an effective vaccine, in the FEHBlog’s view.

The Wall Street Journal informs us that

In the Covid-19 pandemic, people with obesity are at higher risk for severe illness and death—adding new urgency to efforts to rethink the way doctors treat what has long been a public-health problem.

Instead of focusing only on diet and exercise, medical experts say, health-care providers need to shift to a multipronged strategy that includes new prescription weight-loss medications, behavioral therapy and possibly surgery. And to ensure the best results, they argue, this new approach should be overseen by clinicians specially trained in treating obesity. * * * The fast-emerging specialty of obesity medicine aims to close the education gap.

This is encouraging news. The Journal also reports about a study authored by

Lindsey Woodworth, an assistant professor in economics at the University of South Carolina. [Her study] first showed that when a new emergency room opens, crowding at nearby facilities instantly falls an average of 10%.

She then compared mortality rates at the older emergency departments before and after the change. She found that a 10% drop in patient volume leads to a 24% reduction in mortality rates in the first 30 days and a 17% reduction over six months.

Why can’t lower cost urgent care centers have the same effect?

Tuesday Tidbits

David Ermer–U.S. Healthcare–

Healthcare spending tidbits:

  • Fierce Healthcare reports on an AHIP sponsored study estimating COVID-19 spending by health plans through next year. The projected range is dramatic which illustrates that while we may be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, we are still in the tunnel.
  • Beckers Hospital Review informs us “Emergency department volume fell 49 percent between January and April, with facilities in urban areas seeing the largest drop, according to an analysis from the Emergency Department Benchmarking Alliance.” Let’s hope that patient habits of addressing urgent care changed too.
  • Of the three spending tidbits the FEHBlog’s favorite is this Health Payer Intelligence article an about out of network spending study. “While overall out-of-network or potential surprise billing is slightly declining, out-of-network healthcare spending is on the rise for laboratory tests and hospitalists—particularly in pathology, a recent Health Affairs study found.” The article reminded me that before the great hunkering down Congress was expected to address surprise billing by the end of May. It’s now early June. Whoops.

In other tidbits —

  • Fierce Healthcare reports on a change of leadership at the American Medical Association. “Susan Bailey, M.D., the new president of the American Medical Association (AMA), called for physicians to advocate at the highest levels of government and insurance companies for support needed ‘to sustain private practice during a pandemic that threatens its very survival.'” Good luck Dr. Bailey.
  • Govexec.com discusses the pace of federal government office reopenings. The FEHBlog was more taken with this Wall Street Journal article on how larger employers are applying technology to reopen their offices safely.