- Gaming the patent system: drug companies have 74 patents apiece on America’s ten best-selling drugs—receiving over half of them after FDA approval.
- More than 3.1 million patients in 48 states have completed a consultation with an AI-powered chatbot.
- Federal employees are still not back to work. 17 of the 24 federal agencies in GAO’s review had an average occupancy of 25 percent or less.
- As of mid-2020, collections agencies held $140 billion in unpaid medical bills. That’s more than all other collections agency consumer debt combined.
- 80% of children with cancer survive at least five years in the wealthiest countries v. 30% in the rest of the world, according to WHO. (NYT)
Category: Health Economics & Costs
Hospitals Hate High-Deductible Health Insurance
Health insurance deductibles have been rising for decades. This is true both for individual and group coverage. Guest contributor Bob Hertz dives deeper into why hospitals hate high-deductible health insurance.
Friday Links
- Scott Atlas: what to expect for Medicare for All.
- Unemployment reduces fertility. UI compensation reverses the effect.
- Study: OxyContin marketing in 1996 is related to adverse long-term health outcomes over twenty-five years later.
- Brian J. Miller testimony: lawmakers should foster innovation in the medical field, to ensure the next generation of breakthrough technology reaches patients.
- Medicaid health plans denied physician’s pre authorization requests one out of every eight times — roughly two times the rate under Medicare Advantage.
- Yglesias: Banning background checks increases racial discrimination.
The Atlantic: What Happens When Hard Drugs Are Decriminalized
Today John Goodman posted the Danger of Drug Laws and the unintended consequences of making drug abuse illegal. Because drug abuse is illegal, illicit drug users don’t have the support system that medical pharmaceuticals have. For example, fentanyl has both legitimate medicinal uses and non-medical uses. It has a low therapeutic index when used for pain relief. That means it is inherently risky.