Discussion: Health And Healthcare III

[MagnarTheGreat]

 

[Teelie]

But organic is healthier?

 

[moviedoors]

Biden Hikes Medicare Prices, Funnels Profits to Insurers

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  [*]In June 2021, Biden’s FDA approved the drug Aduhelm for treatment of Alzheimer’s, despite controversy involving alleged scientific disputes inside the agency over the drug’s efficacy and industry pressure on the internal review process.
  [*]In November 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which administers and oversees Medicare, approved the historic 14.5 percent premium increase for all Medicare beneficiaries. The announcement noted that among other reasons, the hike “reflects the need to maintain a contingency reserve for unanticipated increases in health care spending, particularly certain drug costs,” and specifically mentioned covering Aduhelm.
  [*]A few days later, in response to questions from CNN, CMS revealed that the projected cost of Aduhelm was alone responsible for half of the premium increase.
  [*]The resulting outcry led Aduhelm’s manufacturer, Biogen, to halve the drug’s price the following month.
  [*]In January 2022, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra called on CMS to reassess those premium hikes this year.
  [*]In April 2022, Medicare instituted strict rules regarding who could receive the Aduhelm under its plans — but kept the higher premiums in place.
  [*]Around this same time, CMS announced a massive 8.5 percent increase in the rates paid to for-profit Medicare Advantage plans — despite the official body overseeing Medicare payments, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, concluding that Medicare Advantage is more costly than traditional Medicare.
  [*]On May 27, the Biden administration announced that despite the extraordinary premium hikes that stemmed from inaccurate price assumptions, they would not be lowering the monthly premium deducted from social security checks, instead saying any overcharges will be factored into next year’s Medicare premium calculations.

Surely a winning midterm strategy.

 

[Teelie]

Biden seems to be really good at pissing off would be voters.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

Forbes - Republican Counties Have Higher Mortality Rates Than Democratic Ones, Study Finds

 

[moviedoors]

Universal Health Care Could Have Saved More Than 330,000 U.S. Lives during COVID

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Universal Health Care Could Have Saved More Than 330,000 U.S. Lives during COVID

And we spent trillions as a response to 9-11 (3,000 deaths).

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

USA Today - Polio virus detected in London sewage samples, vaccination recommended

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

FDA orders Juul Labs to remove products from US market - CNN

The FDA added that it reviewed the company's premarket tobacco product applications and determined some of Juul Labs' study findings had "insufficient and conflicting data -- including regarding genotoxicity and potentially harmful chemicals leaching from the company's proprietary e-liquid pods -- that have not been adequately addressed."

"The FDA is tasked with ensuring that tobacco products sold in this country meet the standard set by the law, but the responsibility to demonstrate that a product meets those standards ultimately falls on the shoulders of the company," said Michele Mital, acting director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, in the agency's news release. "As with all manufacturers, JUUL had the opportunity to provide evidence demonstrating that the marketing of their products meets these standards. However, the company did not provide that evidence and instead left us with significant questions. Without the data needed to determine relevant health risks, the FDA is issuing these marketing denial orders."

While e-cigarette products have been on the market without authorization, they have grown in popularity among young people, leading to a vaping epidemic in high schools nationwide.

In a national survey from last year, more than 2 million US teens said they use e-cigarettes, with a quarter of them saying they vape daily.

Even with many middle and high school students spending more time at home because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the survey found that they still reported using e-cigarettes and other vape devices.

"FDA's decision to turn down Juul's application represents the most significant step FDA has taken to reverse the youth e-cigarette epidemic," said Matthew Myers, the president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

"Juul more than any other company has been responsible for creating and fueling the youth e-cigarette epidemic," Myers told CNN. "Denying Juul both impacts a product that is currently widely used among kids, and hopefully sends a message to the entire industry that FDA is now serious about preventing them from marketing to kids."

Many public health experts now say that the FDA's decision on the marketing of Juul products has been a long time coming.

"This is long overdue, and most welcome," Erika Sward, the assistant vice president of national advocacy for the American Lung Association, told CNN. "But we also have to recognize that what the FDA needs to do now is enforce it and make sure these products get off the market entirely."

CDC - Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Young People

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

Biden administration moves to restrict nicotine levels in tobacco products - CNN

The Biden administration signaled Tuesday that it will develop a proposed rule to establish a maximum nicotine level in cigarettes and other tobacco products that will essentially lower the amount of nicotine in products available in the US. It is a step that no other administration has taken before and is one public health experts say would be transformative if enacted.

"This is the first time there's ever been a serious discussion with a commitment from the highest levels of government to tackle tobacco in a way that is transformative," said Matthew Myers, the president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "It will transform public health in the United States and literally do more to reduce cancer, cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease than any other set of actions the government could take."

The new initiative was released as a part of what is called the administration's "unified agenda." Released twice a year, this is a set of planned federal regulatory actions.

The rule says that the effort to lower nicotine in tobacco products would reduce people's addiction to smoking and give people a better shot at quitting. Reducing the amount of nicotine in these products would also likely prevent people from starting smoking.

The addictive poison companies from Juul to big tobacco are having a sad time.

 

[samsnee]

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

 

[Lily Adler]

Socialism! Scary socialism!!!

 

[Lily Adler]

 

[Lily Adler]

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

Gizmodo - American Men Are Sicker, Die Earlier Than Their Global Peers
Men in the U.S. have generally worse health outcomes than men in 10 other high-income countries, a new report from the Commonwealth Fund finds.

Last year, they ranked the U.S. dead last across most health care metrics, including in life expectancy past age 60. In April, another comparison report found that American women of reproductive age were the most likely to die from preventable causes, including during or soon after pregnancy, and they were also the most likely to have trouble paying their medical bills or to avoid seeing doctors over healthcare costs. Unfortunately, the picture isn’t looking any rosier for American men.

According to the report, U.S. men are the most likely to develop serious, life-threatening health problems and to die early from preventable causes like heart disease. Unsurprisingly, they were also the most likely to express dissatisfaction with their health care. These gaps were even larger for American men with “income insecurity,” who were also more at risk of not being able to pay for their health care and to avoid doctors than men with similar financial situations living elsewhere.

The U.S. probably has more paranoia and CT about healthcare in general, from medical doctors to pharmaceuticals. Hollywood has even helped feed this paranoia in addition to the Republican Party.

 

[Teelie]

Or maybe we just have ****ty healthcare.

 

[DJ Kornphlake]

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

The Guardian - Monkeypox declared global health emergency by WHO as cases surge

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

USA Today - What foods have titanium dioxide? What to know after Skittles lawsuit
Titanium dioxide will soon be banned by the European Union. In the U.S., it can be found in candy, sunscreen and paint. Here's what you need to know."

 

[Lily Adler]

 

[Teelie]

Still probably not enough for Republican "pro-lifers."

 

[Lily Adler]