- Paragon study: In 2023, the federal government is expected to spend 6.2 percent of the economy (or more than $1.6 trillion) on mandatory health programs. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that within 30 years, the federal government will annually spend at least 9 percent of the economy on those programs. And this is a conservative estimate.
- A little-noticed provision of the omnibus spending bill could give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the power to ban off-label use of approved therapies, even though 1 in 5 prescriptions written are for an off-label use.
- Study: Laughter really is contagious – and that’s good. (WaPo)
- Diversity training not only doesn’t work, it may actually backfire. So why are we spending $3.4B a year on it? (NYT)
- Fourth Quarter lobbying: almost $7 million by the American Hospital Association and $6.6 million by PhRMA. As Milton Friedman said, the question is not why we get so many bad laws; the question is, why aren’t things worse?
- Amazon will sell generic drugs for as little as $5 a month. But, no Medicare or Medicaid or private insurance.
- 25 of the 37 novel drugs approved in 2022, were first approved in the US.
Category: Doctors & Hospitals
Monday Links
- UK study: When hospitals merge, patients suffer.
- Only about one-third of Americans think the US health care system has minor or no problems–and that percentage hasn’t varied much in the last 20 years. And that includes the passage and enactment of Obamacare.
- UK ambulances took an average of 1 hour & 32 minutes to respond to heart attacks & strokes last month. 5 X higher than target, double the average in November.
- Study: Even a little alcohol can be harmful to your health.
- A lot of health provisions were stuck in the omnibus spending bill. (NYT)
Direct Primary Care and other Direct Pay Practice Models on the Rise
An article in the Denver Post claims that more of the city’s physicians are converting their practices to direct primary care (DPC).
Scientists May Have Developed a Brain Cancer Killer Vaccine
Scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital are developing a cancer vaccine again the deadly brain cancer, glioblastoma.