In the Summer of 2021 I wrote about a controversial new drug for Alzheimer’s Disease. The drug, Aduhelm, did not have a lot of evidence showing it worked. It did have plenty of data showing it came with an extensive list of nasty side effects, including brain swelling and brain bleeds. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved it despite the agency’s advisory panel of experts recommending against it. The decision was controversial, and several members of the advisory panel resigned in protest.
Category: Public Insurance
Washington Doesn’t Understand Obamacare
Both parties are getting it wrong. And that’s surprising. Don’t these folks ever talk to the voters?
In the House of Representatives, the GOP’s “number-one priority for health care reform” is lowering health insurance premiums. However, 8 in 10 enrollees in the exchanges pay $10 a month or less. For a family with average income, the premium is usually zero.
Leprosy is on the Rise in the United States
Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae and the more recently discovered M. lepromatosis. It is a curable yet neglected tropical disease, entirely treatable with the right care, but nonetheless a disease that still occurs in more than 120 countries.
About 150 cases of leprosy are reported in the US each year. Unique strains of M. leprae have been detected in US patients, though most cases are people who have traveled from countries where leprosy is present or endemic.