- Where Ozempic came from: a hormone in the venom of the Gila monster. (They can survive on a few meals a year.)
- Woman who gave birth to someone else’s child sues IVF clinic. (WaPo)
- What should be done with $500 million in government stockpiled covid tests? (WaPo)
- Why does your therapist not accept your health insurance?
Category: Drug Prices & Regulations
Tuesday Links
- About a quarter of MA advertisements portray seniors engaged in physical activities such as yoga and hiking
- Are conflicts of interest at the FDA a good thing?
- Does love have medicinal value?
- Does your facial appearance affect your success in the labor market?
- At the height of the opioid crisis, doctors were prescribing enough for every American adult to have their own bottle of pills.
- Can obesity drugs help cure alcohol cravings?
Child Care
Historically, there were other people around to help.
… in our neighborhood, almost every household had children. Older children in the neighborhood would babysit. Other parents helped with carpools. When one of our kids needed to go to the doctor, a neighbor could watch our other kids. The informal support in that kind of neighborhood used to be common. Today it is rare.
Source: Arnold Kling
Man Dies of Asthma Attack After Inhaler Copay Skyrockets
A young man died after the health plan copay on his asthma inhaler was jacked up to beyond what he could afford. This story has made the rounds of the news lately, including The Washington Post (gated). The pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) responsible for the price increase was Optum, owned by… you guessed it, UnitedHealthcare.