Transcript:
This is your Weekly Dose Health News…
A manhunt is underway after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed Wednesday in midtown Manhattan. Police described it as a targeted attack by a shooter outside a hotel where the company was holding a conference. Bullet casings found at the scene had the words “delay, deny, defend,” written on them. These words are commonly used to described the tactics that insurance companies employ to avoid paying claims. At the time of this recording the suspect is still at-large and a motive is still unknown.
Also on Wednesday the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case involving Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgendered people under the age of 18. The Supreme Court will be weighing whether Tennessee’s law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. Gender-affirming care is supported by the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, among many others.
A twice-yearly shot was 100% effective in preventing HIV infections in a study of women, and it also works nearly as well in men. Drugmaker Gilead has said it will allow cheap, generic versions of its HIV vaccine to be sold in 120 poor countries with high rates of HIV, but Gilead has excluded nearly all of Latin America in those 120 countries. The drug will be made available in the 18 countries that comprise 70% of the world’s HIV burden. Now medical professionals will have to figure out how to get it to everyone who needs it.
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has backtracked on a proposed change in policy that would have capped anesthesia payments based upon arbitrary anesthesia time limits. The policy would have pre-determined the time allowed for anesthesia care. If the time of care was longer than the insurer proposed, it would have denied payment for the anesthesiologists’ care. This could have passed the balance bill onto patients. On Thursday Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said it would no longer move forward with the policy change.
Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights issued a letter to healthcare providers so they can better understand their civil rights obligations under the new final rule on Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. Section 1557 provides nondiscrimination protections by requiring covered entities, like recipients of federal financial funds, to provide language assistance to individuals with limited English proficiency or disability. The Office of Civil Rights has continually found a lack of compliance with federal law requirements for language access and has prioritized this work because it is directly tied to health equity, patient safety, and effective communication. All individuals, regardless of language ability, should have access to and benefit from essential health services.
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Story Source Links:
UnitedHealthcare executive fatally shot in Manhattan, reports say: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-ny-post-reports-2024-12-04/
https://apnews.com/live/united-healthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-updates
Medical care for transgender minors at stake in Supreme Court case: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/medical-care-for-transgender-minors-at-stake-in-supreme-court-case
A twice-yearly shot could help end AIDS. But will it get to everyone who needs it?: https://apnews.com/article/hiv-infections-aids-prevention-shot-02606f7d7892f0baf55bd0a0ff2ba3de
Anthem Insurance will cap anesthesia coverage at certain time limits for CT, NY patients: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/anthem-insurance-cap-anesthesia-coverage-time-limits/6040608/
HHS Office for Civil Rights Issues Letter to Health Care Officials to Clarify Civil Rights Language Access Requirements: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2024/12/05/hhs-office-civil-rights-issues-letter-health-care-officials-clarify-civil-rights-language-access-requirements.html