DCMedical News: Tuesday, July 27, 2021
DCMedical News-DCMN
Washington, D.C.
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
DCMedical News is published every day both the House and the Senate are scheduled to be in session.
THE BIG STORY
Peak in October
Becker’s Clinical Leadership & Infection Control reports on a “4th wave” COVID-19 modeling exercise (here) which predicts that “The nationwide surge in COVID-19 cases will accelerate through the summer and autumn before peaking in mid-October.” The prediction comes from the COVID-19 Scenario Modeling Hub, a consortium of researchers helping the CDC track the pandemic's trajectory. “In the most likely scenario, which results in cases peaking in October, 70 percent of eligible Americans are vaccinated and the delta variant is 60 percent more transmissible. At this peak, the model forecasts about 60,000 cases and 850 deaths each day in the U.S. By January 2022, the model shows deaths falling to about 300 per day, which is the current death level in the U.S. ‘What's going on in the country with the virus is matching our most pessimistic scenarios,’ Justin Lessler, PhD, an epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill who helps run the consortium, told NPR. ‘We might be seeing synergistic effects of people becoming less cautious in addition to the impacts of the delta variant.’”
U.S. Health Groups Call for Mandatory Vaccination of Health Care Workers
The Washington Post reports (here) on a statement (here) from 57 health professions groups. “Medical groups representing millions of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health workers on Monday called for mandatory vaccinations of all U.S. health personnel against the coronavirus, framing the move as a moral imperative as new infections mount sharply. The American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association and 55 other groups sponsored a joint statement shared with The Washington Post. “The health and safety of U.S. workers, families, communities, and the nation depends on it.” Confirmed coronavirus infections have nearly quadrupled in July, from about 13,000 cases per day at the start of the month to more than 50,000 now, according to The Post’s tracking.”
U.S. Buys Vaccine Supply for Children
AMA Morning Rounds and Reuters report (here) that Pfizer and German partner BioNTech said the U.S. government has purchased 200 million additional doses of their COVID-19 vaccine to help with pediatric vaccination, as well as possible booster shots – if they are needed. “An official from the Biden Administration ‘with knowledge of the contract said that as part of the agreement, Pfizer will provide the United States with 65 million doses intended for children under 12, including doses available immediately after the vaccine is authorized’ by the FDA for use in that age group.”
Pandemic May Once Again Upend Economies, Freedoms
The Wall Street Journal reports (here) that “The Delta variant is changing calculations of governments around the world, raising doubts about how quickly they can leave the coronavirus pandemic behind, widening the gulf between highly vaccinated places and the rest, and infiltrating countries that had previously kept the virus at bay.”
From The Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Dashboard (here), logging 4.16 million deaths worldwide to date.
Geographic distribution and growth of cases nationwide: California and New York (here, The Financial Times) will require vaccination in public and health workers; rising cases in the 45 states are reported in The New York Times (here); Florida has more hospitalized COVID-19 patients than at any other time in the pandemic (USA Today, here; NYT here); Los Angeles health officials report (here) 2000+ new cases per day.
Changes in social and economic policy: the Veterans Administration becomes the first federal agency to announce (here) that all 115,000 of its health workers will be required to be vaccinated; long haul COVID-19 patients will qualify for civil rights/disability protection (White House announcement here, HHS, DoJ guidance here).
Treatment: Ivermectin had no effect on COVID treatment (BMJ Infectious Diseases, here; previous report to the contrary found flawed and withdrawn, here); nor did hydroxychloroquine (here) or azithromycin (here) prevent or help with COVID19.
Infrastructure Bill Tags Health Funds
InsideHealthPolicy (here) reports that “A core group of Senate negotiators have agreed on several health-related offsets to cover the $600 or so billion in new spending in the bipartisan infrastructure package still under discussion . . . In addition to a delay of the Trump-era Medicare Part D rebate rule [see DCMN 7-26-2021], extension of the Medicare sequester and pulling back money from the CARES Act provider relief fund, the bill also is expected to address pharmaceutical spread pricing.”
DOCTORS, NURSES AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
Virtual Radiology in Primary Care Visits
Research in the Journal of the American College of Radiology (here) found that “The participating PCPs [primary care physicians] indicated that the consultation was helpful in their management decisions in 83% of visits. Patient’s interest in receiving their imaging results from radiologist increased from 56% to 88% when comparing pre- and post–virtual consultation survey results.”
HOSPITALS AND OTHER HEALTH CARE FACILITIES
Hospital Prices, Continued
The Wall Street Journal examines (here) the results of price transparency required of hospitals since January 1, finding that “The newly public prices allow for the first time a comparison of what deep-pocketed insurers pay hospitals versus rates that hospitals set for patients who pay cash. Time and time again, the Journal’s analysis revealed, cash payers are charged among the highest prices.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (here) examined Georgia hospitals for compliance with federal price transparency requirements, finding “At most hospitals, though, it is like a game of Where’s Waldo to find any information on pricing. Many require patients to scroll and search through various drop-down menus to reach the pricing tools. When it comes to providing a consumer-friendly, shoppable list of services that patients can use to compare prices, most hospitals ducked disclosures of specific prices. Only Wellstar provided a list on its website of prices for 300 standard medical procedures.” The New York Times examines reports on medical debt, finding (here) “health care has become the country’s largest source of debt in collections. Those debts are largest where Medicaid wasn’t expanded.” One current sore point: “trauma team activation” fees, often for unnecessary “activation,” examined by Kaiser Health News (here).
READINGS & REFERENCES
Documentation (here) for report (see DCMN 7-26) that the 2019 Public Charge Final Rule has been vacated and is no longer in effect.
2021 CQ Congressional Calendar here.
PUBLICATION SCHEDULE FOR DCMEDICAL NEWS
July 28, 29, 30
August - none
September 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30
Notes to: Fred Hyde, MD, JD, MBA; fredhyde@aol.com.