Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Covid Sees Doctors In Demand, Pharmacists Short-Staffed, Stressed
Pharmacies and insurers are increasingly competing to directly hire doctors and nurse practitioners as they move deeper into primary health care delivery. The latest example is CVS Health's latest plan to reduce its retail locations as it pours more resources into its digital health delivery and health hub locations. (King and Herman, 11/24)
One pharmacist stopped offering COVID vaccines when he couldn鈥檛 hire enough staff to administer them. Another grew so overwhelmed by the workload he couldn鈥檛 sleep at night. And then there are the customers, who post misinformation about the pandemic on the pharmacy鈥檚 social media sites, demand their ivermectin prescriptions be filled or when asked if they鈥檇 like a COVID vaccine, respond with an unprintable curse. Nearly two years into a public health crisis in which they鈥檝e played a central role in combating, many pharmacists and their staffs are stressed, fatigued and burned out by both the amount of extra work and the ensuing conflict surrounding the coronavirus. (Marbella, 11/23)
In news on the business of health care 鈥
The state Department of Health's Public Health and Health Planning Council on Thursday gave contingent approval for Long Island Community Hospital's merger with聽NYU Langone Health. The East Patchogue, Suffolk County, hospital became affiliated with NYU Langone in July. In the initial phase of the merger, NYU Langone health will be an active parent and co-operator of the Long Island hospital after satisfying certain contingencies. After that, a full asset merger will occur no more than three years later, with NYU Langone being the surviving corporation. (Sim, 11/23)
Prince Charles praised Cambridge as a center of scientific collaboration Tuesday as the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca opened a 1 billion-pound ($1.34 billion) research center, hoping to build on work in developing one of the first COVID-19 vaccines. The 19,000 square-meter (more than 200,000 square-foot) complex near the University of Cambridge will house more than 2,200 research scientists. It joins a cluster of businesses seeking to make Cambridge a hub for life sciences research similar to what California鈥檚 Silicon Valley is for the technology industry. (11/23)
Six months after signing up for a Medicare supplemental plan, Rob Erick was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Erick believes he navigated his 12 rounds of chemotherapy as seamlessly as possible thanks to his Medigap plan, and the guidance of his local, independent broker. A Medicare Advantage plan could have included the headache of prior authorizations, provider restrictions and out-of-pocket expenses, he said. (Tepper, 11/23)
Also 鈥
KHN: It Takes A Team: A Doctor With Terminal Cancer Relies On A Close-Knit Group In Her Final Days
The decisions have been gut-wrenching. Should she try another round of chemotherapy, even though she barely tolerated the last one? Should she continue eating, although it鈥檚 getting difficult? Should she take more painkillers, even if she ends up heavily sedated? Dr. Susan Massad, 83, has been making these choices with a group of close friends and family 鈥 a 鈥渉ealth team鈥 she created in 2014 after learning her breast cancer had metastasized to her spine. Since then, doctors have found cancer in her colon and pancreas, too. (Graham, 11/24)
