From Washington, DC —

• The Food and Drug Administration announced today
  • “approv[ing Sage Therapeutic’s] Zurzuvae (zuranolone), the first oral medication indicated to treat postpartum depression (PPD) in adults. PPD is a major depressive episode that typically occurs after childbirth but can also begin during the later stages of pregnancy. Until now, treatment for PPD was only available as an IV injection given by a healthcare provider in certain healthcare facilities.

• STAT News informs us
  • “A new White House task force on drug shortages held a rare in-person meeting last Friday with representatives from hospitals, drugmakers, pharmacies, and others in the drug supply chain to brainstorm policies for stemming shortages of cancer drugs.
  • “The meeting at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building focused on immediate steps that could help alleviate shortages, such as allowing temporary importation of drugs from other countries, according to an attendee and three others with knowledge of the discussion. It also touched on purchasing issues.”

• HR Dive relates
  • “The National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday reversed its Trump-era stance that allowed employers to maintain certain handbook policies, such as those mandating a respectful workplace (Stericycle, Inc. and Teamsters Local 628).
  • “The shift means all policies that restrict employee speech and actions must be reviewed — “and very likely rewritten,” according to Peter Spanos, a partner at law firm Taylor English.”

From the public health front —

• The Leapfrog Group now offers ratings on maternity care services.

• Health Day relates,
  • “A micronutrient in human breast milk may provide significant benefit to developing newborn brains, according to new research that sheds light on the link between nutrition and brain health.
  • “Scientists looked at this sugar molecule in rodents and in human neurons. They said the micronutrient, called myo-inositol, may lead to improved infant formulas.
  • “The current research does indicate that for circumstances where breastfeeding is not possible, it may be beneficial to increase the levels of myo-inositol in infant formula,” said study co-author Thomas Biederer.
  • “Myo-inositol may also play a part in the aging brain, according to the research conducted at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University in Boston.”

• STAT News lets us know,
  • “Early-stage cancer diagnoses decreased by nearly 20% in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. A new study published in Lancet Oncology emphasizes how, because of disruptions in care, patients were more likely to get diagnosed with deadly metastatic disease — across nearly all cancer types.
  • “This study is the most comprehensive analysis of cancer diagnoses during the pandemic, using a nationwide registry that captures over 70% of all cancers in the United States. The starkest decline was observed after the initial shutdowns, with the regular 70,000 monthly cancer diagnoses (captured by the study’s inclusion criteria) being cut in half in April 2020.”

• KFF News offers polling data on consumer interest in the new injectable weight loss drugs and their attitudes toward pharmaceutical companies and “A Look at the Latest Suicide Data and Change Over the Last Decade” in our country.

From the U.S. healthcare business front —

• The Kaiser Foundation announced
  • “For the quarter ending June 30, 2023, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, and their respective subsidiaries (KFHP/H) reported operating revenues of $25.2 billion and operating expenses of $24.4 billion compared to operating revenues of $23.5 billion and operating expenses of $23.4 billion in the same period of the prior year. Operating income was $741 million for the second quarter of the year compared to operating income of $89 million in the second quarter of 2022.
  • “Like all health systems, Kaiser Permanente is experiencing ongoing cost headwinds and volatility driven by inflation, labor shortages, and the lingering effects of the pandemic on access to care and service.
  • “Due to favorable financial market conditions, Kaiser Permanente benefited from strong investment income with other income (net of other expenses) of $1.3 billion for the second quarter, compared to a $1.4 billion loss in the second quarter of 2022. For the second quarter, net income was $2.1 billion compared to a net loss of $1.3 billion in the same period of 2022.”

• Healthcare Dive points out
  • “Patrick Conway is stepping up as CEO of UnitedHealth pharmacy benefit manager OptumRx effective immediately, according to a Thursday post on the executive’s LinkedIn, as part of a leadership shakeup at the healthcare giant.
  • “Conway is replacing Heather Cianfrocco, who is pivoting to president of Optum. Cianfrocco will lead the division’s pharmacy and care delivery capabilities, per UnitedHealth’s website.
  • “Cianfrocco replaces John Prince as Optum president. Prince has departed the company to serve as a senior advisor to private equity firm TPG, according to his LinkedIn.”

• EBRI announced
  • “A new research report published today by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) found that cost-sharing shifted from deductibles to copayments and coinsurance among enrollees in HSA-eligible health plans for a number of services impacted by IRS Notice 2019-45. The report, “The Impact of Expanding Pre-Deductible Coverage in HSA-Eligible Health Plans on Employee Choice of Health Plan and Cost Sharing,” analyzed claims data to quantify the effect of expanding pre-deductible coverage on enrollee choice of health plan and cost-sharing.
  • “In response to IRS Notice 2019-45, three-quarters of large employers and health plans offering HSA-eligible health plans expanded pre-deductible coverage for medications and services that prevent the exacerbation of chronic conditions. As a result, it is not surprising that when examining medical claims, cost-sharing shifted from deductibles to copayments and coinsurance for enrollees in HSA-eligible health plans,” explained Paul Fronstin, Ph.D., director, Health Benefits Research, EBRI. “The percentage of cost sharing paid through deductibles fell for antidepressants, insulin and other glucose-lowering agents, statins, beta blockers and inhaled corticosteroids.”

• Health Payer Intelligence updates us on the status of provider challenges to the No Surprises Act’s arbitration rules.
  • “The legal challenges highlight the difficulties of prioritizing affordable healthcare for consumers. With payers and providers holding opposing views, federal policymakers must reach a conclusion that benefits both sides and improves costs for consumers.
  • “If federal agencies cannot establish reasonable guidelines for the IDR process, Americans may face an inflationary federal IDR process that results in higher premiums and healthcare costs, according to Georgetown University’s O’Neill Institute.
  • “There is a strong urgency to determine concrete guidelines, given the high amount of disputes that payers and providers have submitted through September 2022, a CMS report indicated.”

• Behavioral Health Business reports
  • “The Cigna Group (NYSE: CI) has seen a historic but expected rise in behavioral health benefits utilization in recent years. 
  • “These insights, presented by the health care insurance and service conglomerate’s executives, echo others made by UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) executives on their second-quarter earnings call. 
  • “As it relates to what we’re seeing in terms of trends in terms of utilization, behavioral health has certainly been growing at a strong clip, not just this year, but for the past few years,” Brian Evanko, The Cigna Group’s CFO said Thursday on the company’s second-quarter earnings call. “Part of that is by design as we engage with our customers. And over time, that’s a good thing because the more utilization we see in behavioral health services, [the more] it helps to defray core medical costs.”