TWiV 936: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin
In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses detection of a highly divergent type 3 vaccine-derived poliovirus in a child with a severe primary immunodeficiency disorder, severe respiratory illnesses associated with rhinoviruses and/or enteroviruses including EV-D68, effects of vaccination and previous infection on Omicron infections in children, COVID-19-associated hospitalizations among vaccinated and unvaccinated adults 18 years or older in 13 US states, effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines over time prior to Omicron emergence in Ontario, Canada, nasal IgA wanes 9 months after hospitalization with COVID-19 an...
Source: virology blog - September 17, 2022 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: This Week in Virology antiviral coronavirus COVID-19 delta inflammation influenza Long Covid marburg virus monkeypox monoclonal antibody Omicron pandemic poliovirus SARS-CoV-2 vaccine vaccine booster variant of concern Source Type: blogs

Medical facilities: Please keep your immune-deficient patients safe [PODCAST]
“I have a form of genetic primary immunodeficiency and several heart issues, among other things. I know that I need to be far more vigilant than someone with a fully armed and operational immune system, so I try to take as much responsibility for that as I can. First tactic: Not going out at all.Read more …Medical facilities: Please keep your immune-deficient patients safe [PODCAST] originally appeared inKevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - July 12, 2021 Category: General Medicine Authors: < span itemprop="author" > < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/the-podcast-by-kevinmd" rel="tag" > The Podcast by KevinMD < /a > < /span > Tags: Podcast Hematology Source Type: blogs

Divorcing Reimbursement From Real-World Prices: Medicare Still Uses 2003 AWPs For Some Drugs
Average wholesale prices (AWPs) have long been recognized as a flawed payment benchmark because they are list prices that do not reflect the real-world prices available in the marketplace. For that reason, a common joke in the drug pricing world panned AWP as “Ain’t What’s Paid.” After years of reports from the Office of Inspector General (OIG), analysis from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and litigation that highlighted the flaws in AWPs, Congress required in 2003 that reimbursement of Part B drugs be set 106 percent of their average sales price (ASP). ASPs are calculated based on the prices at which ...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - November 21, 2016 Category: Health Management Authors: David Tawes and Marta Wosinska Tags: Costs and Spending Drugs and Medical Innovation Medicare Payment Policy Average wholesale prices durable medical equipment Medicare Part B Office of Inspector General Source Type: blogs

Collaboration With Chronic Disease Groups Optimizes Outcomes For Payers And Patients
Some new specialty treatments for patients with rare and chronic diseases are nothing short of transformational, allowing many to live longer and healthier lives. However, these new treatments are often expensive, creating challenges for health insurance companies to design and implement policies that offer patients access to the care they need at an affordable price. Shifting regulatory environments, changing economic conditions, and new medical discoveries all play a role in shaping payer polices relative to these specialty treatments. Insurers now face greater challenges in developing drug policies that cover the needs ...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - March 23, 2016 Category: Health Management Authors: Marcia Boyle Tags: Costs and Spending Featured Health Professionals Insurance and Coverage Organization and Delivery Payment Policy chronic disease Health Care Service Corporation Immune Deficiency Foundation immunodeficiency diseases patient uses of evi Source Type: blogs

LITFL Review 190
Welcome to the 190th LITFL Review. Your regular and reliable source for the highest highlights, sneakiest sneak peeks and loudest shout-outs from the webbed world of emergency medicine and critical care. Each week the LITFL team casts the spotlight on the blogosphere’s best and brightest and deliver a bite-sized chuck of FOAM. The Most Fair Dinkum Ripper Beauts of the Week Ken and Chris over at The SGEM are trialling a new project: ‘Hot or Not’  They want to know what you think of five recently published articles. Looks like it could be an interesting addition to cutting down the Knowledge Translation window f...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - July 26, 2015 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Marjorie Lazoff, MD Tags: Education LITFL review Source Type: blogs