Axios Vitals: New Alzheimer's drug could blow up health spending

Plus: Nursing homes workforce squeeze | Wednesday, June 09, 2021

Open in app View in browser   Presented By PhRMA   Vitals By Tina Reed ·Jun 09, 2021 Good morning. Moving on: Andy Slavitt, the White House senior adviser for coronavirus response, announced on Tuesday he is leaving the role, Axios' Erin Doherty writes. Slavitt, who was appointed to the position in January, was expected to leave this month. Today's newsletter is 764 words, or a 3-minute read.     1 big thing: New Alzheimer's drug could blow up health spending Reproduced from KFF; Chart: Axios Visuals Biogen's new Alzheimer's treatment could be experts' nightmare drug spending scenario: An extremely expensive product that millions of desperate patients could be eligible for — and it may not even work, Axios' Caitlin Owens reports. Why it matters: Alzheimer's is a devastatingly common disease with no effective treatment. But the FDA's decision this week paved the way for a free-for-all in which taxpayers foot most of the enormous bill for a drug that hasn't been proven effective. Driving the news: The FDA approved Aduhelm for all Alzheimer's patients, rather than the narrower subset it was tested against. It's estimated that around 6 million Americans currently have the disease, most of whom are covered by Medicare. By the numbers: Around 500,000 Americans are diagnosed with Alzheimer's each year, and the company announced that the drug costs $56,000 annually. Between the lines: The numbers alone could give new ammunition to advocates who argue that drug prices are too high and should be regulated. But they may be hard-pressed to find politicians who want to take on a beacon of hope for Alzheimer's patients. What they're saying: "It's always been the worry that if you get a super expensive drug that is targeted toward a huge population, that that is going to be a turning point in how we deal with health care spending," said Walid Gellad, a health policy professor at the University of Pittsburgh. "And that's what this drug is." Go deeper.     2. Nursing homes' workforce squeeze Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios   Skilled nursing and assisted living facilities across the country are having trouble hiring enough caregivers, and many have turned to perks like referral bonuses and transportation to lure more talent, Axios' Marisa Fernandez reports. The big picture: The industry historically grappled with high employee turnover for its lower-skilled jobs. But now nursing facilities are facing reputational hits from the pandemic and a red hot market for minimum-wage workers. "We're not just competing with the restaurants and hotels for workers here," said Tina Sandri, CEO of Forest Hills, which offers assisted living and skilled nursing care in Washington, D.C. The industry is competing for staff against each other and against other hospitals giving out much more competitive pay right now, Sandri tells Axios. Meanwhile, a record number of Americans quit their jobs in April — a sign that workers across many industries are confident there's better, higher-paying work elsewhere, Axios' Courtenay Brown reports. Go deeper.     3. More good news on COVID in U.S. Data: Our World in Data; Chart: Axios Visuals COVID-19 cases, deaths, related hospitalizations and ER visits have all declined considerably this year, especially among older, vaccinated adults, according to a new CDC report, Axios' Marisa Fernandez reports. Yes, but: Younger adults have had declining vaccine coverage since mid-April despite increases in supply and eligibility. CDC data posted last week show Black and Hispanic Americans are once again seeing higher coronavirus case rates than white Americans — as their vaccination rates continue to lag.     A message from PhRMA We are focused on our mission: saving lives     We're not just talking about vaccines. Manufacturers are working to deliver 11 billion vaccine doses in 2021 alone. We have constructive ways to deliver vaccines, continue to innovate and lower the cost of medicine. That is our focus, day-in and day-out and that work continues.     4. Journal articles vulnerable to bots Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios   Scientific journals are easy targets of automated software that post links to social media, often with misinformation, according to a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine. Why it matters: Automated disinformation campaigns that harness legitimate scientific research could further erode the public's understanding and trust in science, particularly around COVID-19. Driving the news: Researchers looked at 563 Facebook groups that shared links to a Danish trial, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in November 2020, that supported mask-wearing. About 39% of the posts that provided direct links to the study were in Facebook groups most affected by automation while about 9% of the Facebook groups were least affected by automation. Among posts made to groups most affected by automation, about 20% claimed masks harmed the wearer and 51% made conspiratorial claims about the trial. In comparison, among groups with the least automation, 9% claimed masks harmed the wearer and 20% made conspiratorial claims about the trial. The researchers said their findings indicated the study was likely the subject of a campaign to disseminate misinformation. They recommended legislation to strengthen penalties for those behind automation, greater enforcement of rules by social media companies and counter-campaigns by health experts.     5. Catch up quick... Adams receives the COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 18, 2020. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images   Former U.S. surgeon general Jerome Adams, who served under former President Trump, criticized states who are offering lottery tickets, beer and donuts as prizes for getting the coronavirus vaccine, Axios' Orion Rummler writes. A group of public employers in Colorado is teaming up with a coalition of national employers, including the likes of Walmart and Boeing, to jointly purchase medical care, Bloomberg reports. Amazon is using COVID-19 testing technology from a controversial Chinese firm that a U.S. national security commission — which includes Amazon's incoming CEO Andy Jassy — has warned against, Business Insider reports.     A message from PhRMA We are focused on our mission: saving lives     We're not just talking about vaccines. Manufacturers are working to deliver 11 billion vaccine doses in 2021 alone. We have constructive ways to deliver vaccines, continue to innovate and lower the cost of medicine. That is our focus, day-in and day-out and that work continues.   Like this style and format? Request access to Axios HQ The tool and templates you need for more engaging team updates.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. 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