Axios Vitals: New Alzheimer's questions

Plus, America's medical debt problem | Thursday, September 29, 2022

Open in app View in browser   Presented By PhRMA   Axios Vitals By Tina Reed · Sep 29, 2022 Good morning, Vitals readers. Today's newsletter is 908 words or a 3½-minute read. Up first, 1 fun thing: Vitals readers already know that (most of) our team loves dogs. But in case you had any doubts about just how cool our canine friends are, here's another cool thing they can do: Smell our stress.     1 big thing: Another Alzheimer's drug candidate renews cost concerns Data: FactSet; Chart: Axios Visuals The prospect of an effective new Alzheimer's treatment came roaring back this week with the announcement of preliminary clinical trial data, giving millions of seniors renewed hope after a tumultuous year, Axios' Caitlin Owens and Adriel Bettelheim report. Why it matters: Alzheimer's is a devastating disease, and the topline results boosted analysts' expectations for an entire class of drugs targeting the condition. But they also resurrect enormous questions about who'll cover the costs. Driving the news: The success of Eisai and Biogen's clinical trial of lecanemab, reported Tuesday night, has instantly changed the narrative around arresting Alzheimer's progression. Drugmakers have spent billions of dollars developing products built around the theory that brain amyloid plaques are major contributors to Alzheimer's and that reducing those plaques will fight the disease. But the expectations for those drugs were dashed by the drawn-out saga of Biogen's other Alzheimer's drug, Aduhelm, approved by the FDA last year without solid evidence it worked. Medicare administrators this spring placed coverage limits on any treatments that target amyloid plaques but haven't shown a clear benefit, meaning Aduhelm was largely excluded from the program. State of play: The lecanemab news ironically came the same day that the Biden administration announced lower Medicare premiums in 2023, a product of Aduhelm's coverage limitations. The trial results — announced by press release — will likely restart the entire regulatory mechanism, this time for a drug that experts say has gone through a much more reliable scientific process. "So far, what we know about lecanemab are data that come from what I call normal science, whereas the data we had from [Aduhelm] came from abnormal science, and that's a big difference," said Jason Karlawish, a medical professor at the University of Pennsylvania. The other side: Some in the research community continue to question the focus on anti-amyloid cures. Go deeper.     2. America's big consumer medical debt problem Data: The Commonwealth Fund; Note: Study defines "medical bill problems" as having difficulty with paying medical bills, having been contacted by a collection agency for unpaid bills, having to change way of life in order to pay medical bills and/or having outstanding medical debt. MOE ± 1.7 percentage points at 95% confidence; Chart: Madison Dong/Axios Visuals The number of Americans who have health insurance has never been higher — but more than 40% surveyed this year said they struggled to pay medical bills or were paying off medical debt, according to a biennial report from The Commonwealth Fund. Why it matters: It's the latest evidence that insurance coverage alone can't insulate people against soaring medical costs, leaving some facing long-term financial consequences. By the numbers: In the survey, based on responses from more than 6,000 people between March and July 2022, nearly half (49%) of the respondents said they would be unable to pay an unexpected $1,000 medical bill within 30 days. About 2 in 5 who said they had problems paying down medical debt reported problems like lowered credit ratings, credit card debt or depleted savings. Nearly 1 in 10 had taken a mortgage against their home or obtained a loan to pay back their medical debt. The big picture: As we've previously reported, Americans owe debt collectors more medical debt than any other kind. The bottom line: Without policy changes, the problem stands to worsen as inflation drives up costs, including premiums and deductibles, said Sara Collins, lead author of the study. In addition, the looming expiration of the COVID public health emergency could trigger states to redetermine Medicaid enrollees' eligibility and cause nearly 16 million people to lose coverage. Related: Some hospitals rake in high profits while their patients are loaded with medical debt     3. FDA redefining "healthy" food Courtesy of FDA   The Food and Drug Administration is poised to add new restrictions to the use of the term "healthy" on food products, Axios' Nathan Bomey writes. Driving the news: The proposed rule was announced Wednesday as the White House hosted the first nutrition summit in over 50 years, focused on ending hunger and reducing diet-related diseases by 2030. Zoom in: The FDA said the change "would align the definition of the 'healthy' claim with current nutrition science," including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Under the current rule, about 5% of packaged foods are labeled as "healthy," according to the FDA. "Healthy food can lower our risk for chronic disease. But too many people may not know what constitutes healthy food," Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. Be smart: The move appears targeted at certain items, like sugary cereal, that claim to be good for you. The other side: "The definition is a first step that should be tested over time to ensure its intent of informing healthy choices is being met," said Roberta Wagner, vice president of regulatory and technical affairs for Consumer Brands Association, a trade group.     A message from PhRMA How insured Americans navigate unclear insurance coverage     According to new findings, insured Americans favor policy solutions that improve their ability to navigate and access their care while lowering their out-of-pocket costs. An example: Tackling the barriers introduced by insurers and middlemen like pharmacy benefit managers. Read more.     4. Data du jour: Diabetes in the U.S. Data: CDC; Note: survey data does not include those diagnosed during pregnancy; Chart: Tory Lysik/Axios More than 1 in 10 Americans say they have been diagnosed with diabetes, according to updated data released by the CDC. Why it matters: The uptick of the condition across the U.S. — there were an estimated 37.3 million people with the disease in 2021, up from an estimated 26 million in 2011 — puts an enormous cost burden on the nation. Diabetes and other diet-related diseases also increased Americans' vulnerability to hospitalizations and death from COVID.  By the numbers: The rate of diabetes was greatest West Virginia (16%) as well as several Southern states. The percentage of those with diabetes was the lowest (7%) in Colorado. The survey did not include those diagnosed with gestational diabetes.     5. Catch up quick 📉 Nursing homes and senior living facilities are driving a rise in health care industry bankruptcies. (Modern Healthcare) 💉 Even a single dose of the two-dose monkeypox vaccine provides some initial protection against the virus, the CDC reported. (CNBC) 💊 How McKinsey got into the business of addiction. (New York Times)     A message from PhRMA Americans want policy reforms that improve their insurance     Did you know 39% of insured Americans say they don't understand what's covered by their insurance? Health insurance coverage should be predictable and transparent, and insured Americans agree. Learn more from PhRMA's latest Patient Experience Survey report.   👋 Thanks for reading, and extra thanks to senior editor Adriel Bettelheim and senior copy editor Bryan McBournie for all the edits. Please ask your friends and colleagues to sign up. Why stop here? Let's go Pro. Join the thousands of professionals reading Axios Pro: Health Tech Deals to better understand the forces shaping their industry.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. 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