Good morning healthcare enthusiasts. Today’s newsletter is 600 words-long, or a 2-minute-ish read.
Think about it 💡
📈 The high costs of healthcare have turned into a nationwide game of "Let's Avoid the Doctor" as Americans postpone necessary treatments to dodge outrageous bills. A recent survey by Perry Undem highlights the struggle as a majority of Americans juggle bills they can't afford while making financial sacrifices like trading in their organic groceries for budget-friendly options. Misconceptions run rampant, with folks uncertain about the price tags on their medical services, what their insurance covers, and whether their doctors belong to the elusive "in-network" club. So, while a few wise souls contest medical bills and manage to shrink their debt, many are still lost in the labyrinth of American healthcare, searching for an exit. Despite attempts by Congress and states to simplify the game, the confusion remains, and the nation's health takes a beating as a result.
🌊 U.S. House Democrats are making waves over the use of AI in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Dems contend that AI-driven decisions, shepherded by companies like naviHealth, myNexus, and CareCentrix, have been a tad too trigger-happy with claim denials, effectively putting a dent in the quality of care for patients. They are now giving the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) a not-so-subtle nudge to up their game when it comes to overseeing AI in MA plans.
A 2022 report cited by House Democrats revealed that 87% of claims denied in MA didn't quite cut the mustard according to Medicare's coverage rules, meaning that the services would have been covered under traditional Medicare. As a result, Dems are demanding CMS keeps an eye on how AI tools are deployed by MA plans to ensure they play by the Medicare rulebook and don't build any unjust barriers to care.
Meta vs. States 📱
⚖️ Meta is in some legal hot water as several states have taken them to court over their treatment of young users. The lawsuit, filed in a California federal court, alleges that Meta misled the public about the potential harm their platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, pose to children and teens. They're accused of prioritizing profits over safety, essentially fueling a youth mental health crisis. The lawsuit claims that Meta knowingly introduced features and incentives that promote harmful behaviors among young users, like the use of "Likes" on posts, while failing to address issues such as disordered eating and bullying.
In response, Meta defended its commitment to teen safety. Lawmakers are also getting in on the action, blaming Meta and similar platforms for a youth mental health crisis and proposing the Kids Online Safety Act to protect children from harmful online content.
Neat News 🗞️
🥖 France could become the first country to explicitly designate access to abortion as a constitutional right. Neat.
📊 Cercle launched biomedical graph platform to advance fertility care with AI-driven insights. Super neat.
🚶 Parkinson's implant restored man's ability to walk. Ultra neat.
Clean Content 🧼
💡 Generative AI could be applied to nearly every healthcare use case you can think of. That’s a whole bunch of them.
😷 How open-source drug discovery could help us in the next pandemic. Teamwork makes the antiviral dream work.
💻 Nabla was mentioned in (Bill) Gates' latest piece on how AI is about to completely change the way you use computers.
This is what you came for 🍑
🥑 In case you didn't know, today is Spicy Guacamole Day. Yep, it's an event - and one you should embrace. Not only are avocados a party in your mouth, but turns out they're also the perfect wingman. They're packed with vitamin B6, which can kick those PMS blues to the curb for women, and monounsaturated fats that keep your heart in peak condition and rev up stamina. Eat up.
Byeeee,
🔥 Kudos and a tip of the hat to the brilliant writers and journalists who fueled the Healthcare Hoagie's fire this week, Noah Tong, Makena Kelly, Erin Spencer Sairam, Kathrin Folkendt, Bill Siwicki, Aviv Mizrahi-Kliger, Karunesh Ganguly, and um…Bill Gates.
Great read, as always!