Well hello there. Today’s newsletter is 560 words-long, or a 2-minute read.
Think about it 💡
📝 The OECD's Health at a Glance 2023 report shines a spotlight on the pivotal role of digital health in shaping the future of healthcare, painting a picture of global struggles amidst the march towards digital transformation. Despite strides in electronic health records and telemedicine, the surprising fact remains: fax machines still hold sway in medical services worldwide. Amidst this tug-of-war between old-school tech and modern digital tools promising transformative impacts, challenges like governance, legal intricacies, and cyber threats loom large. However, the report highlights the potential dividends of investing in digital strategies—a chance to triple returns on every dollar spent, ramp up workforce efficiency, and bolster frontline care. Though concerns about widening disparities persist, embracing digital health might paradoxically serve as a means to uncover and bridge existing gaps through the savvy utilization of insightful data.
🍭 The FTC just slapped some health influencers on TikTok and Instagram for pushing aspartame without letting the world know they were pocketing cash from industry bigwigs. Despite some doubts about aspartame causing cancer, these influencers forgot to reveal their cozy deals with the American Beverage Association and The Canadian Sugar Institute. Now, the FTC's buzzing around like a watchdog, warning of fines over $50,000 for shady sponsorships, and demanding influencers spill the sugar in their posts within 15 days or face the music. One Adam Pecoraro got an earful for his not-so-audible disclosures in a video debunking aspartame's supposed cancer risks. Transparency's the name of the game.
Algorithm drama 🎬
⚖️ And thus our algorithmic saga continues to unfold. UnitedHealth finds itself in a legal pickle, accused of using the nH Predict algorithm, akin to a fickle oracle, to deny Medicare Advantage rehab care. And doing so despite its error-prone nature—flipping over 90% of initial denials on appeal. Denying any reliance on nH Predict for coverage, UnitedHealth insists on playing by CMS rules. The lawsuit spans 20+ jurisdictions, alleging contract breaches and legal violations, aiming for a class-action status. Highlighted by heart-wrenching stories, this legal drama mirrors similar clashes involving Cigna, signaling heightened scrutiny of payer algorithms in Medicare Advantage and prompting regulatory attention.
Neat News 🗞️
🤰 AI improves detection of cardiomyopathy in pregnancy. Neat.
🧬 The first Crispr medicine just got approved. Super neat.
💸 Female-led Black Opal Ventures raised $58 million for its first healthtech VC fund. Ultra neat.
Clean Content 🧼
💡 Creativity and AI-driven innovations are the dynamic duo transforming the future of medicine.
📝 Christina Farr discusses how healthtech founders can survive a brutal 2024.
🚀 Save yourself the FOMO and register for the event of the year: Eric Topol, MD, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute and Yann LeCun, VP & Chief AI Scientist at Meta will discuss AI Explainability in healthcare on December 18 at 2pm EST.
This is what you came for 🍑
💼 Ever thought your knack for organizing bills could be the secret sauce for a stellar sex life? According to a study diving into the world of personality and pleasure, the meticulous, Excel-loving aficionados might just be onto something. Turns out, while alphabetically sorting your paperwork won't magically turn you into a Casanova, approaching intimacy with the same care and dedication might just spice things up more than rearranging your receipts ever could. Who knew the real foreplay might involve a well-organized filing system?
Byeeee,
🎩 Big cheers and a tip of the cap to the ingenious writers and journalists who spiced up the Healthcare Hoagie this week, Andrea Chipman, Wes Davis, Casey Ross, Bob Herman, L.A. McKeown, Emily Mullin, the FASTCO WORKS team, Christina Farr.