healthy muse healthcare news.
Trump gets Covid and everyone GOP tests positive.
As I’m sure everyone on the planet is aware, Trump and Melania tested positive for coronavirus over the weekend, leading to Trump’s most-ever shared and liked Tweet. Based on everything released publicly, POTUS and FLOTUS appear to be doing well, which is great news.
Since the announcement, a slew of GOP individuals have tested positive and the White House has been thrown into a bit of disarray.
- Is that actually true? Trump’s doctor maintained optimism that the President would return to the Oval Office today, which is odd considering that he’s been given drugs that indicate a more severe illness running its course – steroids, unproven antibody cocktails, etc.
- Overall, there’s quite a bit of confusion surrounding Trump’s condition, but as of this writing, he’s expected to be discharged from Walter Reed Monday at 6:30pm.
Since you all are probably wondering…what happens to the election if a candidate becomes incapacitated?
The latest Public-to-Private deal: American Renal Associates
In the first major public to private deal announced post-Covid, dialysis provider American Renal Associates is getting acquired by Nautic Partners, valuing the company a bit south of $900 million.
Notably, ARA is getting bought at a 66% premium to its closing share price Friday, meaning that Nautic thought that ARA was significantly undervalued by the public markets.
- Other notable M&A updates: Advocate Aurora and Beaumont called off their merger after doctor pushback and Covid struggles. Acadia Healthcare is restarting its UK division’s sales process. UnitedHealthcare just bought Pillpack competitor DivvyDose. Molina purchased Affinity Health Plan in New York for $380 million. Healthcare REIT Welltower reportedly sold its senior housing Merrill Gardens portfolio
Notice the trend? Healthcare M&A is heating back up.
Coronavirus updates.
- The CDC finally announced that Covid can spread through airborne transmission further than 6 feet.
- Since there’s so much interest currently, the NY Times put together a nifty visual that helps readers understand the duration of a coronavirus infection.
- Read this Politico article on whether Operation Warp Speed’s focus on vaccine approval and production may have overlooked other promising treatments like those associated with antibodies.
- All eyes are on Pfizer’s vaccine candidate as to whether or not one will be ready for emergency use by the end of the year. Some trial participants are reporting moderate side effects, but most of these side effects only last a day or two.
Quick Hits
Biz Hits
- Telehealth startup Ro just expanded its partnership with Pfizer to provide its patients with generic drugs. Ro’s strategy is centered around direct-to-consumer healthcare, of which providing cheap generics is a crucial component.
- Public hospital operator UHS was hit with a major cyber attack earlier this week, shutting down hospitals and diverting ambulances. Honestly, what kind of scum does this?
- Major payors like United, Aetna, & Cigna are planning major Medicare Advantage expansion in 2021 as the boomers take over!
- Skilled nursing facilities are suffering in a Covid world: their volumes aren’t rebounding.
Policy Hits
- Some new Democratic House members put drug-maker CEOs on blast this week, accusing the CEOs of price gouging: raising prices on drugs without any improvement in efficacy for those drugs. It’s quite the painful testimony.
- Remember those advances that providers received from Medicare? They’ll have more time to repay the loans and will probably also get a much more favorable interest rate. Read more about what changed in the latest U.S. stopgap spending bill.
- Voters’ top 2 healthcare concerns leading up to the election: Covid and pre-existing conditions.
- Two senators recently introduced a bill that would establish a subscription-style payment model to expand the antibiotic market.
- Drugmakers and pharmacy benefit managers are both on the hook for the latest insulin price fixing lawsuit.
Other Hits
- Opioid fraud: The Feds just busted more than 300 people involved in a $6 billion opioid fraud.
- The virologists who discovered a hepatitis C cure just won the medicine Nobel Prize.
- Patient satisfaction with telehealth is very high. Insurers don’t seem to care about that though, considering they’re planning to end full coverage for the virtual visits.
- So many communities are testing poop for Covid-19, their equipment is running out
Thought-Provoking Editorials
- How should the FDA regulate adaptive AI, software that designs itself? (Stat)
- Anti-vaxxers, and trust issues with Big Pharma. (Undark)
- Read this contrarian viewpoint from the WSJ (paywall) on pre-existing conditions and what the authors consider to be fact from fiction on Democrats’ main healthcare rallying cry.
Healthy Muse Top Picks
- The Sackler family’s plans to keep its billions. (New Yorker)
- Wellness is becoming even more of an issue in the age of Covid as a web of ‘wellness’ doctors push unproven treatments. (NPR)
- Hard to read: bad-actor private investors extracted millions from a struggling hospital chain even as the chain couldn’t supply its employees with critical supplies and PPE. (ProPublica)
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