Population & Community Health

It’s more expensive to treat a sick person than to keep them from getting sick. The economics of medicine requires society to pivot from critical care to wellness support. We are finding that some common assumptions about the underlying causes of healthcare disparity are misunderstood and will require real ingenuity to solve.

POPULATION & COMMUNITY HEALTH: QUICK LINKS:

Landmark Discovery Solves Baffling Mystery Around Gulf War Illness in Veterans

We can’t track down and follow up every theory that comes along. But maybe if we listen better we won’t have to clean up the mess later.—Research reveals the cell structures integral for transporting calcium into cells, known as transient receptor potential ion channels, are defective in veterans with Gulf War Syndrome (GWS). GWS affects between 25 to 32 percent of the nearly one million veterans who were deployed during the Gulf War.

Mounting Costs Push Assisted-living Centers in Florida into Bankruptcy

Drawn to the state’s warm weather and low taxes, boomers have been piling into the retirement haven for years, leaving it with one of the most elderly populations in the U.S.—Palm Garden Healthcare shuttered its assisted-living facility earlier this year because of skyrocketing costs, said President and CEO Rob Greene. The property insurance bill for his 14-location nursing home chain more than doubled in two years to $2.2 million.

It Doesn’t ALL Have to Be Bad News…

Despite global challenges, significant progress has been made in reducing child mortality rates, offering a beacon of hope and a testament to the power of healthcare advancements and humanitarian efforts.—Child mortality rates have significantly decreased over the past few decades, reflecting improvements in healthcare, nutrition, and living conditions worldwide. This positive trend showcases the impact of concerted efforts by governments, NGOs, and communities to protect the youngest and most vulnerable. The decline in child mortality is a reminder that collective action can lead to meaningful change, offering a hopeful perspective amidst global challenges.

Eliminating the Middleman

To avoid insurance and regulatory obstacles, Eli Lilly has set up a pharmacy to manage direct-to-consumer distribution of Ozempic.—LillyDirect is similar to several pharmacies that cut out insurers and PBMs and allows patients to purchase drugs at discounted cash prices. If this strategy does give Lilly greater leverage to negotiate with PBMs, it seems inevitable that other drug companies will follow suit.