InnovationRx: Medicare Advantage Plans Are Expanding; Plus: A Medtech Billionaire

InnovationRx is your weekly digest of healthcare news. To get it in your inbox, subscribe here . T he economy may be slowing down , but big health insurers aren’t letting that stop their plans to expand their Medicare Advantage programs .

Aetna has announced that next year it will be expanding into over 200 more counties across the country. UnitedHealthcare is adding 184 new counties to its roster, and Elevance health is adding 210. Cigna, which is only in 26 states right now, plans to expand to two more states and over a 100 moure counties in 2023.

Humana is also adding two new states to its roster. This highlights the rapid growth that Medicare Advantage plans have seen in the past few years after being unavailable in large parts of the country. Over two million more people added Medicare Advantage plans in 2022, and 45% of the Medicare population is enrolled in one.

Google on Tuesday announced a new set of artificial intelligence tools aimed at letting healthcare organizations use the search giant’s software and servers to read, store and label X-rays, MRIs and other medical imaging. Read more here. Genome Screening: Health insights company Sema4 announced Wednesday that it’s joining the Genomic Uniform-screening Against Rare Diseases In All Newborns (GUARDIAN) study along with businesses, non-profit organizations, academic institutions and government agencies.

The goal of the study is to find ways to earlier diagnose and treat genetic conditions in newborn babies. Quick Monkeypox Test: Northwestern University and its spinoff company Minute Molecular Diagnostics are teaming up to develop a swab-based rapid monkeypox test based on a platform it used to develop a rapid PCR test for Covid. True Drug Mechanisms: Biotech company Meliora Therapeutics announced it has closed a $11 million seed round.

The company’s developing a computational platform geared towards getting a better understanding of how drugs actually work versus how they’re theorized to. The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidance suggesting that kids don’t need to stay home from school if they have head lice . Hurricane Ian may be over, but in its wake it may be bringing a host of infectious diseases to the populations of Florida and South Carolina.

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon and sardines may help improve brain health in middle-aged adults, according to a new study . There’s a swirl of controversy surrounding last week’s regulatory approval of Relyvrio , a new drug for ALS, and it’s likely to face pricing and reimbursement issues as its sponsor Amylyx Pharmaceuticals tries to bring it to market. T he CDC has announced that it will no longer keep an updated list of country-by-country Covid-related travel advisories.

According to the agency, this is the result of fewer countries testing and reporting case numbers, making it difficult to keep a running list. Instead, the CDC will only announce a travel advisory if there’s a situation like a new variant that could pose a threat for those traveling to a country. This comes a week after places like Canada and Hong Kong join the long list of countries and territories loosening travel restrictions.

Joe Kiani surmounted overwhelming personal and professional odds to build a better blood oxygen monitoring device. So why should he be afraid to push his scrappy company into consumer electronics, challenging firms 100 times its size? Read more here. A new study found that using saline solution to irrigate the nose twice a day after testing positive for Covid-19 can reduce the risk of death and hospitalization in high-risk patients.

Although getting the flu shot and Covid booster at the same time is safe, some experts recommend getting the booster as soon as possible and waiting until late October to get the flu shot. This is because the spread of influenza doesn’t ramp up until late fall to early winter, meaning an early vaccination may leave you less protected in the thick of it. A CDC study found that the best practice to reduce transmission and keep unaffected family members from catching Covid-19 was isolating in separate rooms.

The new bivalent boosters alone cannot give you Covid, but the side effects resemble those of previous Covid-19 vaccines. A sore arm from the needle and reactions like fever, nausea and fatigue are all potential side effects, with the risk of developing a more serious problem being extremely rare. Mr.

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