The Senate Judiciary Committee has released a 105-page report criticizing UnitedHealth Group for turning its coding of patients in the Medicare Advantage program into a profit-centered strategy. The report, based on 50,000 pages of documents from the conglomerate, highlights how UnitedHealth has pushed its tactics to maximize profits, which was not the original intent of the program. This report comes after a series of investigations by journalists into the company’s practices, including a focus on risk adjustment, where health insurers are paid more to cover sicker members.
In other news, a new analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology sheds light on the state of cardiovascular health in the U.S. The analysis reveals that half of Americans still have high blood pressure, rates of coronary heart disease have been on the rise, and hospitalizations for heart attacks have increased among young people. The study’s lead author, cardiologist Rishi Wadhera, emphasizes the gap between what we know works and what is actually happening in practice, calling it a uniquely American issue.
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore nearly $12 million in funding to the American Academy of Pediatrics, citing a likely retaliatory motive behind the termination of grants in December. The funds were allocated for programs such as rural health care, prevention of sudden infant death, and support for teens dealing with substance use or mental health challenges. The AAP has been vocal in its support for childhood vaccination and gender-affirming care for trans youth, issues that have been targeted by federal health agencies under the Trump administration.
On the topic of dietary guidelines, a prominent designer, Debbie Millman, criticizes the Trump administration’s decision to revert to an inverted food pyramid visual. She argues that the new graphic is confusing and outdated, providing little guidance on quantity, balance, or meal composition. The retro aesthetic reflects the administration’s focus on nostalgia and populism, according to Millman. Additionally, a dietician writes that the new guidelines will only make her job harder.
A study published in JAMA reveals that 1 in 4 adults with dementia over the age of 65 were prescribed brain-altering medications with increased risks of delirium, falls, and hospitalization. While claims for these medications decreased overall, older adults with cognitive impairments were more likely to be given prescriptions compared to those with normal cognition.
In other news, NPR reports on the drastic choices some individuals are making due to the cost crisis of the Affordable Care Act, the Atlantic highlights a flu drug that Americans aren’t taking, the New York Times covers the EPA’s decision to stop considering lives saved when setting rules on air pollution, and Wired discusses MacKenzie Scott’s $45 million donation to the Trevor Project.
