Iowa news
Opinion: Privatized Medicaid isn’t working, let’s find a different model
There are two ways to save money in healthcare. The first is by ramping up preventive care — an ounce of prevention doesn’t cost nearly as much as a pound of cure. The second way is to cut care that has been deemed necessary. I shouldn’t have to say that it is unethical to profit off of Iowans in this way. But former Governor Terry Branstad proposed a third way. He claimed that privatizing Medicaid would “save money, improve access, and improve quality of care.” He and others who supported privatization were and still are wrong. (The Scarlet and Black)
Doctors fear heart attack, stroke going untreated during pandemic
Doctors in eastern Iowa are concerned that the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic may be preventing people from seeking emergency care, especially in the case of heart attack or stroke. Officials at UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s Hospital, in Cedar Rapids, said they saw a large drop in emergency room visits early in the pandemic. The numbers have since improved, but some people are still avoiding the emergency department out of fear of contracting the virus. Doctors said delaying care when experiencing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack or stroke could be deadly. (KCRG)
Health care leaders worry of overwhelmed hospitals during winter season
Health care leaders at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics say they are worried hospitals in Iowa will soon be overwhelmed with patients. Chief executive officer Suresh Gunasekaran said there are about 30 COVID-19-positive patients in the hospital as of Monday. The three big concerns of hospitals being overwhelmed are lack of beds, lack of ventilators or continued spread. (KGAN)
National news
Meet the youngest participants in COVID-19 vaccine trials: Teens and tweens
Earlier this month, Pfizer became the first pharmaceutical company in the United States to receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration to test its vaccine on children as young as 12. The kids who have signed up say they are proud to be participating — and say they feel safe doing so. Like most of the other coronavirus vaccine trials, Pfizer’s involves getting two shots. Participants are given the shots three weeks apart and then have their health monitored for two years by researchers. The participants do not know whether they are receiving a placebo injection or an actual COVID-19 vaccine. (NBC News)
Will telehealth growth outlast the pandemic? 10 execs weigh in
Telehealth growth has sped up during the pandemic, but whether it continues long-term is a point of debate among hospital and health system CIOs. The fate of telehealth rests on several factors, including CMS and commercial payers permanently extending payment benefits for telehealth and virtual care services. Growth also likely will depend on patient demand and clinician comfort with telehealth-appropriate care selection. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
Scientists debate how much to lower the bar on COVID-19 vaccine potential
The White House and many Americans have pinned their hopes for defeating COVID-19 on a vaccine being developed at “warp speed.” But some scientific experts warn they’re all expecting too much, too soon. Clinical trials are primarily designed to show whether COVID-19 vaccine candidates prevent any symptoms of the disease — which could be as minor as a sore throat or a cough. But the trials, which will study 30,000 to 60,000 volunteers, will be too brief and too small to prove the vaccines will prevent what people fear most — being hospitalized or dying — by the time the first vaccine makers file for emergency use authorization, which is expected to occur later this year. (NBC News)