MHE June 2020 Issue

An off-the-shelf version of CAR-T therapy that uses the immune system’s natural killer cells is a possibility. But the high price of CAR-T shows some doubts about how widely it can be used.

The COVID-19 outbreak has tried the souls of people the world over, both personally and professionally, and healthcare executives are no exception. Despite seeing their plans and schedules torn up, executives can meet and master the unrelenting demands of leadership when a typical workday is anything but. Consider these tips from your industry peers to not just survive but also thrive — and to inspire your employees to do the same.

COVID-19 forced a shift to virtual behavioral health therapy. Some once-skeptical providers, however, are finding telehealth beneficial. Reimbursement and continued relaxation of regulations will determine whether it’s here to stay.

Demand for medications needed for patients who were intubated or put on a ventilator led to some shortages. The CARES Act has some provisions that may help deal with long-standing causes of the drug shortages that plague U.S. healthcare.

Early studies from China suggested that CT scans of the lungs could be used to diagnose the disease. But as PCR tests became available, radiology groups said CT scans should be used more sparingly and in confirmed cases.

The two PCSK9 inhibitors have fallen far short of expectations. Inclisiran, which works by RNA inference, only needs to be injected twice a year. 

Pharmacy benefit managers are taking steps to be more responsible for the total cost of care and to become more transparent, while adding technology tools to support patients, payers and physicians in a post-COVID-19 world.

Early detection of low blood oxygen levels may detect ‘silent hypoxia’ seen in some patients with COVID-19. But the American Lung Association advises against buying a pulse oximeter unnecessarily.

Some hospitals were overwhelmed. But for many providers, COVID-19 has meant the absence of patients - and major drops in revenue. And now there is a possible economic downturn. COVID-19 has hit American healthcare and hit it hard.   

A safe, effective vaccine by December 2020 or January 2021?

Health and healthcare inequities are the most likely explanation for the disproportionate effect.