An unknown illness first discovered in three children who ate a bat has rapidly killed more than 50 people in northwestern Congo over the past five weeks, health experts say. The interval between the onset of symptoms – which include fever, vomiting and internal bleeding – and death has been 48 hours in most cases. These "hemorrhagic fever" symptoms are commonly linked to known deadly viruses, such as Ebola, dengue, Marburg and yellow fever, but researchers have ruled these out based on tests of more than a dozen samples collected so far. The latest disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo began on Jan. 21, with 419 cases recorded and 53 deaths.
Several community health centers in Connecticut are cutting back on dental care — or eliminating it entirely — due to insufficient Medicaid reimbursement rates, officials there said Monday.
A report from HHS' Office of the Inspector General estimates that Colorado paid insurers at least $7.3 million, consisting of approximately $3.8 million in federal funds, for services for deceased Colorado residents.
Much of the dysfunction in healthcare stems from misaligned incentives and a lack of transparency. Insurers, in their effort to control costs, have prioritized short-term denials over long-term value and positive health outcomes, undermining their own credibility while failing to promote their own customers’ well-being.
A group of healthcare investors have launched a new advocacy coalition that aims to promote responsible private investment in health care, according to a press release shared with PI. The group, Association for Responsible Healthcare Investment, has signed on with BGR Group.
The Supreme Court on Monday scheduled arguments for April 21 in a case that could decide the legality of the ACA's requirement that insurers cover certain preventive services. In a surprising move, the Trump administration said it will continue the Biden White House's defense of that requirement. But some legal experts said the arguments being presented by the Justice Department indicate a desire to give HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. substantial control over an independent government task force.