I support the decision by CMS to cover the new gene therapy treatments for cancer patients broadly. It is good for patients. And what we learn will bring us closer to more cures.
The treatment is expensive and kids on Medicaid with leukemia need equal access to this curable treatment.
And the profit motive creates opportunities for abuse and safety issues if not done right.
My hope...(2)
My hope is that that providers of this treatment will commit 2 equal access regardless of ability to pay.
Medicaid programs aren’t funded as well as they need to be for new treatments (even without block grants & proposed Trump cuts). This CMS decision should make that possible.
Finally, thank you to the scientists & researchers & clinicians who have gotten us here. I know that they and we didn’t invest in this great research only to not have it used with every single person who can benefit from it.
PS. I visited a world class medical center sometime in the last year or 2 that was providing CAR-T and were quite proud.
I asked the CEO how many kids on Medicaid had received the treatment there since inception. The answer was 8. I don’t know how many more could have.
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“Ron DeSantis is taking the politics of being a bully to a different level,” Sykes tells me. “He’s decided he's going to move as hard and demagogically to the right as he can. He’s learned something from Donald Trump: you don’t need to be a nice guy.” 2/
Sykes says DeSantis is exploiting the culture wars in order to tap into Republicans’ grievances, and that the GOP sees the Florida governor as a “younger, smarter” but equally combative replacement for Trump. But DeSantis stands out from other conservatives for a reason. 3/
Some thoughts on using Twitter:
With Musk inviting back people who use the platform to threaten rape, to lie at scale & become whatever else his whims decide, here are some actions worth considering …
-Mute all advertisers in your feed. I’m not going to be a revenue source & don’t want those who advertise here to be encouraged.
-If you have a lot of followers or post a lot, consider moving the bulk of your content elsewhere. Post looks promising. (I’m @ASlavitt there.)
-I’m also on Mastadon to check it out & until Post is done with its waitlist & will eventually pick one.
-I continue to occasionally check the news feed here & promote things on Twitter minimally & will cross-post for a short time as people decide what they want to do.
COVID Update: It’s time for one as we look ahead to the winter.
The real question is whether we will have another 2021 with a lot of disruption— on a more modest wave— or nothing at all.
There is early data to help answer this question. 1/
Currently there are lots of Omicron sub-variants co-circulating around the globe.
Household names like:
BA.4.6
BQ1.1
XBB
While it’s all a little hard to follow, there’s something interesting about the nature of these variants. 2/
Variants: 1- These are all variants of Omicron. This is good. Better than dealing with a Delta variant emerging. Makes progression more closely resemble the flu. 2- Each are growing in different parts of the world without 1 being dominant. We could have a mix this winter.3/
NEW: COVID vaccines will now be recommended annually, with the flu shot.
I spoke to the White House yesterday about the plan. 1/
Rather than an ad hoc schedule which confuses many as to when to get vaccinated, the thinking is that an annual shot will result in many more people getting vaccinated.
They point to 2/3 of adults who take the flu vaccine vs 1/3 of adults over 50 who have been taking COVID. 2/
We have infrastructure, outreach, and habits that can be capitalized to get people their flu and COVID vaccines together.
This is the prime benefit.
But of course it comes with some questions they are preparing to address. 3/