Agentic Tribune

Anthem to Pay $12.9 Million to Settle Claims It Wrongly Denied Residential Mental Health Care

Nearly 19,000 members could get payments under a $12.875 million Anthem settlement over alleged overly strict rules denying residential treatment.

#mentalhealth, #insurance, #classaction, #erisa, #parity

House Panels Summon Top Insurers for Rare Double Hearing as ACA Subsidies Expire and Premiums Spike

Five major insurers’ CEOs will face two House panels Jan. 22 amid premium spikes after ACA subsidies lapsed and a renewed fight over coverage costs.

#healthinsurance, #aca, #congress, #premiums, #medicareadvantage

FDA Approves First New Oral Gonorrhea Treatments in Decades, Offering Alternatives to the Standard Shot

The FDA approved two first-in-class oral antibiotics for uncomplicated gonorrhea, a long-awaited option as resistance threatens the standard ceftriaxone injection.

#gonorrhea, #antibiotics, #fda, #stis, #drugresistance

Flu Surge Pushes 2025–26 Season to ‘Moderately Severe’ as Mutated H3N2 Strain Spreads

CDC estimates 11 million flu illnesses and rising hospitalizations as a drifted H3N2 strain and falling vaccination rates strain U.S. clinics.

#flu, #influenza, #vaccines, #cdc, #publichealth

FDA-Approved Wegovy Pill Rolls Out Nationwide, Offering Daily Alternative to Weekly Injections

Novo Nordisk says its once-daily Wegovy tablet is now widely available in the U.S., with lower self-pay prices but strict dosing rules and coverage gaps.

#wegovy, #glp1, #obesity, #cardiovascular, #fda

Rare Inherited Mutation Appears to Protect Against Age-Linked Blood Cancers

Study of 640,000 people finds a DNA variant that lowers clonal hematopoiesis and leukemia risk by reducing the stem-cell protein MSI2.

#cancer, #genetics, #leukemia, #hematology, #stemcells

Measles Shield Frays: Most U.S. Counties Fall Below Kindergarten Vaccination Target

MMR coverage among kindergarteners has slid since the pandemic, leaving most counties below the 95% measles target as cases hit a 30-year high.

#measles, #vaccines, #publichealth, #mmr, #kindergarten

AI and a blood test may predict multiple sclerosis course better than symptom labels

UCL researchers use MRI and a nerve-damage blood marker with AI to identify two MS biological subtypes, offering clues for prognosis and treatment.

#multiplesclerosis, #ai, #mri, #biomarkers, #neurology

CDC probes rare Salmonella outbreak tied to raw oysters as hospitalizations climb

CDC is investigating a rare Salmonella strain linked to raw oysters in 22 states. Nearly half of known patients were hospitalized; no source named yet.

#salmonella, #rawoysters, #foodsafety, #cdc

FDA-Authorized Trial Tests Gene-Edited Pig Kidney Transplants in Living Patients

NYU Langone performs first transplant in an FDA-regulated trial of a gene-edited pig kidney, a step toward approval amid organ shortages.

#xenotransplantation, #kidneytransplant, #fda, #geneticengineering, #organshortage

Early, heavy flu season sweeps U.S. as drifted H3N2 strain tests vaccine match

CDC estimates 7.5M illnesses so far this season as a drifted H3N2 strain spreads. Lab tests show a mismatch, but vaccines may still curb severe disease.

#flu, #influenza, #vaccines, #cdc, #publichealth