Health in the news

Feds propose stricter rules for Medicare Advantage plans
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed new rules requiring private Medicare Advantage plans to disclose the medical basis with any prior authorization request denial. Prior authorization, which requires patients to seek approval from their insurers before receiving certain services, has become increasingly commonplace in recent years. Prior authorization requests are often denied when insurers conclude that the proposed treatment is not medically necessary or the patient would receive equal benefit with a lower-cost approach.

The proposed rules come after complaints that medical services were wrongfully denied. According to the New York Times, the rules would also create tighter time limits for insurers to respond to prior authorization requests and give the medical opinions of specialists more weight during the clinical review process.

Dry shampoos recalled
According to CNET, the consumer goods company Unilever is recalling 19 dry shampoos after an internal investigation found elevated levels of the cancer-causing chemical benzene. Long-term exposure to benzene is associated with leukemia and other cancers. Since dry shampoo is typically used indoors, each exposure may be prolonged as particles linger in the air.

US faces medication shortage
The Food and Drug Administration reports that finding medications to treat ear infections, sore throats, influenza, and upper respiratory infections in children may be difficult. According to Healthline, the early start of cold and flu season may be to blame for the increased demand. To combat the shortages, pharmacy giants CVS and Walgreens have both announced purchasing limits for children’s fever-reducing medications.

Shortages have also impacted adults. The Biden administration recently moved to release Tamiflu from the national stockpile to bolster scarce supply.