No images? Click here [link removed]

HealthPlatform.News(letter)

September 1, 2025

In this week’s edition of health news across the states: Critics call for transparency in a federal hospital funding stream, Study points to dangers to pure fentanyl overdose deaths for U.S. youth, FDA meeting reignites debate over fluoride in drinking water, Senate considers bill to tackle Medicare Advantage upcoding costs

Plus: Deacon: Price transparency is necessary to bring down consumer and employer costs

HealthPlatform.News [[link removed]] Critics call for transparency in a federal hospital funding stream [[link removed]]

A federal drug pricing program intended to help hospitals fund uncompensated care is facing new criticism. Those critics contend that the program that allows certain hospitals to purchase drugs at a discount has expanded far beyond its original intent.

Why it matters [[link removed]]

Senate considers bill to tackle Medicare Advantage upcoding costs [[link removed]]

The U.S. Senate is considering a bipartisan bill that proponents say will improve the way Medicare Advantage (MA) plans evaluate patients’ health risks, reduce overpayments and eliminate incentives for overcharging. It could save the federal government and taxpayers millions of dollars. Opponents say that the bill amounts to a Medicare cut and will significantly damage the popular MA plans.

Why it matters [[link removed]]

Study points to dangers of pure fentanyl overdose deaths for U.S. youth [[link removed]] [[link removed]]

Surprising new research suggests the danger of counterfeit drugs made purely of fentanyl is rising for the nation’s youth, even as the overall number of opioid overdose deaths has started to decline.

In a study recently published in the journal Pediatrics, New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine examined five years of data on fatal youth overdoses to better understand the mix of drugs that were to blame.

Read more [[link removed]]

FDA meeting reignites debate over fluoride in drinking water [[link removed]]

What has long been known as the “fight over fluoride” has gained new steam, and federal action could be forthcoming to reduce certain products containing it.

A recent public meeting hosted by the Reagan-Udall Foundation and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) brought renewed national attention to the chemical added to drinking water across much of the United States.

Read more [[link removed]]

Deacon: Price transparency is necessary to bring down consumer and employer costs [[link removed]]

Price opacity in healthcare is not a bug in the system — it is the system. The current structure relies on withholding critical pricing information from employers, patients and even policymakers. This lack of transparency enables dominant market participants to dictate prices, control access and avoid accountability. The justification often cited — that transparency would be anticompetitive or compromise proprietary information — simply doesn’t hold up. No other major consumer-facing industry is permitted to operate with such sustained, systemic price secrecy, especially when individual patients and public institutions are footing the bill.

Read more [[link removed]]

In case you missed it

FDA’s top vaccine official returns to post after controversial resignation [[link removed]]

Many skip doctor visits and prescriptions, new data shows [[link removed]]

Stem cell therapy shows promise in treating lifelong disease [[link removed]]

Support HealthPlatform.News

by contributing to our nonprofit news operation. Make a donation today [[link removed]]

Policy Platform Inc.

1390 Chain Bridge Road, #515, McLean, VA 22101

This newsletter is brought to you by PolicyPlatform.News

Preferences [link removed] | Unsubscribe [link removed]