The FDA is standing in the way of at-home COVID-19 tests

The Washington Examiner and MSN | Sally C. Pipes
December 13, 2021

Only the government could come up with a plan so unnecessarily complicated. The Biden administration defended the overly bureaucratic policy on the grounds of cost. But bureaucracy is one of the main reasons at-home tests have been so difficult to find in the first place. As of late November, the Food and Drug Administration had authorized just 14 at-home tests for emergency use. But the agency has received applications for many more. The FDA told Kaiser Health News last month that it had received more than 4,500 emergency use authorization and related requests for COVID-19 tests.

Read more. . .

Comprehensive Regulatory Reform From The Bottom Up: The Case Of 340B

Forbes.com | Wayne Winegarden
December 12, 2021

The 340B dug discount program requires drug manufacturers to sell their medicines to covered entities at steep discounts often in excess of 50%. These lower prices are supposed to help vulnerable populations receive more affordable healthcare and have access to their needed medicines. 

Read more. . .

Finally, Another Weapon Against Covid

City Journal | Henry Miller, M.S., M.D. and Andrew Fillat
December 13, 2021

Nevertheless, the plan still faces hurdles. Supplies of the tests are limited, and even when they can be found, they’re expensive: typically, $10 to 15 apiece at drugstores. The administration’s plan to route reimbursements for the tests through private insurance is also unwieldy, requiring consumers to pay first, submit receipts, and then wait to get reimbursed. By contrast, in Germany and India tests are available in stores for a few dollars, and the U.K. provides seven free tests per day to anyone who wants them. Singapore mailed test kits to every household.

Read more. . .

U.S. gains in war on cancer while other nations struggle

The Buffalo News | Sally C. Pipes
December 13, 2021

Then there are the differences in waits. In Britain, the state-run National Health Service’s official goal is to make sure 85% of cancer patients with an urgent referral from their general practitioner are treated within two months. It hasn’t hit this mark since 2014.

Read more. . .