New research in Nature Communications underscores the difficult road to recovery for many people with long COVID. The Scottish study involved more than 33,000 participants with lab-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections and nearly 63,000 controls with no history of infection. Followup 6 and 18 months after infection revealed that 1 in 20 patients still had not recovered from symptoms such as breathlessness, chest pain, and brain fog; and 42% said they felt only marginally better. While the Long-CISS (COVID in Scotland Study) took place outside of the United States, estimates project as many as 23 million American are affected by the syndrome — including about 1 million unable to return to work. "There are lots of different impacts going beyond health to quality of life, employment, [...]

Move impacts about 10% of the retailer’s patients. The health care arm of the nation’s largest operator of traditional supermarkets announced late last month that it has notified Express Scripts of plans to terminate their pharmacy provider agreement if a new contact with improved terms isn’t in place by the end of the year. Should that come to pass, the pharmacy benefits manager’s commercial customers would no longer be able to have their prescriptions filled at Kroger’s 2,200 pharmacies across the U.S. Impacting about 10% of the retailer’s patients, the move would open another front in the pharmacy industry’s bid to counter PBMs’ pervasive influence in the prescription drug marketplace, thereby easing the relentless downward pressure on profit margins that [...]

Kroger Health is hoping to agree on a more agreeable contract with health care company Express Scripts by the end of the year. Kroger said on Friday it notified the company of its intention to terminate its pharmacy provider agreement for commercial customers. Kroger said it had tried to negotiate a fair contract that will lower costs and increase access, but there has been little to no progress. "Kroger is doing everything possible to deliver greater value for our customers and navigate this ongoing period of record inflation. We do not believe Kroger customers should have to pay higher costs to increase Express Scripts' profits," Colleen Lindholz, president of Kroger Health, said in a statement. Kroger said it's making the [...]

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday signed an executive directive to determine how the state can lower the cost of insulin, her office announced. "The egregiously high cost of insulin is unsustainable," Whitmer said in the order. "My administration is committed to making insulin available to those who need it at an affordable price." The governor's move comes after U.S. President Joe Biden in August signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which caps insulin copayments at $35 per month starting in January for Medicare beneficiaries only. A $35-per-month limit on out-of-pocket costs for those on private health insurance was removed from the legislation. Whitmer's order noted "many Michiganders who need life-saving insulin are not covered by the IRA, including the uninsured and [...]

Michigan is the first state to launch coronavirus "Test to Treat" programs that include free testing and telehealth services, with 13 locations throughout the state. The state health department said Monday the Mitten State is the first to launch this federal initiative at neighborhood testing sites to provide quick access to free COVID-19 antiviral medications. What is the COVID Test to Treat program? The program serves Michigan residents with limited access to a health care provider. The sites allow people to access COVID-19 testing, a health assessment and appropriate prescriptions in one visit. People who test positive for COVID-19 at the location can utilize the free telehealth services on-site. A health care provider will review the person’s medical history and [...]