Medicare ends special payment pathway for FDA breakthrough devices
New FDA breakthrough-designated devices will lose automatic Medicare add-on payments starting October, requiring proof of substantial clinical improvement.
Medicine & Biotech
Clinical AI, drug discovery, devices, and regulatory approvals.
Trump Announces $90 Medicare Part B Rebate for 20 Million Seniors
The one-time payments, drawn from the Medicare Improvement Fund, mark an unusual use of the fund just weeks before the midterm elections.
Depression Risk Tied to Which Faces Children Focus On
A new report suggests family history shapes whether at-risk children fixate on sad faces or tune out happy ones.
Cornea Reshaping Without Lasers or Incisions Moves Closer
A new technique uses a small electric potential and a platinum lens to temporarily soften and reshape the cornea, offering a non-invasive alternative to LASIK.
Mulberry Compounds Alter Gut Microbes and Metabolism in Animal Study
Animal research suggests mulberry-derived compounds can reshape gut bacteria in ways that may support metabolic health, though effects depend on preparation.
AI’s Modest Promise for Social Care: Support, Not Substitution
AI tools may help social care organizations work faster and coordinate better, but they won't replace human judgment.
Why Schizophrenia Patients Should Hear About Long-Acting Injectables Sooner
A sponsored clinical perspective argues that discussing long-acting injectable antipsychotics earlier, before repeated relapses, could improve schizophrenia care.
Anthropic joins ARPA-H clinical AI moonshot, plans closed-door health event
The AI company is deepening its health-care push even as it warns about AI risks and regulation remains unsettled.
New tick-borne virus linked to unexplained fevers in China
A newly identified tick-borne virus, called ALTNV, may explain many previously mysterious cases of fever, fatigue, and digestive illness.
Stem Cell Discovery May Explain Ligament Overgrowth in Spinal Stenosis
Researchers have identified a stem cell that may drive the ligament thickening behind lumbar spinal stenosis, offering a possible new target for treatment.
MAHA pushes for broader health data sharing for chronic disease research
A MAHA Institute event highlighted plans to aggregate patient records for research, raising privacy and governance questions.
Child health decline seen as national security threat
An opinion piece argues that deteriorating child health undermines military readiness and economic competitiveness.
Social Media and Med Spas Are New Front in Illegal Drug Market
Patients who buy drugs through social media, medical spas, or telehealth often believe they are getting clinically validated products, a distinction that changes how clinicians should respond.
Most Routine Lab Tests Unaffected by Fasting Duration, Study Finds
A large observational study suggests most blood tests don't require an 8-hour fast, though glucose and a few other analytes remain exceptions.
Ai3Bio targets T helper cells for autoimmune 'immune reset'
Ai3Bio's approach differs from B-cell-depleting autoimmune drugs by aiming to reset immunity through a specific T helper cell population.
Maui Wildfire Metals Tied to Lung Function Months Later
A study found elevated urinary metals in Maui residents up to 18 months after the 2023 wildfires, associated with abnormal lung function.
Vaccine-hesitant parents are logical, not misinformed, sociologist says
A sociologist's two-decade study suggests that parents who skip vaccines are making rational decisions based on individual child benefit, not falling for misinformation.
SNAP cuts tied to rise in child welfare investigations, opinion argues
An opinion essay warns that the largest SNAP cuts in history may be driving more families into the child welfare system by conflating poverty with neglect.