Injectable drugs developed to treat Type 2 diabetes have become increasingly popular as weight loss solutions. But a new study suggests that GLP-1 medications may not be the most cost-effective treatment for every patient.

A team of researchers compared the costs of pricey GLP-1 prescriptions to expenses associated with long-term obesity-related health conditions, and found that only certain patients with a body mass index (BMI) over 40—or class 3 obesity—saw economic value in using those medications.

Rajesh Aggarwal, a longtime bariatric surgeon who worked on the study that was published in June, told Healthcare Brew that the findings suggest GLP-1s may not be worth the price for most patients or insurers. Instead, he said, the healthcare industry should take a more value-based care approach to obesity.

“This needs to be about the reduction of total cost of care,” said Aggarwal, the founder and CEO of Twenty30 Health, a tech company for people with obesity.

Keep reading here.—SY

Do you work in healthcare or have information about the industry that we should know? Email Shannon at [email protected]. For confidential conversations, ask Shannon for her number on Signal.

Heading into a long procedure? Getting ready for another double shift? Don’t dread all that time on your feet—stay comfortable and clean around the clock with Crocs’ Bistro Work Clogs.

The Bistro Work Clog was created with healthcare, hospitality, and food service workers in mind. The thick, enclosed-toe design protects feet from drops and spills, keeping you supported while you stay on your toes.

Designed with slip-resistant treads + an adjustable backstrap and made for easy cleaning, slipping into these lightweight gems means you can focus on what matters most: providing excellent care to patients.

Grab a pair in your fave color.

Extreme heat is much more than a nuisance that raises your electricity bill: It can be deadly, causing heat stroke, heart disease, respiratory disorders, and many other heat-related illnesses. It’s a health equity issue, too, as low-income and BIPOC-majority areas most frequently lack access to resources to keep cool, like air conditioning or shaded areas. And it takes a huge financial toll on the healthcare system.

Extreme heat costs the industry $1 billion every summer, according to researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and nonpartisan policy institute the Center for American Progress, who analyzed health insurance claims in Virginia between 2016 and 2020 and extrapolated that data nationally—and that’s probably an underestimation.

“I would think it’s very safe to say that number is gonna go up substantially this year.  Because there are many more events now in 2023 than there were in 2016 to 2020, when we did this analysis,” Alex Krist, a family practice physician, professor at VCU, and co-author of the study, told Healthcare Brew.

Keep reading here.—MA

Do you work in healthcare or have information about the industry that we should know? Email Maia at [email protected]. For completely confidential conversations, ask Maia for her number on Signal.

They say the good times don’t last forever.

Just 5% of New Yorkers lacked health insurance in 2021, but the state may struggle to maintain that low rate (it’s currently among the top 10 in the US) following the end of a pandemic-era policy that prevented anyone from being kicked off Medicaid.

A new report from New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli analyzed health insurance trends in the state, and found the percentage of uninsured New Yorkers fell each year from 11.9% in 2010—when the Affordable Care Act (which allowed states to extend Medicaid eligibility) became law—to 5.2% in 2021.

Nationally, 8.6% of people lacked health insurance in 2021, according to the analysis. (Though Department of Health and Human Services data released earlier this month found the US uninsured rate hit a record low of 7.7% during the first three months of 2023.)

Keep reading here.—SY

Today’s top healthcare reads.

Stat: Nurse practitioner salary offers are up 9% as companies like Amazon and CVS race to buy up providers. (Forbes)

Quote: “There’s just been a whole host of questions about how the pharmacy program’s going to work. A lot of those questions have been met with ‘we’re still working that out, we’re working on the contract.’”—Association of Immunization Managers Executive Director Claire Hannan on negotiations between the Biden administration and retail pharmacies regarding access to Covid-19 boosters for the uninsured (Politico)

Read: President Joe Biden faces pressure to declare a climate emergency in Maui and take widespread executive action to address global warming. (Politico)

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Despite an overall slowdown in venture capital funding in 2022, healthcare companies raised $61.1b in investments last year, according to PitchBook.

With so much money getting thrown around, you may wonder how a venture capitalist decides which healthcare startups they’ll fund. To answer that, Healthcare Brew talked to Sharla Grass, a principal at VC firm Greycroft.

Interested in learning more? Find the entire story here.

Looking to make your next career move? We’ve partnered with iHire and their network of healthcare-specific communities—like iHireNursing, iHirePharmacy, and iHireMentalHealth—to help you find your next rewarding role. Check out positions like:

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