I’m on vacation in Costa Rica with my family - and the next post in Employer Coverage will be on July 7. In the meantime, here are a few tidbits from research with implications for employer sponsored health insurance.
Testosterone doesn’t appear dangerous for men with low testosterone
There’s been a lot of press coverage of a New England Journal of Medicine study that showed that middle aged and older men with hypogonadism (low testosterone) do not have more heart attacks or strokes if they are treated with testosterone. Bodybuilders beware - this does not mean that testosterone supplementation is safe for men with testosterone in the normal range! Prior authorization can help be sure these drugs are used only when appropriate.
Take home methadone did not cause increase in overdose deaths
Restrictions on medication assisted therapy were relaxed during the pandemic, and some worried this could increase the rate of overdose death. Research published in JAMA Health Forum showed the opposite. In fact, overdose deaths declined among Black and Hispanic men. This is encouraging, as requiring in-person observed treatment for those being treated for opioid use disorder increases costs and is more likely to interfere with employment. Some telehealth vendors are now offering medication assisted treatment (MAT), which can increase access.
More good safety news about COVID-19 vaccinations.
- A large US study of electronic medical records of children 6 months to four years given almost 250,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine (both Pfizer and Moderna) showed no cases of myocarditis among those ages 1-4 who were vaccinated.
- A study of over 14 million doses of bivalent COVID-19 vaccine in England showed no increase in risk of hemorrhagic stroke with vaccination among adults over age 50.
Hope all have a great week and a nice Fourth of July, and there will be plenty to talk about by July 7. Please share with friends and colleagues. Hitting “like” helps more people find this newsletter.
Thanks
Jeff