Weekend Longforms: Alzheimer's gene, pharmacy costs, KFF employer survey, and GLP-1s for all
October 25, 2025
For health policy wonks, a few longer reads (or listens) for the weekend.
A. Studying a man with the Alzheimer’s gene
Doug Whitney has the gene to develop early Alzheimer’s Disease, which has afflicted many of his close relatives. But his cognition remains good into his seventies. The New York Times profiles the efforts to learn from him, hoping to develop new treatments to prevent dementia.
B. Lowering pharmacy costs
The podcast Tradeoffs talks to experts about the likely impacts of the Trump Administration’s efforts to lower pharmacy costs.
C. GLP-1s for all
Economist Emily Oster writes about the clinical and societal reasons to expand access to GLP-1 medications in Ozempic for All in the Atlantic. A brief article - but worth a read.
D. Family plans cost almost $27,000 a year
KFF released its Annual Employer Benefits Survey this week; I’ll be posting on this next week. KFF CEO Drew Altman has an accompanying editorial about why employers have not been successful at lowering health care costs.
Hope your weekend is wonderful.
This weekend’s animal photo:
Glossy Ibis at the Wakadohatchee bird sanctuary in Delray Beach, FL earlier this month.
