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Google launches home ovulation diagnostic platform with Proov

Editorial Team
  • December 17, 2022
  • 3 min read
Smiths Medical
Medical Devices

Infusion set problems may cause false alarms and underdeliver chemo, warns Smiths Medical

Editorial Team
  • December 17, 2022
  • 3 min read
Payers And Provider
Insurance Providers

Payers And Provider Groups Laud CMS’ New Authorization Rule

Editorial Team
  • December 15, 2022
  • 3 min read
There are a few states namely Missouri, Montana, Mississippi, and Montana whose lawmakers are expected to propose legislation that would facilitate pregnant mothers enrolled in Medicaid with an entire year of funded healthcare. Throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency, continuous postpartum coverage for Medicaid-enrolled patients is assured. But, support for governments extending the standard 60-day mandatory coverage duration until the emergency's ultimate termination has been growing.  As per records, Medicaid covers more than 40% of births nationally. The agency’s main aim is to ensure that pregnant women get uninterrupted medical treatment and increase postpartum coverage attempts to lower the risk of pregnancy-related diseases and deaths. The Washington district and thirty-five states have previously extended, or are in the process of extending, postpartum eligibility in their Medicaid programs. Texas and Wisconsin are included in the total number of states; however, they still need to adopt the American Rescue Plan Act clause and have instead suggested shorter extensions of 180 days and 90 days. Republican Governor Greg Gianforte of Montana and Charlie Brereton, director of the department of public health and human services, introduced 12-month postpartum eligibility in this year’s budget proposal. According to the plan, it would cost over nine million dollars in federal and state money over the following two years, with the federal government covering approximately 70%. A study from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 2021 predicted that the move would help approximately 2,000 women in Montana. According to state health department representative Jon Ebelt, the state official’s estimate is half that amount. The reason for the variation is still not clear. He terms the expansion move as a pro-life, pro-family initiative. To make this a binding law, the plan needs to be approved by state legislators once the legislative session starts in January. At the Children's Legislative Forum on November 30 in Helena, state Representative Mary Caferro emphasized the significance of women's continued eligibility. State Representative Bob Keenan said, he hasn't reviewed the budget proposal but intends to take an opinion from his fellow lawmakers and medical professionals over the postpartum extension. Federal health officials report that one in three pregnancy-related fatalities occur between a week and a year post-birth of the child, and more than one in five moms lose their insurance within a period of 180 days of giving birth nationwide. A Commonwealth Fund survey gathered data for 2020 indicating that the U.S. had the highest maternal mortality rate among developed countries, with 24 deaths per 100,000 births. The rate for Black women in the U.S. is much higher, with 55 fatalities per 100,000 births. The research suggests that high death rates are due to a lack of treatment opportunities. Annie Glover a senior research scientist for the University of Montana stated: “Governor’s proposal to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage could make a significant difference in improving overall maternal health in Montana. The university was awarded a federal grant this year for such efforts, particularly to lower the mortality rate among Native Americans. This state measure could further reduce rates. The reason has to do with maintaining access to care during this very critical period.”
Insurance Providers

More states to consider postpartum coverage beyond two months

Editorial Team
  • December 15, 2022
  • 3 min read
Chitosans derived from shellfish may spearhead the gel contraceptive revolution Sweden’s Royal Institute has developed a new contraceptive gel with help from the ocean’s creatures. The contraceptive gel is made using chitosans, which are commonly found in the exoskeletons of shrimp, crabs, and lobsters, as well as in the cells of fungi, and unlike mechanical contraceptives such as spermicides, they do not cause vaginal irritation or any damage to the cervix. Scientists are hoping that the gel contraceptive will combine the effectiveness of a hormonal contraceptive with the comfort of a mechanical one to give users the best possible product. Most contraceptives in the market presently use two ways to prevent pregnancy. One is the mechanical way and the other is hormonal. While hormonal contraceptives work by using a small number of hormones to stop ovulation, by thinning the uterus wall to prevent egg implantation, or by thickening the cervical muscles to prevent sperm from entering. Mechanical contraceptives provide a physical barrier against sperm trying to enter the uterus. Common hormonal contraceptives include the pill, progesterone implants, hormonal injections, and the patch. Products like condoms, spermicide, and diaphragms are examples of mechanical contraceptives. Although both these methods help prevent pregnancy with varying efficacy rates, they each have their own set of adverse side effects to take into account. Mechanical contraceptives, may have a higher rate of failure than hormonal contraceptives but hormonal contraceptives can cause many side effects such as headaches, nausea, soreness, or menstrual cycle changes, in fact, they may even increase the risk of strokes and cancer among consumers. In comparison to this, the contraceptive gel that Dr. Thomas Crouzier, a researcher at Sweden’s Royal Institute of Technology, is developing makes use of the vaginal mucus barrier to prevent conception. The gel his team has developed uses tiny, fibrous compounds called chitosans to create a natural barrier inside the vagina, when the chitosans combine with cervical mucus they form a thick, impervious blockade against sperm. “By interacting with the cervical mucus gel, the chitosan closes the pores of the gel, and makes it impossible for the sperm to penetrate it,” Crozier said. To test the efficacy of this gel contraceptive, the team of scientists injected the gel into 8 ovulating sheep. In the experiment, scientists discovered that the gel stopped 98 percent of sperm from making it more than 2 centimeters into the vagina. Only one sheep, sperm was found in the uterus of one sheep after the treatment. Despite making it past the gel barrier the sperm cells were unable to make it to the uterus because the gel gummed up their tails and eventually, the natural acidity of the vagina killed the sperm. However, this does not mean that the gel contraceptive is without flaws. There is still the need for clinical stage experimentation to establish the safety profile and efficacy in women. It is possible that in actual coital situations, the gel performance of the gel may vary. In addition to this, there are also concerns that the gel may alter the composition of the vaginal microbiome leading to conditions like bacterial vaginosis.
Pharma

Chitosans derived from shellfish may spearhead the gel contraceptive revolution

Editorial Team
  • December 10, 2022
  • 3 min read
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