Removing medical debt from credit reports; Are Paxlovid and Lagevrio equals? Latest COVID shot difficulties - Morning Medical Update

doctor morning desk © Alena Kryazheva - stock.adobe.com

Removing medical debt from credit reports

The Biden administration is working with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to remove medical debt from credit reports. The proposal was drafted this week. The CFBP reports that 58% of debt collection is for medical bills. Some companies such as Equifax no longer include medical debt in collection greater than $500 on credit reports. This new rule would extend this to all medical debt.

Are Paxlovid and Lagevrio equals?

Paxlovid and Lagevrio are both associated with preventing death from COVID and recent studies show that they are considered equals. Amir Qaseem, MD, PhD, MHA, chief science officer of ACP, told MedPage Today "there is no preferential order" for the two drugs. “Having two drugs that are available, that are reasonably comparable, to treat the same condition, is always better than having one," William Schaffner, MD, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville added in a news release.

Latest COVID shot difficulties

The latest COVID vaccine rollout has been a bumpy ride. Some vaccine hopefuls have had their appointments cancelled last minute and others have showed up only to find there is no vaccine to be found. In some cases, people are being told they need to pay upwards of $100 out of pocket. The reason for the mix up can be traced to lack of government involvement. For the first time, providers are buying directly from distributers or manufacturers.