Inside a divisive report on digital diabetes programs

Note: I'm seeing more folks subscribe to this newsletter — thanks for your interest! If you'd like more frequent updates from me, be sure to subscribe here to the Endpoints Health Tech newsletter. What follows is an excerpt from today's edition.

I’m not sure I’ve seen anything like the Peterson Health Technology Institute report released last week looking at research on digital diabetes programs.?

Whether or not you agree with the report’s conclusions, this is a maturity moment for the health tech industry. New ways of providing care are now getting scrutiny from outside organizations in a way that feels similar to how groups like ICER evaluate the cost-effectiveness of new therapeutics.

Having evidence like that could ultimately help healthcare startups prove they live up to the promise that the new ways they’re delivering care can improve outcomes and lower healthcare costs.

Ngai Yeung tells me there will be more reports ahead from the institute in other areas of health tech.

We’ll be following along to see what findings — and industry reactions — come with those.

- Lydia?

A new report questions whether digital diabetes programs are worth the cost

The report found that while the digital tools did reduce levels of hbA1c, an indicator for blood sugar levels, the reductions were too small to be clinically significant.

Senators push HHS on ‘inadequate’ response to Change Healthcare cyberattack

Lawmakers are pressuring HHS to amp up its response to the recent cyberattack on Change Healthcare. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is tapping AI developers to help with future attacks.?

Medicare and Medicaid open coverage of anti-obesity drugs for heart patients

The move could open up access to patients in the US government health programs, which are still prohibited from covering medications for weight loss.