The Florida Department of Health imposed an emergency rule on Sunday that could prevent thousands of lower-income or uninsured people from being able to pay for their HIV medication.
The rule drastically cut funding and eligibility for the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), impacting an estimated 16,000 residents, according to the HIV Medicine Association. The cuts were driven by a reported $120 million budget deficit, rising insurance premiums and declining federal assistance.
Previously, eligibility for the program was capped at 400% of the federal poverty level — which is under

Neoadjuvant and adjuvant pembrolizumab plus enfortumab vedotin-ejfv significantly improved survival outcomes for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer compared with neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy.
Data from the randomized phase 3 KEYNOTE-B15 study, presented at ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, showed patients who received pembrolizumab (Keytruda, Merck) plus enfortumab vedotin-ejfv (Padcev; Astellas Pharma, Pfizer) had a 47% improvement in EFS and 35% improvement in OS.
“This is really the first time since cisplatin-based chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting showed

Click here to read the Cover Story, “Virtual reality takes next step in eye care .”
In today’s world, virtual reality is universally applicable to all ages, and pediatric ophthalmology is no exception.
The most traditional treatment for amblyopia is optical correction with glasses and patching. However, patching therapy is one of the most noncompliant treatments in pediatric ophthalmology. If I had a dollar for every patient who did not comply with their patching treatment, I would have retired a long time ago.
Luminopia, a VR headset, is FDA approved to treat children with amblyopia from ages 4

NEW ORLEANS — Patients who reported an iodine-related allergy prior to total joint arthroplasty did not experience a hypersensitivity reaction if they received an iodine-based product during surgery, according to results presented here.
“This study sheds light on the fact that if someone says they have an allergy to an iodine-related product one should not automatically avoid its use,” Matthew S. Austin, MD, of Hospital for Special Surgery, told Healio about results presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting.
Austin and colleagues retrospectively reviewed data from

Referral for low vision rehabilitation is uneven, and clinicians may be overlooking eligible patients, according to a study published in Life.
“Despite evidence supporting the effectiveness of LVR and its growing availability, utilization of LVR in the U.S. remains low,” study author David J. Ramsey, MD, PhD, MPH, director of ophthalmic research at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Massachusetts, told Healio. “This is especially troubling given the enormous psychosocial and economic burden imposed by glaucoma. ... The goal of this study was twofold: to evaluate the rate

Patients who received incretin-based therapies after bariatric surgery appeared at significantly lower risk for new-onset alcohol use disorder compared with patients who received non-incretin-based anti-obesity medications.
Use of incretin-based therapies (IBT) also was linked to lower risk for starting medications for alcohol use disorder (AUD), results of a retrospective analysis showed.
“After bariatric surgery, many patients do incredibly well metabolically, but we also see a real and clinically important rise in alcohol-related risk in a subset,” Juan Pablo Arab, MD, associate professor of

More than one-quarter of pediatric patients on ventricular assist devices were able to have their devices explanted due to a standardized ventricular recovery program, researchers reported in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
“The results in the kids we have been taking care of have been incredibly rewarding and exciting,” Jonathan B. Edelson, MD, MSCE, medical director of the Heart Transplant and Ventricular Assist Device Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), told Healio. “If you look at the national incidence of recovery and explant in children, it’s somewhere

Click here to read the At Issue to this Cover Story.
In the last 2 years, virtual reality and augmented reality have taken a step toward more practical applications in eye care.
In 2024, Healio | OSN looked at this digital technology as it was making its way into physicians’ and patients’ hands. Since then, companies have introduced devices and programs aimed at improving educational and medical experiences for surgeons and patients alike.
IOL simulators such as Immersive IOL Simulator (VirtuaLens) and InSightVR (Greenman) are designed to give patients a preview of their vision after IOL

The cost of using sunscreens with identical SPFs varies widely depending on the unit price and the use of sun-protective clothing, suggesting higher prices could contribute to underapplication and a greater risk for skin cancer.
In an economic analysis published in JAMA Dermatology, researchers found that the price of three SPF 50-rated sunscreens with similar active ingredients ranged from $0.57 per ounce to $10 per ounce, a difference of 17.5-fold.
“In order to receive the sun protection at the SPF level on the container label, a specific amount of sunscreen needs to be applied to the skin,”

The FDA has approved a once-weekly therapy to improve growth for children aged 2 years and older with achondroplasia, according to an industry press release.
Navepegritide (Yuviwel, Ascendis Pharma), a prodrug of C-type natriuretic peptide, is the first once-weekly treatment approved for children who have achondroplasia with open epiphyses, according to the release. The medication is designed to provide continuous exposure of active C-type natriuretic peptide in body tissue and counteract overactive fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 signaling observed in patients with achondroplasia.
The FDA