7 days in healthcare (November 4th-10th, 2024)

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Summary

The most impactful news in health this week was, from an international point of view, Trump’s victory in the American elections, which will undoubtedly have consequences for health in that country, and, therefore, in all the others. As national news, the one with the most long-term consequences was the abandonment of the MUFACE insurers, apart from, of course, the health derivatives of the Valencian DANA.

Biomedicine

  • New treatment for lupus. CAR-T gene therapy can end lifelong medication.

Global Health

  • Annual meeting on climate change COP29. organized by the United Nations will take place next week in Azerbaijan, it is called the “financial conference”, since it will try to mobilize the billions that are needed to tackle climate change. According to an editorial in Science, a strong financial investment is imperative.

International health policy

  • Trump’s victory in the American elections. Given the character of the  person, it is difficult to know what he will do with all that he said, although whatever he proposes will not face obstacles in Congress, given the Republican majority in the Senate and the more than likely one in the House of Representatives. It is possible that he will propose changes to Obamacare (although Trump was not especially aggressive with this law during the campaign); changes in the law that allows the negotiation of the price of medicines with Medicare; changes in reproductive rights; and a different approach to global warming, which will affect health care. There is some concern among pharmaceutical companies regarding the possible influence of Robert Kennedy, a known anti-vaccine activist.
  • Health care under the new Labour government. After more than 14 years of conservative government and austerity policies that particularly affected health, the prestige of the NHS collapsed, going from 70% satisfaction among the population in 2010 to 24% in 2024. The budget presented by the government foresees an increase in the allocation to the NHS of 3.8% above inflation, well above the growth of the conservative period of 1-2%, but still insufficient, given the serious problems.

National Health Policy (Spain)

  • The continuity of MUFACE is in doubt. The decision of the health insurers, mainly ADESLAS and ASISA, not to submit a tender for MUFACE, which left it vacant, casts doubt on the continuity of this model. The government is considering calling for a new tender, presumably with more favourable financing conditions. We will see what happens in this new tender. It is said that the government is trying to convince other insurers, a mission that should not be easy, although perhaps not impossible. The unions announce mobilisations. The Ministry of Health, in the hands of SUMAR and, therefore, with declared anti-MUFACE militancy, says that it is already analysing the situation in the event of having to accommodate this entire group in the public system. It is more than doubtful that the government can face the high political cost among officials of the disappearance of the model.
  • Galicia will extend assisted reproduction up to 45 years of age. Which was a campaign commitment of the PP in that region.

Companies

  • International
    • CVC seeks to control its pharmaceutical company in outsourcing Genetic. For which it needs 700 million euros.
  • National
    • Cosmetic surgery, ophthalmology and dental clinics will invoice 2.2 billion euros in 2023.
    • Alan expands its presence in Spain. This French insurer, which has been present in Spain since 2020, will expand its workforce in Spain by 20% and will launch an AI-powered health assistant in 2025. Alan relies on DKV for its range of services, but the bulk of its business is being a health “partner”.

Biomedicine

Global Health

International health policy

  • The United Kingdom and the National Health Service

National health policy

Companies

This post is also available in: Spanish