Welcome to the WBD News Flash, your weekly highlight of HR benefits and healthcare news. Weekly, we will provide you with the top trending industry news stories in healthcare, human resources, legislation, benefits technology and administration, and more. Make the WBD News Flash your go to reference for current events!
U.S. Vaccination Picks up Pace as Delta Variant Surge Continues
New high-water marks for the Covid-19 vaccination effort have been recorded, as the nation deal with continuing rises in cases and hospitalizations. On August 19, more than a million doses were administered across the United States, matching the pace set in early July for the first time. States with previous lagging interest, such as Oklahoma and Louisiana, are now outpacing the national average. With FDA approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine considered “imminent” by the Biden Administration, experts are hopeful the vaccination pace will step up even more. The CDC says about 51.1% of the US population is fully vaccinated.
Hospitals Struggle with Covid, Weary Staff
Hospitals in states hard-hit by the Delta variant of Covid-19 are struggling with long ER waits, severe staffing shortages, and a lack of beds. The city of Orlando warned of potential water shortages because liquid oxygen diverted to area hospitals isn’t available for use in water treatment plants. Florida hospitals are postponing elective services, bringing in staff from other states, and converting spaces such as auditoriums and cafeterias, according to CNN. In Texas, one expert described Austin’s hospital situation as “dire.” Fierce Healthcare points to Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Texas as states facing severe taxing of their hospital systems.
GoodRx Sees Strong Second Quarter
Discount prescription drug app GoodRx is growing in popularity. The company had a 43% revenue gain in the second quarter, jumping to $177 million. Monthly active users grew 35%, to more than six million users. Prescription transactions grew 32% year over year, to $145 million. The app tracks prescription drug prices, and offers coupons for drugs.