Ruth

Reporting at Second Opinion, @hntrbrkmedia. Previously: POLITICO, Fast Company.

[Ruth @RuthReader]

Good morning, I wrote something exceedingly personal for @nytimes on the scam that is romance
https://t.co/OiaPzuyIZR

[Ruth @RuthReader]

When do you do your catch up reading? Saturday? Sunday?

[Christina Farr @chrissyfarr]

Would you rather get a free news digest & analysis -- "This Week in Health-Tech" -- from Second Opinion to your email on:

(sign up at https://t.co/RSClIJGj9f to get it)

@RuthReader

[Eric Topol @EricTopol]

So much for the protein craze
gift link, by @SophieEganM @NYTHealth
https://t.co/shjTYdn5cp
and reviewed here https://t.co/DKtH1D3DYJ

[Ruth @RuthReader]

Would you believe this is the meanest cat in the world?

[Alice Miranda Ollstein @AliceOllstein]

NEW: The Trump admin is counting on Medicaid work requirements to save the government billions. But well before the rules formally go into effect Jan. 1, they’re costing already-strapped states millions, sometimes tens of millions, to implement. https://t.co/ucXf0IyIcb

[Ruth @RuthReader]

Years ago, I tried to write about how wildly low taxes on alcohol are from a health policy perspective, but could never get editorial buy-in. Glad to see @statnews giving alcohol addiction the platform it deserves.

[🌸 Chelsea Cirruzzo @ChelseaCirruzzo]

Alcohol use is killing Americans, tearing apart families and costing the country billions. But we don't see it as a public health crisis. Why? Read the first two parts of our 6-part series led by Lev Facher and @isabellacueto for @statnews https://t.co/oGAz07QPoF

[David Lim @davidalim]

SCOOP: FDA Commissioner Marty Makary is resigning from the agency.

Kyle Diamantas, who previously worked as the top food official at the agency, will lead the FDA in an acting capacity.

w/ @Gardner_LM: https://t.co/k4ORTbX8tj

[Governor Josh Shapiro @GovernorShapiro]

BREAKING: @character_ai is illegally presenting a chatbot as a licensed medical professional in Pennsylvania — and we’re suing to stop them. 

Earlier this year, I announced a new state task force to investigate chatbots that pose as licensed professionals. Our investigators found an AI character on @character_ai that claimed to be a psychiatrist — falsely stating it was licensed in PA and even providing a fake license number.  

We will not let AI companies mislead vulnerable Pennsylvanians into believing they’re getting advice from a licensed medical professional. We’re taking @character_ai to court to stop them.

[Christina Farr @chrissyfarr]

This is not going to get the same attention that a dystopian memo would get, but there's a growing cohort of CEOs that are coming out to say the job cuts because of AI are totally overblown.

That includes @levie @oliver_kharraz & others.

[Ruth @RuthReader]

This narrative doesn't resonate with me, though it doesn't mean it's wrong. I will say that what frustrates me about it broadly is that it sidesteps crippling realities: decades of weakened labor laws, enormous student debt, inflation, and a k-shaped economy.

[Jill Filipovic @JillFilipovic]

I think an under appreciated part of the birth rate discourse is that many more young people simply have richer and more textured lives than young people in previous generations: hobbies, travel, meaningful jobs, deep friendships. Children present more possible disruption than they did a generation or two ago.

https://t.co/nKC89a4gbj

[Eric Topol @EricTopol]

On the lack of compelling evidence that medical AI is improving patient care, and what to do about it, a @NatureMedicine editorial https://t.co/kQiN6L2ai7

[Ruth @RuthReader]

@dreece11 @chrissyfarr Would love to take a look at that

[Christina Farr @chrissyfarr]

Second Opinion just published its first scoop: And it's a look inside Epic's confidential vendor services agreement.

A source shared it with @RuthReader to give us a sense of why it's so hard out there for healthcare innovators.

View in full here:

https://t.co/oepiiwkBHi

[Christina Farr @chrissyfarr]

Massive number of companies enrolled as participants for the CMMI ACCESS model. Way more than I expected, especially given comments around price being too low.

Full list here:

https://t.co/OAJPpzFtUk

[Rob Freund @RobertFreundLaw]

DOJ says telehealth platform Zealthy "presents itself as providing legitimate telehealth services but is in fact engaged in systemic improper and dangerous telemedical practices."

In a motion filed today, DOJ says Zealthy engaged in "routine ordering of prescriptions by ... non-clinicians with no medical license."

Zealthy allegedly misused the names of doctors "to order many thousands of prescriptions for patients they did not actually treat."

Separately, Zealthy "is bilking thousands of consumers each month through unauthorized charges ... and even after consumers cancel."

[Ruth @RuthReader]

Interesting perspective on AI prescribing and what we lose when patients don't go to their doctor for a refill. https://t.co/drOLeZ9IGO

[Rob Freund @RobertFreundLaw]

Medvi was sued today in data privacy class action.

Plaintiffs allege that Medvi represents that user information is "never shared" and is "protected by HIPAA."

"In reality, Mevdi secretly transmits users’ information—including identifying information such as email addresses and details reflecting their participation in a medical intake process— to third parties..."

[Maya Kaufman @mayakauf]

Longevity influencer Peter Attia had a deeper relationship with Jeffrey Epstein than he publicly acknowledged last month, @politico found.

Including:
- He asked Epstein for patient referrals
- Epstein introduced him to a foreign-born model, whom he interviewed for a job

[Ruth @RuthReader]

After four years at POLITICO I'm making some moves:

I'm joining @chrissyfarr's Second Opinion Media, to bring more tech policy coverage, analysis, and scoops to the great work she is already doing there AND I'll be taking on some long term projects @hntrbrkmedia

Send tips!

[Ruth @RuthReader]

@michaelkruse @nytimes @LachCartwright @politico Congrats!!

[Alice Miranda Ollstein @AliceOllstein]

Much of MAHA feels betrayed by the Trump admin's actions on the pesticide glyphosate. Democrats see an opening to win them over.
https://t.co/Up93eqFVyr with @RuthReader