Wakely Wire
August 7, 2025
New Insights
Whitepapers, briefs, press releases and more
Week in Washington 08/07/25
Prescription Drugs and Tariffs There have been a series of announcements/activities around prescription drugs and increased tariffs. A few quick updates on where things sit. Economy Unemployment claims crept higher this week. There are growing signs of economic slowdown as well as higher inflation. Rural Health Grants CMS announced that states would be able to ... Continue reading
Events & More
Wakely Webinar- From Insight to Impact: Measuring What Matters in Care Management
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
2:00 p.m. ET
With care management programs and point solutions continuing to expand across Medicare, Medicaid, and Commercial lines of business, the need for rigorous, data-driven evaluation has never been more urgent. Join us for a practical session on how payers and partners can design and execute credible studies to measure both the financial and member experience impact of their investments.
We’ll cover where to start (hint: it begins with your data), introduce analytical frameworks for assessing direct and indirect outcomes, and share lessons from a recent case study—blinded for objectivity. Whether you’re considering how to pursue new opportunities, understanding the landscape, building your first evaluation or refining an existing one, this session offers strategic and tactical guidance for turning good intentions into actionable insights.
Newsworthy Findings
Incoming UnitedHealth CFO Steps Down from Centene’s Board
A clause in Wayne DeVeydt’s new contract prevents him from participating in activities that compete with UnitedHealth. That’s standard for senior executives.
More Urban Hospitals Dually Classifying as Rural Under Medicare: Study
Dually classifying allows urban facilities to benefit from rural health programs, even as many rural facilities struggle financially and are at high risk of closure, researchers wrote.
HHS Abandons mRNA Vaccine Research
BARDA will cancel nearly $500 million worth of contracts supporting the development of mRNA shots, which proved vital during the COVID pandemic.
Gates Foundation Pledges $2.5B to Women’s Health Research
The nonprofit highlighted non-hormonal contraception and preeclampsia treatment as areas of “breakthrough potential.”
The Great Medicare Advantage Contraction Appears Set to Continue
Insurers plan to keep sacrificing MA growth for profitability next year, after second quarter results for Humana and CVS showed the success of the strategy.
Bonus Article
See Saturn Stage a Show in the Night Sky 15-Years in the Making This Month
Just for Fun
Math Joke:
Did you hear about what happened to the statistician?
Prior Week
Q: Why did the obtuse angle go to the beach?
A: Because it was over 90 degrees!
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