FTC Investigating Amazon’s One Medical Purchase and Data Broker Lawsuit
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating Amazon’s planned acquisition of One Medical and suing a data broker that could collect geolocation data that would hamper reproductive care access.
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By - Amazon’s foray into primary care may be under threat after the FTC declared it was investigating the company’s acquisition of One Medical. Officials at the agency also decided to sue data broker Kochava for its data collection practices that could be used to track women seeking reproductive care over state lines.
FTC Sues Data Broker Kochava
The FTC is suing Kochava for its sale of geolocation data, claiming that its irresponsible data tracking could trace people in sensitive locations, including reproductive health clinics. Kochava describes itself as a marketing and analytics firm that optimizes marketing across connected platforms. The company profits by selling information collected from millions of mobile devices. Sometimes, that data can identify single users, their locations, and consumer habits. The main complaint against Kochava is that its personalized approach to data marketing exposes people’s privacy in a way that could help anti-abortion states discover and prosecute women who travel across state lines for abortion services. READ MORE.
FDA Approves Bivalent COVID-19 Boosters
FDA officials are granting Moderna and Pfizer a new emergency use authorization for their bivalent COVID-19 vaccines used to defend against Omicron infection. According to the FDA press release, Moderna’s shots will be available to those 18 and older, while the Pfizer shots will be available for those 12 and older. The amended EUA will also end the practice of boosting with the original monovalent vaccines. READ MORE.
CMS Increases Funding for ACA Marketplace Navigator
The Biden Administration is adding $100 million in grants to the Affordable Care Act Navigator Program. Grants will support direct outreach in underserved communities and enrollment support.
“Reaching people where they are is a key part of our strategy to connect people to health coverage. Navigators were incredibly effective during the last Open Enrollment period when a historic number of people signed up, and now we are doubling down on investing in community Navigators who can help people find the coverage they need,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. READ MORE.
FTC Investigating Amazon’s One Medical Purchase
An investigation is underway into Amazon’s $3.9 billion acquisition of One Medical. The FTC is reviewing the healthcare merger and recently requested additional information from both groups before the acquisition proceeds. Amazon has already announced that it will close its virtual care platform “Amazon Care” in anticipation of the completed acquisition. Still, several experts are concerned that the deal would only add to the market power of the e-commerce giant. READ MORE.
VA Will Continue to Provide Abortions
Under its new interim final rule, VA hospitals will continue to provide abortions in states that have banned the procedure. The rule allows physicians to perform abortions for women whose health is threatened by the continuation of their pregnancy or who were impregnated through rape or incest.
"We came to this decision after listening to VA health care providers and Veterans across the country, who sounded the alarm that abortion restrictions are creating a medical emergency for those we serve," Shereef Elnahal MD, the VA's undersecretary for health, said in a statement. READ MORE.
