HE news that drew views this week (Aug. 9–13)

A special enrollment period implemented by the Biden administration saw more than 2.5 million people sign up for health insurance.

Pregnant people should get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recently released new data on vaccine safety.

CVS Health has stopped offering the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at its pharmacies, though it still will provide the single-dose vaccine at some MinuteClinic retail locations, according to CNBC.

Honor, a private duty homecare company, has acquired Home Instead, one of the largest in-home care providers in the U.S. The combined companies are worth $2.1 billion.

The more sure people feel that a COVID-19 vaccine will work as intended and won’t cause serious side effects or other harms, the more likely they are to accept a jab. Simple enough. However, the inverse does not necessarily hold. 

It costs more to care for a chronically ill older person in the U.S. than in any of 11 Western countries, according to an analysis authored by researchers from each of the 11 and published Aug. 5 in Health Services Research.

The firm’s plan is to support “disruptive” healthcare provider entities that can concertedly pursue profitability by providing value-based care.

Mayo Clinic is No. 1 on the list of top hospitals for 2021, as ranked by U.S. News and World Report.