• California: FDA has cleared Neuralink to test its brain chip on a second patient. The clearance comes after the company detailed changes it made to an electrode program that limited the functionality of the device in its first human test subject. The company is seeking applications for another patient with quadriplegia to test if the brain chip can allow a person to do things like control a phone or computer. The first patient, Noland Arbaugh, said the device has given him the ability to have full control over a computer using only his thoughts. However, within a month of his surgery, a number of the small threads in the device implanted in his brain came loose, making it impossible to read most of the electrical signals used to translate his thoughts into actions. The 15% of threads that remained stabilized, and some software changes have allowed Arbaugh to regain many of the device's capabilities. (Bettelheim, Axios, 5/20)
• District of Columbia: HHS on Monday announced a new program that will deploy more than $50 million to develop tools aimed at preventing cyberattacks on hospitals. ARPA-H, the agency receiving the funds, is soliciting proposals aimed at helping hospitals find weaknesses in their software and then automatically deploy custom fixes within days of a cyberattack. HHS Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm, who also leads HHS' cybersecurity work, said that recent cyberattacks are "proof points of the need for the sector to really step up its game," adding that the federal government has a unique responsibility to help it get there. (Griffin, Bloomberg, 5/20)
• Minnesota: UnitedHealth Group* on Monday announced that its OptumRx unit would be offering a new price model starting next year to help manage insurers' drug costs. The new model, which will be called Optum Rx Clear Trend Guarantee, will provide value-based pricing for drugs per member, combining the cost of the medications from a variety of sources, including retail pharmacy, home delivery, specialty drug, and rebates. Under the value-based pricing model, insurers, pharmaceutical companies, and middlemen, including pharmacy benefit managers, will agree to connect payment for medication to the overall outcome for patients. (Roy, Reuters, 5/20)

*Advisory Board is a subsidiary of Optum, a division of UnitedHealth Group. All Advisory Board research, expert perspectives, and recommendations remain independent.

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