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What We're Reading: ACA Insurer Payments; Opioid Hospitalizations; Drug Sales to Decline
Trump Makes ACA Payments to Insurers
The Trump administration has made the long-awaited cost-sharing reduction payments to insurers under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for the month of June. According to The Wall Street Journal, the uncertainty around the payments had made it difficult for insurers to make decisions about ACA coverage options in 2018. While the administration has made these payments every month, the president has openly stated that he might stop them. There is speculation that the Senate’s healthcare bill could include $10 billion a year in 2018 and 2019 for these payments.
Opioid Hospitalizations Doubled in Last Decade
Emergency department visits related to opioid problems have doubled over the last decade and inpatient stays are growing by 64%, according to a new report. The Los Angeles Times reported that the rate of hospital admissions from 2004 to 2014 increased 55% for men and 75% for women. Adults between the ages of 25 and 44 were most likely to be admitted to the hospital for opioid-related problems, followed closely by adults ages 45 to 64. However, the rate of members of the older group being admitted grew faster compared with the younger group over the last decade.
Global Drug Sales Projected to Decline
Pricing pressures in the United States are expected to contribute to the first decline in global drug sales in a decade. Drug sales are expected to hit $1.06 trillion in 2022, which is down from the $1.12 trillion predicted last year, according to Reuters. In addition to political and public scrutiny of drug pricing, some new drugs—such as the PCSK9 inhibitors Praluent and Repatha—have had disappointing sales, which contributed to the lower forecast.
Real-World Study Reveals Key Insights Into DLBCL Treatment Patterns, Outcomes
April 18th 2024A recent study offers valuable insights into the characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in patients across different lines of therapy, providing a look into the landscape of DLBCL management.
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Navigating Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in National Health Plans
February 13th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the February 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on how health plans can screen for health literacy, social determinants of health, and perceived health care discrimination.
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Collecting SDOH Data Can Assess Risk of Medical Nonadherence, Improve HEI and Star Ratings
April 18th 2024At the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2024 annual meeting, a panel of presenters explored changes coming to Medicare that incorporate social determinants of health (SDOH) data to improve patient and health system outcomes.
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Drs Raymond Thertulien, Joseph Mikhael on Racial Disparities in Multiple Myeloma Care Access
December 28th 2023In the wake of the 2023 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition, Raymond Thertulien, MD, PhD, of Novant Health, and Joseph Mikhael, MD, MEd, FRCPC, FACP, chief medical officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, discussed health equity research highlights from the meeting and drivers of racial disparities in multiple myeloma outcomes.
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Commonwealth Fund Report Details Pervasive Racial and Ethnic Disparities in US Health Care, Outcomes
April 18th 2024Using 25 health system performance indicators, the Commonwealth Fund 2024 State Health Disparities Report evaluated racial and ethnic disparities in health care and health outcomes both within and across US states and highlighted the urgent need for equitable health care policies and practices in the US.
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