Dr Brenda Fitzgerald Expected to Be Appointed CDC Director
President Donald Trump is preparing to appoint Brenda Fitzgerald, MD, to serve as director of the CDC, STAT reports. Currently serving as Georgia’s public health commissioner, Fitzgerald is also a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist and a strong supporter of vaccination. According to reports, the announcement could come as early as Friday. She would replace Tom Frieden, MD, who led the CDC during the Obama administration.
Generic Drug Trade Group Sues Maryland Over Price Gouging Law
Maryland became the first state to pass a law targeting drug price gouging this May, but the legislation is now under attack as a generic drug trade group is suing the state, according to the Washington Post. The Association for Accessible Medicines claims the law is unconstitutional and reduce patient choice and access. On the other hand, supporters are confident that the law, which allows the state attorney general to take legal action against companies hiking generic drug prices, will withstand the lawsuit.
Opioid Prescriptions Decreasing, But Further Progress is Needed
A Vital Signs report in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report demonstrates that efforts to curb opioid prescribing amidst a prescription painkiller epidemic are showing some positive results, as the annual prescribing rate decreased by 13% from 2010 to 2015. However, experts say the prescribing rates are still far too high, as the average opioid prescription length has increased by 5 days since 2006. Furthermore, the rates of physician prescribing vary widely nationwide.
Exploring Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization Variations
March 26th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the March 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on variations in prior authorization use across Medicare Advantage plans.
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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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Poor Well-Being Scores Linked to Early Treatment Stoppage in Multiple Myeloma
March 27th 2024Investigators used the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General General Physical Wellbeing Scale to collect data on patient-reported treatment-related adverse effects, to provide clinicians guidance on predicting risk of early treatment discontinuation among ECOG-ACRIN E1A11 trial participants.
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