Cigna Wins Approval to Exit Anthem Deal
A Delaware judge has ruled that Cigna can walk away from its merger with Anthem after the courts blocked the merger for being anticompetitive. Bloomberg reported that the breakup of the $48 billion merger means Anthem could have to pay $1.85 billion in breakup fees to Cigna. In addition, Cigna is suing for $13 billion in damages. However, the judge said there is evidence Cigna may have dragged its feet making it unlikely it will win the lawsuit.
Kaiser Permanente to Remain in ACA Markets
While some insurers are fleeing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges, Kaiser Permanente will stay in the marketplace in 2018. During the Wall Street Journal Future of Healthcare event, CEO Bernard Tyson pledged to stick with the markets and rejected Aetna’s claim that the markets were in a death spiral. Kaiser Permanente currently operates health plans in exchanges in 8 states and the District of Columbia.
North Carolina Warns Against Counterfeit Drugs
A new campaign in North Carolina is warning residents about online pharmacies that could be selling counterfeit prescription drugs. Consumers can check the legitimacy of an online pharmacy through VerifyBeforeYouBuy.org, according to The News & Observer. Counterfeit drugs, which could be contaminated, might contain no medication, or contain just a small amount, present a health hazard to users.
Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Dr Dalia Rotstein: Physicians Must Be Aware MS Affects People of All Backgrounds
April 24th 2024Dalia Rotstein, MD, MPH, emphazises the importance of awareness that multiple sclerosis (MS) impacts patients from various backgrounds as clinicians think through ways to improve access to care and research efforts in MS.
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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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What We’re Reading: Abortion Privacy Rules; Alzheimer Drug Hurdles; Nursing Home Staffing Overhaul
April 23rd 2024New health privacy rules aim to protect patients and providers in an evolving abortion landscape; some physicians express concerns about efficacy, risks, and entrenched beliefs in treating Alzheimer disease; CMS addresses longstanding staffing deficits in nursing homes.
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Award-Winning Poster Presentations From AMCP 2024
April 23rd 2024At the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2024 annual meeting, multiple poster presentations concerned with health equity, data collection, glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists, and more were acknowledged for their originality, relevance, clarity, bias, and quality.
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