How counties, cities, and schools are saving money by importing drugs for employees; insurers are finally turning a profit on their Obamacare plans; new report projects the number of Americans with Alzheimer's disease will more than double by 2060.
Some cities, counties, and schools are saving money by importing medicines from pharmacies in Canada and other countries. Kaiser Health News reported that counties and cities are importing drugs for employees and saving 20% on prescription drugs. One city has saved so much that employees have access to 90-day supplies of brand-name drugs for free. There are companies that vet the overseas pharmacies to sell brand-name products, but not drugs that are available as generics, to counties, cities, schools, and even private companies. A 90-day supply of diabetes drug Januvia can be purchased for $83 after being imported from England, which is far less than the $423 price tag in the United States.
Even as Republicans look to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA), insurers are finally seeing profits on their ACA plans. However, they are turning profits after having steeply increased the average premium, according to Politico. An analysis found that insurers spent about 78% of ACA premium revenues on medical claims over the first 9 months of 2017, which is better than in previous years. During the same time last year, more than 90% of premium revenues went to medical claims. However, nearly half of all counties in the United States are still offering just 1 ACA insurer.
By 2060, the number of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment is forecasted to more than double. Currently, 6 million adults have Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment, and that number is expected to increase to 15 million, based on a new methodology, reported the National Institutes of Health. This new forecast used a different model to forecast the prevalence of the conditions. Scientists attempted to identify people with biomarkers or evidence of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease.
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.
Listen
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.
Read More
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.
Listen
Study Links COVID-19 Pandemic to Rise in Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Ovarian Cancer in US
April 17th 2024There was greater use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy among US patients with ovarian cancer (OC) during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce potential COVID-19 exposure and cancer treatment-related complications.
Read More
Need for Pharmacogenomic Testing in Mental Health Care Explored at AMCP 2024
April 17th 2024Presenters from Mayo Clinic discussed the benefits of implementing pharmacogenomic testing in mental health care for the betterment of patient outcomes, reducing medical costs, and more at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2024 annual meeting.
Read More