FDA Approvals Up Sharply in 2017
Less than half of the way through 2017, the FDA has approved almost as many new treatments as it had for the entire year of 2016. According to Fortune, the slow pace of approvals in 2016 was an anomaly compared to the previous 2 years when 45 (2014) and 41 (2015) therapies were approved. However, the approvals so far in 2017 have been important with several drugs that are the first to treat certain diseases in the United States.
Sanofi Limits Drug Price Increases
More and more drug makers are beginning to self-police the industry when it comes to limiting drug price increases, and Sanofi has taken a unique and strict step. While many companies have promised to keep increases under 10%, Sanofi plans to tie drug price increases to the national health expenditures growth projection rate, reported Reuters. In 2017, that would limit price increases to 5.4%. The company has said that tying drug price increases to the inflation rate ensures the company “is not contributing to further medical inflation.”
BCBS Steps Into Empty Tennessee Marketplace
After Humana decided it was exiting all the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges, 16 counties in Tennessee were at risk of having no insurer offering exchange plans next year. However, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) is stepping up to the plate and will offer plans in the Knoxville region for 2018, according to The Wall Street Journal. BCBST had exited the Knoxville market for 2017, but is interested in returning now that its financial performance in the ACA exchanges has improved.
Integrating RECIST and Clinician Approaches Boosts NSCLC Research
May 8th 2024Outcomes among patients with stage IV non–small cell lung cancer as evaluated within clinical trials via Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) and clinician response criteria in observational studies were compared for their concordance and reliability.
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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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The Joint Commission is launching the Rural Health Clinic Accreditation Program to standardize staff training and patient care practices at rural health clinics nationwide; the American Cancer Society recently launched the largest-ever study of cancer risk and outcomes in Black women; the HHS COVID-19 vaccination campaign saved $732 billion by preventing illness and related costs.
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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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AA Unlikely to Cause Anxiety, Depression but May Be Affected by Mental Illness
May 7th 2024A Mendelian randomization study using genetic analysis found that alopecia areata (AA) increases the risk of anxiety and depression, but not the other way around, providing unique evidence for a causal link while adding to existing evidence.
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