Trump Administration Nominates New Surgeon General
Indiana health commissioner Jerome Adams, MD, has been nominated to be the country’s next surgeon general. STAT reported that Vice President Mike Pence appointed Adams to his current role when Pence was still governor. Adams would replace former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, who was pushed out by the Trump administration in April. Similar to Murthy, Adams has been an advocate for addressing the opioid epidemic.
Investigation Into Patient Assistance Charity
The IRS is investigating whether a patient-assistance charity improperly benefited pharmaceutical companies. The probe is trying to determine whether the charity Good Days returned most of the money pharmaceutical companies donated as payments for their drugs, according to Reuters. Good Days operates a copay assistance program and the IRS claims that in 2011 about 95% of the assistance provided to patients was spent on drugs made by companies that had made donations.
CBO Releases Addendum to Initial Senate Health Bill Report
An addendum from the Congressional Budget Office released Thursday detailed the impact of the Senate health bill on Medicaid over 2 decades. The addendum to the initial analysis was released at the request of Democratic senators who wanted to see an estimate past the 10-year window typically provided. The CBO found that in the first 10 years, Medicaid funding would decrease 26%, and by the end of the second decade, Medicaid spending would be 35% lower.
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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FDA Approves Vadadustat for Anemia in Patients With CKD Undergoing Dialysis
March 28th 2024The FDA approved vadadustat (Vafseo), an oral medication, to treat anemia in adult patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis for at least 3 months. This fills a need for a new treatment option as anemia is common in these patients and can significantly impact their quality of life.
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Risk for Second Primary Melanoma Increases After Primary Melanoma Diagnosis as Men Age
March 28th 2024A population-based cohort study out of Norway has found that older men have a higher risk of developing second primary invasive melanoma following an initial primary melanoma, suggesting the benefits of increased surveillance in these patients.
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