Amazon Prime air service is testing delivery of medication within an hour or ordering; Surging insurance costs are affecting 150 million Americans; Opponents of President Joe Biden's mental health care proposal argue potential rules could hinder access to quality care.
Amazon Tests Drone Deliveries for Prescriptions
Amazon is testing a new drone delivery service in College Station, Texas, allowing customers to receive prescription medications within an hour of ordering, according to The Associated Press. The Prime Air division has been piloting drone deliveries of common household items since December in College Station and Lockeford, California, and the service is expanding into prescription deliveries based on customer demand. Amazon aims to speed up health care access by reducing the time between diagnosis and treatment, which can be especially beneficial for acute illnesses.
US Family Insurance Plans See Highest Rate Increase in a Decade
The presence of inflation is being felt in the health insurance sector, according to USA Today. The average cost of family health insurance plans provided through employers surged by 7% in 2023 to $23,968, marking the highest rate increase in a decade, according to a survey from KFF. Insurance costs for individuals also rose by 7%, to $8435. With more than 150 million Americans obtaining health insurance through their workplaces, higher prices could lead to larger paycheck deductions for employees, exacerbating the impact of inflation.
Insurers, Employers Oppose Biden's Mental Health Care Proposal
The Biden administration's recent proposal to enhance coverage of mental and behavioral health care is facing opposition and pushback by insurers and employers, according to Axios. The proposal aims to strengthen enforcement of a 2008 law mandating insurers to provide mental health services at the same level as they do physical health care services. However, health care payers argue that some elements of the plan, including a new formula to assess the limitations on access to mental health care, are overly burdensome and may lead them to reconsider the scope of their mental health benefits.
Public Hospitals More Likely to Extend Unprofitable Services After 340B Participation, Study Finds
May 10th 2024Public hospitals were significantly more likely to sustain access to unprofitable services following 340B Drug Pricing Program participation, while nonprofit hospitals were mostly unaffected, according to a recent study.
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Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity: Urban Health Outreach
May 9th 2024In the series debut episode of "Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity," Mary Sligh, CRNP, and Chelsea Chappars, of Allegheny Health Network, explain how the Urban Health Outreach program aims to improve health equity for individuals experiencing homelessness.
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Research Shows Prior Authorization Denials Delay Critical Immunology Care
May 10th 2024Results featured at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2024 annual meeting revealed a pattern of prior authorization rejections that could delay necessary therapeutic treatments for various patient groups.
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CMS Medicare Final Rule: Advancing Benefits, Competition, and Consumer Protection
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Looking Back on ISPOR 2024: Hot Policy Topics, Welcome Focus on Employers, and More
May 10th 2024Kimberly Westrich, MA, chief strategy officer of the National Pharmaceutical Council, reflects on the most valuable learnings from the 2024 meeting of ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research, including lively discussions of the Inflation Reduction Act and workshops on value assessment.
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