Novo Nordisk continues to limit starter doses of popular weight-loss drug Wegovy in the US; veterans and survivors received an error message when submitting PACT Act claims shortly before the deadline; insurance companies are failing to inform patients of their eligibility for free preventative services.
Novo Nordisk Continues to Limit Supply of Weight-Loss Drug Wegovy
Novo Nordisk announced Thursday that it will continue to restrict starter doses of popular weight-loss drug Wegovy in the United States most likely into 2024 as it struggles to keep up with the soaring demand, according to Reuters. Wegovy is a weekly injection that, paired with diet and exercise changes, could help patients lose 15% of their weight. This announcement comes after the success of the company’s efforts in May to halve its supply of starter doses in the US market for several months to ensure the availability of supplies for existing patients. The limits on Wegovy may cause Novo Nordisk to lose out on market share to competitors working on similar weight-loss therapies. On the other hand, despite these supply limits, the company raised its full-year profit and sales forecast for a second time this year.
Veterans Shutout Before PACT Act Deadline
An “extremely high volume” of PACT Act claims overwhelmed the Department of Veteran Affairs website on Tuesday, preventing veterans and survivors from submitting claims and notices of intention to file claims as the deadline for backdated payments approached, according to Military.com. About 18% of veterans and survivors received error messages while trying to submit by Wednesday’s deadline to receive retroactive disability payments dated to when President Joe Biden signed the PACT Act into law on August 10, 2022. Veterans Affairs said that it is working to resolve the site issues and that, despite the system overload, it will honor the submissions affected. The PACT Act expanded health care and disability to those exposed to environmental pollution, like burn pits, while serving. Veterans who develop a related illness, or their survivors, can file a claim at any time, along with those already affected, to receive retroactive benefits back to August 10, 2022.
Patients Potentially Missing Out on Free Cancer Screenings, Vaccinations
A new report from consumer representatives to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners revealed that health insurers are failing to inform patients about free preventive services they are entitled to, according to Axios. HHS reported last year that this free coverage includes cancer screenings and vaccinations. These consumer representatives examined information from 6 plans in 6 states about coverage of smoking cessation, HIV prevention medication, colorectal cancer screening, and postpartum depression screening. They found that consumer documents often had missing or inconsistent information about preventive services coverage. The representatives recommended that state regulators review claims data more closely to ensure patients are not getting improperly billed and to interfere if that is the case.
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.
Read More
CMS Medicare Final Rule: Advancing Benefits, Competition, and Consumer Protection
May 7th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with Karen Iapoce, senior director of government products and programs at ZeOmega, about the recent CMS final rule on Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage.
Listen
Traditional Medicare Supplemental Insurance and the Rise of Medicare Advantage
May 7th 2024Rising Medicare Advantage enrollment occurred alongside declines in enrollment in traditional Medicare with employer-sponsored supplemental coverage and traditional Medicare without supplemental coverage.
Read More
Tackling Health Inequality: The Power of Education and Experience
April 30th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are bringing you a special month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our final episode of this limited series and our conversation with Janine Jelks-Seale, MSPPM, director of health equity at UPMC Health Plan.
Listen
The Senate Finance Committee has introduced bipartisan legislation that proposes using Medicaid and Medicare programs to help prevent and reduce generic drug shortages; US indicators for COVID-19, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) declined further last week; findings from a recent study reveal growing disparities in child death rates across racial and ethnic groups.
Read More
Access Denied: CMS’ Action Hurts Patients With Cancer in Rural America
May 6th 2024CMS rules hindered the access of rural patients with cancer to medically integrated pharmacies in 2023. The authors discuss the impact on equity in health care, emphasizing the need for regulatory change.
Read More