What We're Reading: Ad Spending for Drugs on the Rise
March 10th 2016What we're reading, March 10, 2016: spending on drug advertisements up 60% over 4 years; lawsuit between Gilead and Merck over hepatitis C virus drugs; and Tennessee considers allowing pharmacists to prescribe contraceptives.
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What We're Reading: Prescription Drugs 16.7% of Overall Healthcare Spending
March 9th 2016What we're reading, March 9, 2016: prescription drugs accounted for 16.7% of US healthcare spending in 2015; the FDA will allow Amarin to promote a prescription fish oil for off-label uses; and racial disparities for infant mortality persist.
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What We're Reading: Big Decline in Rate of Unintended Pregnancies
March 8th 2016What we're reading, March 8, 2016: rate of unplanned pregnancies in the US is at a 30-year low; doctors told they are overprescribing addictive medicines don't change their behavior; and despite Obamacare, surprise medical bills find a way.
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What We're Reading: Urgent Care Used as a Bridge Between Primary Care and ER
March 7th 2016What we're reading, March 7, 2016: urgent care is being used as a bridge between the primary care doctor's office and the emergency room; a task force calls for physicians to employ team-based care; and the government will meet to craft a plan for the Zika virus.
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What We're Reading: 20 Million Gained Insurance Under the ACA
March 4th 2016What we're reading, March 4, 2016: Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, 20 million people have signed up for healthcare coverage; the FDA has a backlog of 4000 drug applications waiting for approval; and Flint, Michigan, receives expanded Medicaid coverage.
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What We're Reading: $600M Funding for Opioid Abuse Bill Struck Down
March 3rd 2016What we're reading, March 3, 2016: additional funding for the opioid abuse bill was shot down in the Senate; Donald Trump releases his plan to replace Obamacare; and Christine Cassel, MD, discusses designing a new medical school.
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What We're Reading: New FDA Head Vows More Efforts to Stem Opioid Abuse Epidemic
March 2nd 2016What we're reading, March 2, 2016: FDA commissioner pledges stronger efforts to develop harder-to-abuse painkillers; Olympus Corp. agrees to largest settlement for violating anti-kickback laws; and the Supreme Court hears Texas abortion case with just 8 members on the bench.
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What We're Reading: ACA Program Led to Hospital Readmission Declines
February 29th 2016What we're reading, February 29, 2016: hospital readmission declines tied to Obamacare program; Medicare negotiating powers may not have a large impact; and Aetna is on board with Affordable Care Act exchanges again.
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What We're Reading: Pressure to Calculate the Price of Extending Life
February 26th 2016What we're reading, February 26, 2016: drug makers are facing pressure to calculate the cost of extending a patient's life; a look at how addiction is viewed and treated in the US; and staving off the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
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What We're Reading: Administration Will Crack Down on ACA Deadlines
February 25th 2016What we're reading, February 25, 2016: the government will require proof of eligibility for enrollment in special sign-up periods under the Affordable Care Act (ACA); this year's flu vaccine is more effective; and 6 states are suing the Obama administration over an ACA fee.
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What We're Reading: Drug Makers File Incomplete Side Effects Reports
February 24th 2016What we're reading: drug makers are not reporting complete information about side effects; Johnson & Johnson will pay $72 million to the family of a woman who blamed her ovarian cancer on talcum powder; and Maine and Utah make new attempts at expanding Medicaid.
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What We're Reading: CVS Reports Drug Spending Slowed Significantly
February 23rd 2016What we're reading, February 23, 2016: drug spending for CVS health plans slowed from 11.8% to 5%; CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, talks Zika virus; and an investigation into the HealthCare.gov launch found widespread mismanagement.
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Dr Mark Fendrick Testifying on Impact of VBID on TRICARE
February 22nd 2016The American Journal of Managed Care's co-editor-in-chief A. Mark Fendrick, MD, director of the University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID), is testifying on how the principles of VBID and clinical nuance can contribute to healthcare reform in the US military health system.
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What We're Reading: Seeking a Moratorium on New Drug Ads
February 22nd 2016What we're reading, February 22, 2016: new legislation proposes placing a 3-year moratorium on advertising newly approved drugs; the prevalence and incidence of stroke among young adults has increased significantly; and more women with breast cancer are choosing outpatient mastectomies.
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What We're Reading: Long-Term Hospice Care Weighs on Medicare
February 19th 2016What we're reading, February 19, 2016: long-term hospice care is weighing on Medicare; both the pope and the World Health Organization suggest women in Zika infected countries have access to contraception; and Texas health official steps down after co-authoring study on Planned Parenthood.
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What We're Reading: Some Clinical Trial Results Are Never Disclosed
February 18th 2016What we're reading, February 18, 2016: one-third of clinical trial results are never published; Sandoz challenges rule for notices of biosimilar launches; and hepatitis C combination drug could reduce treatment to just 4 weeks.
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What We're Reading: Pfizer Pays $784 Million in Medicaid Settlement
February 17th 2016What we're reading, February 17, 2016: Pfizer pays to settle Medicaid claims case; needle exchanges will get financial boost with federal funding; and in New Jersey, Chris Christie releases budget that includes steep cuts to hospitals.
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What We're Reading: ACA Enrollment Falls Short of Estimates
February 16th 2016What we're reading, February 16, 2016: Affordable Care Act enrollment for 2016 is far below initial estimates; healthcare record hacks increased 11,000% in 2015; and genetic testing hasn't seen wide adoption among consumers.
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What We're Reading: Medicare Advantage Enrollment Up 50% Against Expectations
February 15th 2016What we're reading, February 15, 2016: despite cuts to the program, enrollment in Medicare Advantage is up 50% over 5 years; orphan drug designations from the FDA up 22% in 2015; and Zika virus infections on the rise in Puerto Rico.
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