Pay-for-Delay Case Settled for $60 Million
Merck & Co and Upsher-Smith Laboratories have settled a lawsuit that alleged they made a deal to delay generic versions of K-Dur, a potassium supplement. According to Reuters, a class-action lawsuit was filed in 2001 following a settlement in patent litigation in which Upsher-Smith agreed not to market a generic version of K-Dur before 2001. The class-action lawsuit was brought by direct purchasers of K-Dur. The companies have agreed to pay $60.2 million, but have continued to deny any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
HHS Makes It Easier for States Seeking ACA Waivers
A new tool is available to help states seek waivers from certain rules of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). CNBC reported that the tool will help states complete applications to set up high-risk pools and state-operated reinsurance programs. The announcement of the tool comes just a day after HHS announced small businesses will be able to circumvent HealthCare.gov to get health insurance for employees.
New York Tries Again for Single Payer
The New York Assembly has passed a “Medicare-for-all” bill which would create a statewide single-payer healthcare program. This isn’t the first attempt at passing such legislation, though. This bill has passed the Assembly twice already but has not passed in the Senate, which is more conservative and currently controlled by Republicans, reported The Wall Street Journal. As a bill to repeal the ACA makes its way through the US Congress, sponsors of the New York bill feel the legislation has more support now.
What We’re Reading: Abortion Privacy Rules; Alzheimer Drug Hurdles; Nursing Home Staffing Overhaul
April 23rd 2024New health privacy rules aim to protect patients and providers in an evolving abortion landscape; some physicians express concerns about efficacy, risks, and entrenched beliefs in treating Alzheimer disease; CMS addresses longstanding staffing deficits in nursing homes.
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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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Drs Raymond Thertulien, Joseph Mikhael on Racial Disparities in Multiple Myeloma Care Access
December 28th 2023In the wake of the 2023 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition, Raymond Thertulien, MD, PhD, of Novant Health, and Joseph Mikhael, MD, MEd, FRCPC, FACP, chief medical officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, discussed health equity research highlights from the meeting and drivers of racial disparities in multiple myeloma outcomes.
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