Aetna's CEO envisions CVS deal helping it lead the way on social determinants of health (SDOH); the Senate health chair releases 2 draft bills on opioids; the medical community criticizes former Senator Rick Santorum, R-Pennsylvania, for suggesting student activitists learn CPR instead of advocating for gun control.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Aetna’s chief executive said its merger with CVS could allow it to act as a neighborhood gateway focusing more on the social determinants of health (SDOH). Mark T. Bertolini said the $69 billion deal could lead to a future where pharmacists or medical professionals could assist with appointments or focus on nonmedical support, such as coordinating rides, meal assistance, nutrition counseling, or social supports.
Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, released 2 draft bills aimed at curbing the overprescribing of opioids and stopping fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, at the border, The Hill reported. One bill would let the FDA require drug manufacturers to package certain opioids in blister packs, making it easier for a doctor to write a smaller quantity. The other bill would ensure the FDA can spend the $94 million included in the omnibus bill passed last week to boost laboratory capabilities and upgrade other methods to combat fentanyl.
Healthcare professionals, especially surgeons who have operated on gunshot victims, criticized former Senator Rick Santorum, R-Pennsylvania, after he suggested that student activists should learn CPR instead of protesting for gun control. Doctors took to Twitter to share their opinions and also in magazines sharing their experiences operating on children and young adults, like a Tenessee surgeon, Eugene Gu, MD, who penned an article in Tuesday's Newsweek.
CMS' 340B Repayment Proposal May Harm Vulnerable Hospitals, Reward Those With Higher Revenues
April 26th 2024The 340B hospitals not receiving an offsetting lump-sum payment from CMS following 2018-2022 cuts later ruled unlawful are disproportionately rural, publicly owned, and nonacademic, according to a new study.
Read More
Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen
Empowering Community Health Through Wellness and Faith
April 23rd 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. In the third episode, Camille Clarke-Smith, EdD, MS, CHES, CPT, discusses approaching community health holistically through spiritual and community engagement.
Listen
Kaiser Permanente was hit by a data breach in mid-April, impacting 13.4 million health plan members; GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) sued Pfizer and BioNTech for allegedly infringing on its messenger RNA technology patents in the companies’ COVID-19 vaccines; the CDC announced the first-known HIV cases transmitted via cosmetic injections.
Read More