Democrats Meet With Trump to Discuss Drug Pricing
Representatives Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, and Peter Welch, D-Vermont, met with President Donald Trump yesterday to form an unlikely alliance against the high cost of prescription drugs. The legislators presented a bill that would allow Medicare to negotiate prices, an idea that Trump had supported during his campaign. According to Kaiser Health News, Cummings commended the president as “aware of the problem” and “enthusiastic” in remarks after the meeting.
Replacement Bill Isn’t Called “Trumpcare,” White House Insists
The inevitable nickname of “Trumpcare” for the Republican bill to replace Obamacare has been greeted with resistance by the Trump administration, Politico reports. Democrats have seized on the term, but officials want the bill to be branded by its official name, the American Health Care Act, as they don’t want it associated with the negative connotations of Obamacare among conservatives. HHS secretary Tom Price offered up a slightly catchier alternative: “I prefer to call it PatientCare,” he said at a White House press briefing.
FDA Public Meeting Attempts to Define “Healthy” Foods
A battle that started over the word “healthy” on KIND bar labels has spurred the FDA to hold a public meeting in hopes of determining what actually makes a food healthy, reported STAT. Today’s meeting will unite nutritionists, food company representatives, and others to discuss topics like consumers’ perceptions of healthy foods and whether health claims should be based on nutrient content.
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.
Read More
Navigating Health Policy in an Election Year: Insights From Dr Dennis Scanlon
April 2nd 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with Dennis Scanlon, PhD, the editor in chief of The American Journal of Accountable Care®, about prior authorization, price transparency, the impact of health policy on the upcoming election, and more.
Listen
Exploring Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization Variations
March 26th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the March 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on variations in prior authorization use across Medicare Advantage plans.
Listen