Employers Newly Committed to Offering Insurance
Just 3 years ago, large employers were considering no longer offering insurance and instead shifting their employees to the Affordable Care Act (ACA)’s marketplaces. However, employers have since changed direction, with companies newly committed to maintaining insurance coverage, reported Kaiser Health News. This year, 92% of employers in a survey said they were very confident they would be offering health plans in 5 years, compared with just 25% back in 2014. The uncertainty of the ACA isn’t the only reason for the change of heart—the strong economy means employers are offering insurance as a way to get the best workers.
CVS Sued Over Drug Costs
A California woman is accusing CVS of charging customers paying through insurance more money for prescription drugs than the medicines actually cost. According to Bloomberg, the plaintiff said she once paid $166 for a generic drug that would have only cost $92 if she had paid in cash. CVS denies any wrongdoing and explained that the copays are determined by pharmacy benefit managers. There are at least 16 other lawsuits targeting drugstores for these copay “clawback” practices, or situations when patients pay a copay that exceeds the actual cash value of the drug.
Declaring a State of Emergency
The president’s opioid panel recommended declaring the opioid epidemic a state of emergency, but President Donald Trump has declined to do so. STAT explains that it was unclear what declaring a state of emergency for the country might have meant. There are examples in the states, however, where the move has allowed officials to expand use of naloxone or implement new prescription monitoring guidelines. A declaration of a national emergency might mean little more than “stirring officials to act with authorities they already have.”
Real-World Study Reveals Key Insights into DLBCL Treatment Patterns, Outcomes
April 18th 2024A recent study offers valuable insights into the characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in patients across different lines of therapy, providing a look into the landscape of DLBCL management.
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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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Collecting SDOH Data Can Assess Risk of Medical Nonadherence, Improve HEI and Star Ratings
April 18th 2024At the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2024 annual meeting, a panel of presenters explored changes coming to Medicare that incorporate social determinants of health (SDOH) data to improve patient and health system outcomes.
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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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Commonwealth Fund Report Details Pervasive Racial and Ethnic Disparities in US Health Care, Outcomes
April 18th 2024Using 25 health system performance indicators, the Commonwealth Fund 2024 State Health Disparities Report evaluated racial and ethnic disparities in health care and health outcomes both within and across US states and highlighted the urgent need for equitable health care policies and practices in the US.
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