FDA Approvals Surpass 2016
With the 23rd drug approved by the FDA, more drugs have been approved just halfway through 2017 than were approved in all of 2016. According to FiercePharma, the new crop of approved drugs haven’t been without controversy. There was at least one pricing controversy as a decades-old steroid available for $1000 abroad was approved in the United States to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy and received an $89,000 price tag. Plus, a drug approved to treat an ultrarare disease is now one of the most expensive drugs in the world, priced at $702,000.
House Bill Would Cap Malpractice Awards
A bill in the House of Representatives would cap the amount awarded in a malpractice suit for non-economic damages at $250,000. Kaiser Health News reported that the bill is part of a package of reforms to supplement the House’s healthcare bill, the American Health Care Act, which would repeal and replace large parts of the Affordable Care Act. The Trump administration has pledged support, but there is heavy opposition from patient advocates and some conservatives who believe states should determine tort law rules.
Illegal Immigrants Avoid Getting Care
A new article from The New York Times highlights the challenges of delivering care to undocumented immigrants who are afraid to seek care. Since the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigrants, clinics have reported a decrease in the number of appointments with this population. Some providers have gone the extra mile to take care for these patients into their own hands, picking up prescriptions some people are too scared to get on their own and delivering them to patients’ houses.
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.
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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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Poor Well-Being Scores Linked to Early Treatment Stoppage in Multiple Myeloma
March 27th 2024Investigators used the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General General Physical Wellbeing Scale to collect data on patient-reported treatment-related adverse effects, to provide clinicians guidance on predicting risk of early treatment discontinuation among ECOG-ACRIN E1A11 trial participants.
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