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What We're Reading: Humana to Quit Exchanges; Polypharmacy in the Elderly; and FDA Shake-ups
Humana to Pull Out of 2018 Exchanges
Shortly after calling off its proposed merger with Aetna, Humana announced it would not participate in the Affordable Care Act exchanges in 2018. After analyzing membership data from the 2017 open enrollment period, “Humana is seeing further signs of an unbalanced risk pool,” the insurer stated in a press release explaining the decision. In a tweet, President Donald Trump seized the news as an example of how “Obamacare continues to fail.”
Polypharmacy On the Rise in Elderly Patients
A study recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine points to a concerning trend of physicians prescribing 3 or more central nervous system (CNS) drugs at once for elderly patients. CNS polypharmacy among those aged 65 or older has more than doubled between 2004 and 2013, partially driven by an increase in prescribing among patients with a pain diagnosis. The largest increase in CNS polypharmacy was among rural visits, “where access to specialty mental health or pain care is particularly limited,” the authors wrote.
Pharma Executives Keep Wary Eye on FDA's Future
President Trump’s calls to slash government regulations and speed up the FDA’s drug approval processes have put some pharmaceutical industry leaders on edge, according to a Reuters article. Over a dozen drug and biotechnology firms have implored the new administration not to implement a too-hasty approval process, worrying that insurers will refuse to pay for a new drug if its safety is not thoroughly proven. "It is one thing to get a drug approved, but you have got to get reimbursed," said Paul Perreault, chief executive of biotech company CSL Ltd, in the article.
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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Gene and Cell Therapies Hold Potential—but How Can Payers Manage Their Costs?
April 18th 2024Presenters at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2024 annual meeting discussed the current promise and future potential of gene and cell therapies, as well as payer management strategies for these costly treatments.
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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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