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What We're Reading: Idaho, CMS Talk Again; Drug Pricing Poll Answers Vary; Senators Want 340B Info
Idaho is still seeking a way to get its state's health insurance plans approved by CMS; a new poll finds that support for action on drug pricing dips when potential ramifications are weighed; senators seek information on hospitals' use of 340B drug discounts.
Idaho Still Seeking Way to Get State's Health Plan Approved
Idaho insurance head Dean Cameron and Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, met with CMS chief Seema Verma in Washington this week to see if there is still a way around the state’s controversial plan to skirt Affordable Care Act (ACA) rules, The Hill reported. The Trump administration has blocked the plan, saying that it contained measures that violated the ACA, such as allowing people with pre-existing conditions to be charged more. Cameron said that perhaps a discount might be given to healthy people instead.
Polls Finds Support for Drug Pricing Action Dips When Ramifications Considered
A POLITICO—Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health poll finds bipartisan support for the idea of drastic government action on drug prices. Nine out of 10 favor giving Medicare the power to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical manufacturers, but that support falters when Americans face possible negative trade-offs, Politico reported. Support fell to 42% when respondents weighed the risk that some drug companies might respond by halting the sale of certain drugs to seniors. And although 80% favored limiting the price of drugs sold to state health programs, only 38% still liked the idea if it meant less research and development.
Senators Want Information on Hospitals' Use of 340B Drug Discounts
Senators moved closer to joining the House of Representatives to push hospitals to report how they use 340B drug discounts, Modern Healthcare reported. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, said he wants to know where hospitals and clinics are applying the drug discounts, how much of the discounts go to patients, and which kinds of programs the providers are funding for patients with the money that isn't directly passed on. It’s the first time senators have gotten involved in the lobbying dispute between the pharmaceutical industry and hospitals.
Standard Criteria for Loss of Ambulation Needed in DMD
April 19th 2024A recent study suggests the differences between ambulation definitions for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) can impact the identification of ambulant vs nonambulant individuals, and standard criteria across settings are needed.
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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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An Overview of Health Care and Pharmaceutical Trends, 2023-2024
April 19th 2024Douglas M. Long, BA, MBA, was featured as the keynote speaker on the closing day of The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2024 annual meeting, with a session dedicated to surveying the health care and pharmaceutical trends of the last year.
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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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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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