New Opioid Bill Adds Requirements for Doctors
The Senate Health and Human Services committee has approved a bill that requires physicians to use the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). According to The Washington Times, the proposal squeezed by in a tight vote and will now go to the full Senate for a vote. The bill aims to identify and weed out physicians who overprescribe opioids and to prevent consumers from doctor shopping to gain access to opioids. Pharmacists have been required to participate in the PDMP for years, although enrollment for physicians had been voluntary.
12.2 Million People Sign Up for ACA Plans
Despite uncertainty surrounding the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Trump administration’s decision to cancel last-minute ads, more than 12.2 million people signed up for coverage under the ACA. However, initial enrollment is still about 4% lower than last year. Nearly two-thirds of those who enrolled live in states that President Donald Trump carried. In Minnesota, a record number of people signed up through the state’s exchange. Although Minnesota had some of the sharpest premium increases for 2017, the state tapped a rainy day fund to help offset those rising premiums for people who weren’t eligible for federal subsidies.
Federal Government Ordered to Fund Risk Corridors
A Court of Federal Appeals has ruled in favor of an Oregon insurer, who sued the United States to recover money it was owed under the risk corridor program. The program protects insurers from excessive losses on the ACA exchanges. In a post for the Incidental Economist, Nicholas Bagley, JD, wrote that the ruling was the right one and that the court’s reasoning means every insurer can sue to recover risk corridor money. The government already owes $8.3 billion and the total liability could get close to $15 billion.
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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