At least 4 chief exeuctive officers from pharmaceutical companies will testify at a Senate drug pricing hearing later this month; Washington becomes the second state to try a subscription-based model for purchasing hepatitis C drugs; and data suggest that marijuana lowers use of alcohol and other drugs.
Chief executive officers from at least 4 drug makers will testify at a Senate hearing on prescription drug prices, with CEOs from Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sanofi, and Merck agreeing to testify later this month. According to Reuters, Johnson & Johnson said that their head of global pharmaceuticals will testify, as well. AbbVie and AstraZeneca were also invited by Committee Chair Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Senator Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, to send executives.
In January, Louisiana became the first state to implement what’s being called a Netflix subscription model to buy hepatitis C drugs in order to cope with the cost of the treatments, and Washington has followed suit, reported STAT News. The state is hoping to convince drug makers to offer the treatments in return for subscription-based payments. Last month, the state Health Care Authority began seeking bids from drug makers to offer a guaranteed net unit price for Medicaid beneficiaries and a similarly low price for state employees.
Adding to data demonstrating that marijuana is associated with reduced use of opioids and opioid abuse, The Hill has reported that emerging data are pointing to the drug lowering the use of other substances, including alcohol, tobacco, and benzodiazepines. The news outlet cited a survey from last month that found that nearly 70% of respondents said they substituted marijuana for prescription medications, primarily opioids; 45% substituted the drug for alcohol; and 31% substituted the drug for tobacco.
The Biden administration finalized a new regulation that curbs the use of short-term health insurance plans that do not comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA); the CDC issued an advisory on Thursday alerting health care providers about an increase in invasive meningococcal disease; the number of US tuberculosis (TB) cases in 2023 was the highest in a decade.
Read More
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.
Listen
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.
Listen