Pegcetacoplan for PNH More Cost-Effective Than Anti-C5 Monoclonal Antibodies
April 18th 2024A cost-utility analysis conducted from the perspective of the Italian health system found that pegcetacoplan was more effective and less costly than 2 complement 5 (C5) inhibitors for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).
Read More
Prices for care at hospital trauma centers vary across hospitals; drug shortages reached a record high during the first quarter of 2024; although 3 of the biggest makers of asthma inhalers pledged to cap out-of-pocket costs for some US patients at $35, these do not apply to daily inhalers used by the youngest kids with asthma.
Read More
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.
Read More
Study Highlights Disparities in Access to In-Network Mental Health Care vs Medical Care
April 17th 2024While health plans often employ reimbursement rates as a tool to incentivize provider participation within their networks, study results showed reimbursement rates for office visits with medical/surgical clinicians were on average 22% higher than behavioral health clinicians.
Read More
NSAIDs vs bDMARDs: Sex Disparities in Treatment Initiation for Axial Spondyloarthritis
April 12th 2024New research examining treatment initiation patterns among patients with axial spondyloarthritis revealed significant sex-based disparities, shedding light on the process from diagnosis to therapeutic intervention.
Read More
What We’re Reading: Medicaid Coverage Unwinding; Subscription-Based Health Care; Measles Surging
April 12th 2024Nearly a quarter of adults disenrolled from Medicaid are now uninsured; a new bill in Alaska will allow primary care providers to offer care based on monthly fees; the CDC warns of a 17-fold increase in measles cases in the first quarter of 2024.
Read More
What We’re Reading: Medicare Funding for SCD Gene Therapies; Long COVID Moonshot; Rise in Mpox Cases
April 11th 2024Funding proposal includes gene therapies for sickle cell disease (SCD); draft legislation aims to address long COVID challenges; efforts are underway to prevent a summer surge.
Read More
CMS Leaders Describe Their Partnership to Align Programs, Address ACOs’ Concerns
April 11th 2024As CMS’ suite of value-based and accountable care models evolves, leaders from across the agency detailed how they are working together to streamline quality reporting and encourage the move to a population health mindset while addressing providers’ concerns.
Read More
What We’re Reading: Telehealth Debate; STD Rise Among Older Adults; PFAS Limits in Water
April 10th 2024Lawmakers are under pressure to decide the fate of COVID-era telehealth payment changes; the CDC reports an alarming increase in sexually transmitted disease (STD) cases among Americans 55 years and older; new regulations aim to reduce harmful exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals.”
Read More
Institutional Practices for Charitable Medication Access for Uninsured Patients
Analysis of a patient sample enrolled in charitable care at an academic medical center revealed that chronic medications were variably filled at a significant cost.
Read More
Health Equity and Access Weekly Roundup: April 8, 2024
April 8th 2024The Center on Health Equity and Access covered the burden faced by caregivers, transgender health care, pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake, disparities in postpartum mental health care, and cost-related medication nonadherence among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Read More
Study: 1 in 6 US Patients With COPD Suffers From Cost-Related Medication Nonadherence
April 3rd 2024Medication nonadherence among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with increasing COPD symptoms, hospitalizations, morbidity, mortality, and health care expenditures.
Read More
Adjusting Starting Points for Initial Price Offers: The Example of Ibrutinib
Ibrutinib has been selected for Medicare price negotiation under the Inflation Reduction Act. The authors summarize the House Oversight Committee investigation to be considered by CMS during the price negotiation process.
Read More
CMS released a final rule to help patients obtain Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage and issued a proposed rule to update Medicare payment policies and rates for inpatient rehabilitation facilities; debate over if gift card incentives are acceptable in health care marketing.
Read More
The Pivotal Role of Payers in Improving Health Equity, Maternal Health Care in the US
March 26th 2024A presentation at the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health's 2024 Women’s Health Summit discussed how payers, including employers and public entities, can strategically influence health care purchasing to prioritize maternal health and equity.
Read More
Health Equity and Access Weekly Roundup: March 23, 2024
March 23rd 2024The Center on Health Equity and Access covered disparities in hypertension, diabetic eye health, and hidradenitis suppurativa, along with the proposed legislation banning diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in Alabama schools and the consequences in sickle cell care from the CDC guideline for opioid prescriptions.
Read More
CMS is highly likely to negotiate the price of the obesity medication semaglutide in the coming years; many health care providers are trying to determine whether their cyberattack insurance will help cover their losses after the Change Healthcare hack; the US life expectancy increased for the first time in 2 years.
Read More