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What Drugs Did Medicare Beneficiaries Use the Most in 2014? Now We Know
The federal government popped the cap off drug spending on Thursday, detailing doctor-by-doctor and drug-by-drug how Medicare and its beneficiaries spent $103 billion on pharmaceuticals in 2013.
The federal government popped the cap off drug spending on Thursday, detailing doctor-by-doctor and drug-by-drug how Medicare and its beneficiaries spent $103 billion on pharmaceuticals in 2013.
The data show that 14 drugs cost the federal government and Medicare beneficiaries more than $1 billion each, accounting for nearly a quarter of Medicare prescription drug spending in 2013. Most of those drugs are used to treat chronic conditions that plague the elderly, including diabetes, depression, high cholesterol and blood pressure, dementia and asthma.
The brand drug Nexium, used to treat heartburn, acid reflux and related stomach ailments, cost the most: $2.5 billion for 1.5 million Medicare patients, who filled 8 million prescriptions and refills. The total cost included what was paid by Medicare, beneficiaries, and third party groups such as supplemental health plans. The cost covered not just the drug ingredients but also sales tax and dispensing fees. It did not, however, include sometimes substantial manufacturer rebates, and the drug makers’ trade group warned that omission distorted the actual cost.
Read the complete article on Kaiser Health News: http://bit.ly/1Jea8u9
The Impact of Nurse Practitioner Attribution in Medicare Shared Savings ACOs
December 5th 2023Allowing nurse practitioners to serve as attribution-eligible providers for Medicare Shared Savings Program accountable care organizations leads to no change in hierarchical condition category risk scores and modest growth in attributed beneficiaries.
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Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Thyme Care CEO and Cofounder Robin Shah
October 2nd 2023Robin Shah, CEO of Thyme Care, which he founded in 2020 with Bobby Green, MD, president and chief medical officer, joins hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, to discuss his evolution as an entrepreneur in oncology care innovation and his goal of positively changing how patients experience the cancer system.
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Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Dr Debra Patt of Texas Oncology
August 1st 2023Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, joins hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, for episode 2 of our newest podcast, "Oncology Onward: Conversations With Innovators and Changemakers in Cancer Care."
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HMO and EPO Insurance Plans More Likely to Promote Use of Biosimilars
November 21st 2023Health plan type highly influences the likelihood of biosimilar uptake, with low-flexibility insurance plans more likely to have patients who either switched to a biosimilar or were initiated on a biosimilar.
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What We’re Reading: UnitedHealth Lawsuit; Fentanyl Crackdown; Global Heat Deaths Increase
November 15th 2023A class action lawsuit was filed against UnitedHealth Group and a subsidiary for allegedly using an algorithm to deny rehabilitation coverage for seriously ill patients; US and China officials are finalizing an agreement to crack down on fentanyl; a study published Tuesday projected global heat deaths to increase by 370% if no action is taken against global warming.
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