Medicare will negotiate drug prices directly with companies; medical leaders react to the Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action; the European Commission (EC) announces deals with Pfizer and select European companies to reserve space to manufacture vaccines for future health emergencies.
CMS Announces Revised Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program
Medicare now has the ability to directly negotiate covered prescription drug prices, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, according to CMS.gov. Today, CMS announced revised guidelines specifying the requirements and parameters of the new Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program for the initial round of negotiations, which will happen during 2023 and 2024 for prices that will be applicable starting in 2026. This new program reinforces Medicare’s ability to aid people with current Medicare coverage and future generations.
Medical Leaders Speak Up on Affirmative Action
Medical leaders reacted quickly on Thursday to the Supreme Court’s decision to severely limit the use of race in college admissions, reported STAT, expressing worry that this ruling could reverse decades of progress toward diversifying the country’s physician workforce, which is seen as something imperative to helping end the nation’s extensive and ingrained health disparities. Rulings in cases involving the University of North Carolina and Harvard University determined that the use of race in admissions violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
European Commission Works to Secure Vaccines for Future Pandemics
Pfizer and some European companies will reserve space to manufacture up to 325 million vaccines per year for potential future global health emergencies, the European Commission announced Friday, according to Reuters. The agreement includes mRNA, vector-based, and protein-based vaccines, and does not relate to present COVID-19 vaccine agreements between the EU and vaccine manufacturers, including Pfizer. When announcing the deal, the European Commission stated that the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the need for Europe to be better prepared for future health emergencies.
Health Equity and Access Weekly Roundup: December 2, 2023
December 2nd 2023The Center on Health Equity and Access highlights the most recent updates in the realm of health equity, including news, research findings, and initiatives focused on mitigating health care disparities and enhancing overall access to quality care.
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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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Dr Alvaro Pascual-Leone Discusses Disparities in Alzheimer Disease Research
November 30th 2023Alvaro Pascual-Leone, MD, PhD, addresses the role of the gene variant APOE4 in Alzheimer disease and dementia, noting its influence on risk factors and the significance of early diagnosis for effective intervention across all racial groups.
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Insufficient Data, Disparities Plague Lung Cancer Risk Factor Documentation
September 24th 2023On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the senior author of a study published in the September 2023 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® on the importance of adequate and effective lung cancer risk factor documentation to determine a patient's eligibility for screening.
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