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What We’re Reading: Restricted Abortion Pill; Cigna Drug Price Transparency; New Parkinson Research
Judges reverted steps to make abortion pill mifepristone more accessible, but it is still available; Cigna Group will be offering an option for members that allows more visibility into manufacturer drug pricing and discounts; new research on Parkinson disease could lead to new diagnostics and treatments.
Abortion Pill to Stay Available, With Restrictions
On Wednesday evening, a federal appeals court ruled that the abortion pill mifepristone could stay available, but judges prevented the drug from being sent to patients through the mail and reverted back other steps the government had taken to facilitate access in recent years, reported The New York Times. The appellate panel said the FDA’s approval of the drug could stand because too much time had passed for the plaintiffs, a consortium of groups and doctors opposed to abortion, to dispute that decision. Additionally, the court appeared to take into consideration the government’s view that withdrawing a long-approved drug from the market would have “significant public consequences.”
Cigna to Provide Drug Price Transparency After Scrutiny
Cigna Group is providing clients with more transparency of how much they pay for drugs through its prescription plans, as the industry responds to increasing Washington scrutiny and competition from smaller rivals boasting greater clarity, according to BNN Bloomberg. The company’s pharmacy-benefit management unit will market a “fully transparent” option charging a flat monthly fee for each member, with increased visibility into manufacturers’ prices and discounts. The department, Express Scripts, will also present a plan that caps patients’ out-of-pocket costs from $5 to $45 per prescription, depending on the drug.
Recent Parkinson Research Could Guide New Diagnostics, Treatments
New research funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research has caused the clearest evidence so far that the existence of a particular misfolded protein, alpha-synuclein, can be used to ascertain if people have Parkinson, reported STAT News. This new research could be used to create better diagnostics, but more importantly could quickly accelerate a search for treatments. Currently, alpha-synuclein can only be detected by a spinal tap, but scientists hope that it can one day be detected in blood, skin, or nasal swab.
Tackling Health Inequality: The Power of Education and Experience
April 30th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are bringing you a special month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our final episode of this limited series and our conversation with Janine Jelks-Seale, MSPPM, director of health equity at UPMC Health Plan.
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Initiating BP Medication Linked to Higher Fall, Fracture Risks in Nursing Home Residents
May 2nd 2024Among over 60,000 nursing home residents who initiated antihypertensive medication, rates of excess fractures due to falls per 100 person-years were as high as 5 among certain patient groups, such as those with dementia and high blood pressure (BP).
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Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
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