A roundup of top healthcare news stories: January 30, 2017.
GOP’s Plan for Medicaid Could Reduce Access to Breakthrough Treatments
Republicans are considering overhauling the Medicaid program and instituting a spending cap. According to STAT, this proposal would mean the program will struggle to afford breakthrough treatments and reduce its beneficiaries' access to lifesaving medicines. The GOP plan would set a dollar amount for each person in Medicaid and states would have more flexibility to decide program eligibility and the care covered. Republicans argue this will help make the program fiscally sustainable. Opponents claim the strategy would hinder Medicaid’s ability to provide care.
President Trump’s Travel Ban Could Impact Science and Healthcare Progress
Protests broke out at airports across the United States as President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning people form 7 countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. The ban could exacerbate the doctor shortage in the United States and subsequently reduce access to care for Americans, reported Forbes. There are 260 people from the 7 countries who have applied for medical residency, and they could potentially see 3000 patients each. Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported that nearly 20% of America’s scientific community is immigrants. Nearly 5000 academics have called the ban “fatally disruptive” and detrimental to the interest of the United States.
Merck Provides a Closer Look at Its Drug Pricing
Amid increasing scrutiny and widespread criticism regarding pharmaceutical pricing, Merck has decided to voluntarily offer more information about its pricing practices, according to The Wall Street Journal. The data released showed the average increase for Merck’s brand name drugs peaked at 10.5% in 2014, with list prices rising an average of 9.6% in 2015. The information does not include price increases for individual products. The company plans to release figures every January from now on. Johnson & Johnson has announced it will be the next company to release details about drug price increases.
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.
Listen
Study Validates Smartphone Analysis for Predicting Obstructive Sleep Apnea
November 29th 2023Findings show breathing sounds recorded by smartphones during sleep at home can reliably identify obstructive sleep apnea, presenting an innovative and accessible alternative to traditional in-laboratory polysomnography.
Read More
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.
Listen