FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD discussed the agency's role in tackling drug prices in an interview; President Trump is considering firing the head of the VA; measuring the extent of the opioid crisis with available data is more difficult than it seems.
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, is the public face of the Trump administration’s effort to lower the cost of prescription drugs. In an interview with The Hill, he said getting involved in the drug pricing debate is part of the agency’s mission. Separately, former congressman Henry Waxman spoke with Stat News about his thoughts regarding drug prices. President Trump is considering firing David Shulkin, MD, the secretary of veterans affairs, in favor of Energy Secretary Rick Perry, according to The New York Times. The dispute stems from a struggle over the extent of privatization efforts at the VA, the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States, providing care at 1243 healthcare facilities to over 9 million veterans. Perry has no healthcare experience.An editor at ProPublica described his efforts to compile data on opioid prescribing, overdoses, deaths, and treatment options, but found the task more difficult than he expected. Making conclusions was difficult since data were out of date, hard to find, and/or contradicted other data, the report said.
Exploring Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization Variations
March 26th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the March 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on variations in prior authorization use across Medicare Advantage plans.
Listen
Navigating Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in National Health Plans
February 13th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the February 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on how health plans can screen for health literacy, social determinants of health, and perceived health care discrimination.
Listen
Homelessness Compounds Hospital Stay Challenges: Study Reveals Prolonged Discharge Struggles
March 28th 2024In this investigation, outcomes of interest were morbidity rate and length of hospital stay or a traumatic injury among a homeless population, and whether age and/or injury severity had an influence on that relationship—with implications for improving the discharge process for these patients.
Read More
FDA Approves Vadadustat for Anemia in Patients With CKD Undergoing Dialysis
March 28th 2024The FDA approved vadadustat (Vafseo), an oral medication, to treat anemia in adult patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis for at least 3 months. This fills a need for a new treatment option as anemia is common in these patients and can significantly impact their quality of life.
Read More