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What We're Reading: J&J to Show Drug Prices; SCOTUS Blocks Abortion Law; Democrats' Medicare Bill
Johnson & Johnson will become the first drug maker to begin showing the list price of its prescription drugs in television ads; in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court blocked a Louisiana law that required doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals; Democrats unveiled a bill to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices.
J&J to Start Listing Drug Prices in TV Ads, Starting With Xarelto
Johnson & Johnson will become the first drug maker to begin showing the list price of its prescription drugs in television ads, the Associated Press reported. The first drug it will start with is its blood thinner Xarelto. By late March, commercials will give the pill’s list price plus typical out-of-pocket costs.
High Court Blocks Louisiana Abortion Law
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court blocked a Louisiana law that required doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, The New York Times reported. Opponents of the law said it could have left the state with just 1 doctor authorized to provide abortions. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr joined the court’s 4-member liberal wing.
Democrats Unveil Bill Requiring Medicare to Negotiate Drug Prices
Led by Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who is considering a presidential run, Democrats unveiled a bill to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices, a key part of their agenda to lower pharmaceutical costs. Joined by Representative Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, Brown said he hoped that President Trump would listen to “candidate Trump,” referring to when Trump said during his campaign that he supported the idea, before reversing his position. The bill has long odds of passage, The Hill noted.
Prices for care at hospital trauma centers vary across hospitals; drug shortages reached a record high during the first quarter of 2024; although 3 of the biggest makers of asthma inhalers pledged to cap out-of-pocket costs for some US patients at $35, these do not apply to daily inhalers used by the youngest kids with asthma.
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Navigating Health Policy in an Election Year: Insights From Dr Dennis Scanlon
April 2nd 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with Dennis Scanlon, PhD, the editor in chief of The American Journal of Accountable Care®, about prior authorization, price transparency, the impact of health policy on the upcoming election, and more.
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The Biden administration recently launched the Global Health Security Strategy, a new effort to combat the spread of infectious diseases; lawmakers zeroed in on the risks of massive consolidation in health care during the first congressional hearing on the Change Healthcare hack; the FDA recently announced the recall of a pair of heart devices linked to numerous deaths and injuries.
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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.
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