
What We're Reading: Medicare Advantage Enrollment Up 50% Against Expectations
What we're reading, February 15, 2016: despite cuts to the program, enrollment in Medicare Advantage is up 50% over 5 years; orphan drug designations from the FDA up 22% in 2015; and Zika virus infections on the rise in Puerto Rico.
Despite payment cuts to Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, enrollment has increased by more than 50% over the last 5 years. Initially, the Congressional Budget Office had predicted that cuts to MA plans, which were used to help offset the Affordable Care Act, would cause enrollment to fall 30%,
In 2015, the FDA increased its orphan drug designations by 22%. From the 472 requests for orphan drug designation, FDA awarded the designation to 354 medicines.
There has been a sharp increase in Zika virus infections in Puerto Rico, according to the CDC. The nearly 30 cases confirmed at the end of January included a pregnant women and a patient hospitalized with a potentially paralyzing condition that can sometimes follow Zika infection,
Newsletter
Stay ahead of policy, cost, and value—subscribe to AJMC for expert insights at the intersection of clinical care and health economics.