New Opioid Bill Adds Requirements for Doctors
The Senate Health and Human Services committee has approved a bill that requires physicians to use the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). According to The Washington Times, the proposal squeezed by in a tight vote and will now go to the full Senate for a vote. The bill aims to identify and weed out physicians who overprescribe opioids and to prevent consumers from doctor shopping to gain access to opioids. Pharmacists have been required to participate in the PDMP for years, although enrollment for physicians had been voluntary.
12.2 Million People Sign Up for ACA Plans
Despite uncertainty surrounding the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Trump administration’s decision to cancel last-minute ads, more than 12.2 million people signed up for coverage under the ACA. However, initial enrollment is still about 4% lower than last year. Nearly two-thirds of those who enrolled live in states that President Donald Trump carried. In Minnesota, a record number of people signed up through the state’s exchange. Although Minnesota had some of the sharpest premium increases for 2017, the state tapped a rainy day fund to help offset those rising premiums for people who weren’t eligible for federal subsidies.
Federal Government Ordered to Fund Risk Corridors
A Court of Federal Appeals has ruled in favor of an Oregon insurer, who sued the United States to recover money it was owed under the risk corridor program. The program protects insurers from excessive losses on the ACA exchanges. In a post for the Incidental Economist, Nicholas Bagley, JD, wrote that the ruling was the right one and that the court’s reasoning means every insurer can sue to recover risk corridor money. The government already owes $8.3 billion and the total liability could get close to $15 billion.
Brodalumab Is Effective, Safe in Patients With Moderate to Severe Psoriasis
March 18th 2024Posters presented at the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting demonstrated both short- and long-term efficacy and safety profiles of brodalumab in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.
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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.
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AstraZeneca joins efforts to address high drug prices by capping out-of-pocket costs for its inhalers; Opill, the first OTC birth control pill, is now accessible through online sales; expansion prompts questions on the effectiveness and regulation of remote monitoring technology.
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Drs Raymond Thertulien, Joseph Mikhael on Racial Disparities in Multiple Myeloma Care Access
December 28th 2023In the wake of the 2023 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition, Raymond Thertulien, MD, PhD, of Novant Health, and Joseph Mikhael, MD, MEd, FRCPC, FACP, chief medical officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, discussed health equity research highlights from the meeting and drivers of racial disparities in multiple myeloma outcomes.
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Health Equity and Access Weekly Roundup: March 16, 2024
March 16th 2024This week, the Center on Health Equity and Access highlighted expert opinions on a mental health paradigm shift in the workplace, the impact health care algorithms can have on patient outcomes, and social factors linked with hidradenitis suppurativa severity, in addition to addressing the health needs of justice-involved populations.
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