A roundup of top healthcare news stories: January 27, 2017.
Requests for Orphan Drug Designations Rise Sharply
The number of requests from pharmaceutical companies for an orphan drug designation from the FDA rose 23% from 2015 to 2016. According to STAT, with orphan drugs meant for small populations, drug makers can charge higher prices and insurers won’t fight the high costs too much. The orphan drug designation was created to incentivize drug makers to create medicines for rare diseases, but there has been recent concern that the companies are distorting the Orphan Drug Act’s original purpose with some drugs being submitted actually intended to be used more broadly.
Trump Cancels Obamacare Ads While GOP Struggles With a Replacement
Annual open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) ends on January 31, but the Trump administration has pulled advertisements encouraging people to sign up for coverage, reported The New York Times. With President Donald Trump and Republicans set on repealing the law, the administration is looking to save money by not promoting a healthcare law that might not exist in a few months. Meanwhile, the GOP is meeting in Philadelphia for a retreat. According to Kaiser Health News, Republicans are having trouble agreeing on how to repeal and replace the ACA. One strategy may be to makes changes to the law instead of a single replacement.
Former HHS Secretary to Lead American University
Sylvia Mathews Burwell has already found a new job after leaving her post as secretary of HHS under the Obama administration. Burwell has been named the next president of American University, and she will assume responsibilities on June 1, 2017, according to a press release from the university. During her tenure at HHS, Burwell oversaw the implementation of the ACA, and led efforts to combat Ebola and Zika virus outbreaks.
Real-World Study Reveals Key Insights into DLBCL Treatment Patterns, Outcomes
April 18th 2024A recent study offers valuable insights into the characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in patients across different lines of therapy, providing a look into the landscape of DLBCL management.
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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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Collecting SDOH Data Can Assess Risk of Medical Nonadherence, Improve HEI and Star Ratings
April 18th 2024At the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2024 annual meeting, a panel of presenters explored changes coming to Medicare that incorporate social determinants of health (SDOH) data to improve patient and health system outcomes.
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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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Commonwealth Fund Report Details Pervasive Racial and Ethnic Disparities in US Health Care, Outcomes
April 18th 2024Using 25 health system performance indicators, the Commonwealth Fund 2024 State Health Disparities Report evaluated racial and ethnic disparities in health care and health outcomes both within and across US states and highlighted the urgent need for equitable health care policies and practices in the US.
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