What we're reading, April 28, 2016: Valeant officials express remorse over price hikes of heart drugs; Paul Ryan proposes placing consumers with serious medical conditions in high-risk pools; and a British medical organization is urging smokers to switch to e-cigarettes.
Faced with unhappy lawmakers, Valeant Pharmaceuticals could reduce the prices of 2 heart drugs that the company previously marked up. According to STAT, the drug maker’s board could meet to discuss reducing the prices of Isuprel and Nitrpres by 30%. Unlike when former Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli appeared unrepentant on Capitol Hill, Valeant board member Bill Ackerman, outgoing CEO Michael Pearson, and former executive Howard Schiller express contrition for the raising prices to aggressively.
Paul Ryan has called for consumers with serious medical conditions to be placed in high-risk pools. The US House of Representatives Speaker said protections for very sick individuals under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has raised costs for healthy consumers and he suggested that putting individuals with health issues into high-risk pools would open up competition and increase choice for everyone, according to Reuters. This proposal may be part of a Republican alternative to the ACA.
While American public health officials remain concerned about the use of e-cigarettes, a major British medical organization is urging smokers to make the switch to e-cigarettes. The Royal College of Physicians summarized a growing body of evidence that found the benefits e-cigarettes far outweigh the potential harms, reported The New York Times. The report found that e-cigarette devices are helping people more than harming them.
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.
Read More
Overcoming Employment Barriers for Lasting Social Impact: Freedom House 2.0 and Pathways to Work
April 16th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are bringing you a special month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our second episode, in which we learn all about Freedom House 2.0 and the Pathways to Work program.
Listen
Making Giant Strides in Maternity Health Through Baby Steps
April 9th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are kicking off a special month-long podcast series with our strategic alliance partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our first episode, which is all about the Baby Steps Maternity Program and its mission to support women throughout every step of their pregnancy journey.
Listen
Study Links COVID-19 Pandemic to Rise in Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Ovarian Cancer in US
April 17th 2024There was greater use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy among US patients with ovarian cancer (OC) during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce potential COVID-19 exposure and cancer treatment-related complications.
Read More
Beyond Insulin: The Impact of Next-Generation Diabetes Technology
April 17th 2024Experts explain how new diabetes technologies like continuous glucose monitors are transforming care beyond intensive insulin therapy, offering personalized insights and improving outcomes for patients of all treatment levels.
Read More