Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the subject of a new report published by the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability (Oversight Committee), found the entities behave anticompetitively in order to push drug costs up for patients. The report was released prior to a contentious committee hearing with the three largest PBMs.
The...
Last week the federal government began its initial pitch during its month-long negotiations with Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Bristol Myers, Squibb, Pfizer and other drug makers regarding how much Medicare is willing to pay for 10 costly cancer, diabetes and heart disease drugs.
The U.S. government gained authority to negotiate the...
On Tuesday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of the Actuary posted projections for national health expenditures (NHE) through 2031. The report projects health spending will represent 20% of the U.S. economy and spending will surpass $7 trillion annually by 2031.
The CMS release states that the NHE and health...National News
This initial program guidance details the requirements and procedures for implementing the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program in 2026, the first year negotiated prices will apply.
The guidance is one of a number of steps CMS laid out in the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program timeline for the first year of negotiation. The...Arizona News
The healthcare worker shortage and inflation concerns will compress margins for non-profit hospitals and health systems for the rest of the year, according to the Fitch Ratings Sector Outlook for mid-2022.
The Fitch Ratings report described the non-profit health sector as "deteriorating," which is a downgrade from the "neutral"...
On Monday, the American Hospital Association (AHA) released a report on the new costs incurred on hospitals and health systems, including the effects of workforce shortages, the COVID-19 pandemic, and economic inflation. The report demonstrates a struggle within the American healthcare system to absorb rising costs, even with the relief...
President Joe Biden gave a public address to Congress last Wednesday and highlighted a number of items in his healthcare agenda, including the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and drug prices. The Biden administration has also signaled that it intends to begin work on banning menthol cigarettes.
One major highlight of the president's speech...Arizona News
Sen. McSally has drawn fire since her race for Senate in 2018 in which she was challenged on her interest in protecting patients and consumers from industry costs.
Since McSally's appointment early last year, the Senator has been looking out for ways to improve her reputation with Arizona’s seniors before her upcoming challenge...White Papers, E books, Reports and more
Agency researchers reported that drug shortages are increasing across the country and hospitals are rationing lifesaving treatments and identified three root causes and solutions for drug shortages.
The New York Times summed up the report's findings,
Chronic drug shortages that threaten patient care are caused by rock-bottom...CMS Rules
After the publication of the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) on Friday, the Trump Administration is holding off on a controversial transparency rule that would require hospitals to publicly post all privately negotiated payer rates. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has promised to issue a "forthcoming...National News
The Trump administration has raised the volume on drug prices but while the court said it can't force manufactures to list their prices, Trump is expected to pen an executive order to tie Medicare drug prices to those of other countries.
Following the Fourth of July festivities, President Trump said he would be announcing something...National News
Drug manufacturers often give insurance companies discounts on prescription drugs, but what happens to the savings has not been clear.
Beginning in 2019, Aetna will automatically apply these rebates at the time of sale for its commercial fully insured plan members.
The change will mostly benefit those with high-deductible health...
U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released findings from a years-long effort to investigate dramatic prescription drug price increases.
Can you imagine if you went to an auto dealership and last year’s exact model was being sold at a 20 percent...