About the public’s health
A few updates regarding COVID-19:
Meet the health experts on Mike Pence's coronavirus dream team
Payers, providers: HHS' interoperability timelines not realistic with coronavirus
Global Deaths From Coronavirus Surpass 6,000
Government official: Coronavirus vaccine trial starts Monday
US: Immigrants can seek coronavirus care without fear: “The U.S. government says a new rule disqualifying more people from green cards if they use government benefits will not apply to immigrants with coronavirus or virus symptoms if they seek care.”
The V.A. Prepares to Back Up a Health Care System Threatened by Coronavirus: “The Department of Veterans Affairs, legally designated as the backup health care system in national emergencies, is preparing to absorb the overflow of coronavirus patients from private hospitals if — or when — they become strained to the breaking point.”
About pharma
The 10 most expensive drugs in the US: Zolgensma (Novartis) tops the list at $2,125,000 annual cost.
About health insurance
The Price and Spending Impacts of Limits on Payments to Hospitals for Out-of-Network Care: This research from the RAND Corporation found that:
“The strictest out-of-network payment limit considered, 125 percent of Medicare payments, would yield an annual reduction of $108 billion to $124 billion in nationwide hospital spending—comparable to estimated cost savings under Medicare for All.
A loose limit, such as 80 percent of state average charges, is estimated to increase hospital spending by $13 billion or decrease spending by $7 billion, depending on the assumptions of the estimation approach used.”
US Health Care Spending by Payer and Health Condition, 1996-2016: here are the summary findings:
”From 1996 to 2016, total health care spending increased from an estimated $1.4 trillion to an estimated $3.1 trillion. In 2016, private insurance accounted for 48.0% (95% CI, 48.0%-48.0%) of health care spending, public insurance for 42.6% (95% CI, 42.5%-42.6%) of health care spending, and out-of-pocket payments for 9.4% (95% CI, 9.4%-9.4%) of health care spending. After adjusting for population size and aging, the annualized spending growth rate was 2.6% (95% CI, 2.6%-2.6%) for private insurance, 2.9% (95% CI, 2.9%-2.9%) for public insurance, and 1.1% (95% CI, 1.0%-1.1%) for out-of-pocket payments.”
The full issue is by subscription but worth trying to get a copy for the detail.