About pharma
Pharmacy reimbursement often lags for generics undergoing price hikes, jeopardizing patient access: “Of more than 4,300 instances in which pharmacies saw generic drug prices rise by 50% or more over a recent two-year period, the reimbursement from health plans and pharmacy benefit kept up with the price increases only 16% of the time… The findings underscore the fact that pharmacies are sometimes getting squeezed when their costs increase, which has contributed to an ongoing number of closures among retail pharmacies around the U.S. in recent years.” Read the research here.
Novo Nordisk offers free 90-day supply of insulin amid pandemic:”Patients in the U.S. who can prove they lost their healthcare benefits because of a job termination notice or job status change are eligible. In addition, the offer will be extended past 90 days for anyone who is denied Medicaid benefits.”
DEA eases some controlled-substances rules during pandemic: “The DEA, in a letter posted last week, said that ‘due to the extraordinary circumstances arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic,’ would allow a health care organization’s existing DEA registration to apply to a satellite hospital or clinic if it meets certain conditions…”
About the public’s health
COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU): A reminder about this dynamic website. It has many new features since I first listed it.
Projecting the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 through the postpandemic period: “Absent other interventions, a key metric for the success of social distancing is whether critical care capacities are exceeded. To avoid this, prolonged or intermittent social distancing may be necessary into 2022. Additional interventions, including expanded critical care capacity and an effective therapeutic, would improve the success of intermittent distancing and hasten the acquisition of herd immunity. Longitudinal serological studies are urgently needed to determine the extent and duration of immunity to SARS-CoV-2. Even in the event of apparent elimination, SARS-CoV-2 surveillance should be maintained since a resurgence in contagion could be possible as late as 2024.”
FDA tightens enforcement on Covid-19 antibody tests: “After loosening restrictions on antibody tests, the US Food and Drug Administration has decided government scientists will review data on lab tests that claim they can detect if someone has antibodies to Covid-19…”
Trump halts US funding for World Health Organization as it conducts coronavirus review: This move will affect developing countries who are still struggling with diseases other than COVID-19. For example, Ebola is still not wiped out. Further, these other diseases could pose a risk to the US.
Three reasons why Jacinda Ardern’s coronavirus response has been a masterclass in crisis leadership: A really good article on differences in crisis leadership.
Mediterranean diet slows cognitive impairment, studies say: Another reason for healthy eating.
Work for America: Here is the site for the federal government’s plan to resume work.
About health insurance
UnitedHealthcare reports 475K drop in commercial plan membership: “…the insurance giant says it's unlikely to make up that lost ground in 2020.”