About pharma
CMS proposed rule aims to foster more Medicaid value-based drug agreements: CMS recognized that the Medicaid requirement for lowest supplier prices has hampered value-based pricing by other payers. This final rule gives states more flexibility for those plans to enter into value-based purchasing agreements with drugmakers based on their product’s performance. “The rule also creates minimum standards for Medicaid drug utilization programs intended to combat opioid fraud and misuse.
CMS also revised how a drugmaker must calculate the average manufacturer price of a brand-name drug that has an authorized generic.”
.WHO cuts hydroxychloroquine from COVID-19 trial again, citing lack of efficacy: “The World Health Organization (WHO) said Wednesday that the ongoing Solidarity Trial, which compares potential treatments for COVID-19, is no longer including the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine. According to Ana Maria Henao Restrepo, medical officer at the WHO's department of immunisation vaccines and biologicals, evidence from both internal and external studies ‘suggest that hydroxychloroquine, when compared with the standard of care in treatment of hospitalised COVID-19 patients, does not result in the reduction of mortality of those patients.’”
WHO: New treatment only meant for severe COVID-19 cases: “The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday said a common drug shown to be effective in treating COVID-19 is meant for use only among those who are suffering the most severe symptoms of the disease, not those who have milder cases.
Scientists at the University of Oxford said Tuesday that their studies had showed dexamethasone was effective in reducing the mortality rate of severely ill patients. The study is the first to show that an already available drug is effective in reducing death rates among COVID-19 patients.”
About the public’s health
Supreme Court stops Trump from canceling DACA program: The relevant issue is the large number of DACA professionals working in healthcare. “The justices, voting 5-4 on the central issues, said the Trump administration didn’t give an adequate justification for rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. DACA, as it’s known, protects people who were brought into the country illegally as children.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the court’s opinion, joining the liberal justices in saying the rescission of DACA was ‘arbitrary and capricious’ in violation of a federal law that governs administrative agencies.”
Hidden in Plain Sight — Reconsidering the Use of Race Correction in Clinical Algorithms: “Our understanding of race has advanced considerably in the past two decades. The clinical tools we use daily should reflect these new insights to remain scientifically rigorous. Equally important is the project of making medicine a more antiracist field. This involves revisiting how clinicians conceptualize race to begin with. One step in this process is reconsidering race correction in order to ensure that our clinical practices do not perpetuate the very inequities we aim to repair.” The article is an excellent review of specific algorithm adjustments that consider race (look at the Table).
Humana: 'Healthy days' up across all Medicare Advantage markets for first time: Finally some good news (although, a bit dated in view of the past few months). “Humana saw the number of “healthy days” increase across all its Medicare Advantage (MA) markets last year, according to new data released by the insurer.
This marks the first time Humana’s seen such a result since it began tracking the metric as part of its Bold Goal initiative in 2015. Overall, Humana’s MA members saw 816,000 more healthy days than they would have without the program, according to the report.
’Healthy days’ is a population health metric developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that measures quality of life. Members are surveyed on their physical and behavioral health to track their quality of life long-term.”
Chicago has a unique COVID strain: research: “In addition to the strain from China, researchers found what appears to be the most the predominant version of the virus in the New York area and globally, the statement says. That version generates more of the virus in the upper airways than the one that’s unique to Chicago.” Differences will help clinicians understand the different ways the disease manifests itself and how to target a vaccine that covers different forms.
About health insurance
Direct Contracting Model Options: CMS announced it is accepting letters of intent for its direct contracting model, which will start in April, 2021. This CMS page provides a description of the three types of direct contracting and other program details.