About pharma
AHA urges Express Scripts to rescind 340B claims reporting policy: “The American Hospital Association (AHA) wants Express Scripts to rescind a policy that would require contract pharmacies to apply a unique code for claims under the 340B drug discount program…
In a letter to the PBM sent Tuesday, the AHA argues that because the 340B program has stringent government oversight, the policy ‘raises significant questions about Express Scripts' true motivations.’
The organization added that compliance with the policy could add to the burden on providers already struggling as a result of COVID-19. Complying with the requirement requires significant investment in system upgrades and staff, the AHA said.”
Anthem joins generic drug initiative Civica Rx: “Civica Rx, a nonprofit organization created in 2018 to address the problem of chronic drug shortages, said June 16 that Anthem will join the CivicaScript unit as a new health insurance partner. Anthem joins CivicaScript's insurance co-founders: the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and 17 independent BCBS companies.”
HHS proposes nixing rule affecting insulin and EpiPen discounts for community health centers: “The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed rescinding a Trump-era rule that required community health centers to fully pass along discounts they received from the 340B drug program for insulin and EpiPens.
HHS said in a notice that the rule finalized by the Trump administration in December 2020 created too much of an administrative burden on community health centers. Back in March, the agency had delayed implementation of the rule until July.”
This action is a bit of a puzzle. Usually Democrats favor lowering drug costs by such methods and are not concerned with bureaucratic expenses.
About health insurance
MedPAC: Part D spending grew 26% from 2013 to 2018 thanks to higher launch prices: “The analysis was part of a report from MedPAC sent to Congress on Tuesday. The analysis found that while Part D spending increased, spending on services covered under the physician fee schedule remained flat…
MedPAC found a wide variation in the per capita drug use from 2013 to 2018.
‘Growth in per capita drug use during this period ranged from -22% in the Kansas portion of the St. Joseph, Missouri-Kansas geographic area, to 40% in the El Centro California, geographic area,’ the report found.
While spending on Part D rose in the five-year period, MedPAC found a slight decline in the use of clinician services in Parts A and B.”
And in a related article about this annual MedPAC Report: MedPAC to Medicare: Cut Down on Those Alternative Payment Models: “The strategy of implementing a plethora of models over the last decade has given the agency an opportunity to build up the evidence base about what works and what does not. While this strategy has yielded valuable information, the commission contends that continuing to test a large number of independent APMs is likely to inhibit the ability of APMs to reach their full potential. We therefore recommend that CMS now take a more holistic approach that involves implementing a smaller, more harmonized portfolio of APMs."
MedPAC's 6 latest spending recommendations to Congress: A quick overview of other MedPAC recommendations. Remember, MedPAC is a strictly advisory body; Congress is not obligated to follow recommendations.
Tufts-Harvard Pilgrim name combined company: “Point32Health is the name of a new health insurance organization formed by the merger of Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.
The name was inspired by the 32 points on a compass.”
UnitedHealth: $320B could be saved in next decade by reducing ED visits: “Treating common conditions, including bronchitis and the flu, in primary care settings instead of emergency rooms could save health systems up to $320 billion over the next 10 years, according to UnitedHealth Group's 2020 Sustainability Report.
Two-thirds of visits to hospital emergency departments by patients with private insurance are avoidable, the report said.”
Medical-Debt Charity to Buy, Wipe Out $278 Million of Patients’ Hospital Bills: “RIP Medical Debt, which uses donations to wipe out unpaid medical bills, has reached a deal with nonprofit Ballad Health, a dominant hospital system in Tennessee and Virginia, to buy debt owed by 82,000 low-income patients. Many likely qualified for free care under Ballad’s policy but didn’t get it, executives at Ballad involved in the agreement said. The patients lacked applications, they said.”
About the public’s health
Association Between Childhood Consumption of Ultraprocessed Food and Adiposity Trajectories in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children Birth Cohort: News Flash: Children who eat junk food get fat! So glad resources were spent on this study as opposed to helpful interventions. And here is another similar one: Association of a Sweetened Beverage Tax With Purchases of Beverages and High-Sugar Foods at Independent Stores in Philadelphia: While the specifics may be new, the findings are very old: Increase taxes (on sugared drinks, tobacco products, etc.) and use will go down. The only place such action does not work is for luxury items (think: gas guzzler tax for your Ferrari).
Fluorinated Compounds in North American Cosmetics: “These compounds are precursors to PFCAs [per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances] are known to be harmful. The ingredient lists of most products tested did not disclose the presence of fluorinated compounds exposing a gap in U.S. and Canadian labeling laws. The manufacture, use, and disposal of cosmetics containing PFAS are all potential opportunities for health and ecosystem harm. Given their direct exposure routes into people, better regulation is needed to limit the widespread use of PFAS in cosmetics.”
In a popular press article related to the research: More Than Half of Cosmetics Used in U.S. and Canada Contain Cancerous Chemicals, Study Shows According to the Washington Post, on Tuesday, Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) plan to introduce a new bill titled the No PFAS in Cosmetics Act.
59% OF U.S. ADULTS SAY HEALTH CARE SYSTEM DISCRIMINATES AT LEAST “SOMEWHAT,” NEGATIVELY AFFECTING TRUST: The study, conducted by NORC, is part of the Building Trust initiative of the American Board of Internal Medicine. Among the findings: “Fifty-nine percent (59%) of adult consumers say the health care system discriminates at least “somewhat,” with 49% of physicians agreeing.
About one in every eight adults (12%) say they have been discriminated against by a U.S. health care facility or office, with Black individuals being twice as likely to experience discrimination in a health care facility compared to white counterparts.”
About Covid-19
CureVac, the latest experimental coronavirus vaccine, proved just 47 percent effective amid spread of variants, preliminary analysis shows: This result highlights why you need to do the field research. “A closely watched coronavirus vaccine invented by the German company CureVac was just 47 percent effective in a large trial at its interim analysis, a disappointing result that may highlight the challenge posed by virus variants.
The results of the 40,000-person trial, announced by news release Wednesday, mark a setback for a promising vaccine based on messenger RNA technology, the same approach at the core of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines authorized late last year for use in the United States.”
Novavax to File for Emergency Use for COVID-19 Vaccine: ”Novavax said it plans to file for FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of its two-dose COVID-19 vaccine in the third quarter.”
American COVID-19 Vaccine Poll: “The American COVID-19 Vaccine Poll is a partnership between the African American Research Collaborative and The Commonwealth Fund. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supported an expansion of the poll in the Native American community and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation supported expansion in New Mexico.
We surveyed over 12,000 Americans to better understand their access to and opinions about the vaccines, as well as messages and messengers that encourage different groups to get vaccinated.”
This really interesting, interactive site also includes most effective messages/messengers for those reluctant to get vaccinated. Example: Most effective message overall for the unvaccinated: “Getting a COVID-19 vaccine can protect the lives of my family, friends, and those I love.” 43.5% effective.
Most U.S. employers will not require workers to be vaccinated before entering the workplace: “As U.S. employers continue their efforts to encourage workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine, most (72%) will not require or do not plan to require vaccination before entering the workplace, according to a new survey by Willis Towers Watson... Among employers requiring or considering requiring vaccination, more than half (56%) will require documented proof of vaccination. Nearly one in five (19%) will require or consider requiring vaccinations for certain workplace privileges such as indoor gyms and cafeterias.”
Amazon kicks off new role as diagnostics provider by making COVID test available online: ”Using a proprietary COVID-19 test first developed to screen its own workers during the pandemic, Amazon has now made its at-home sample collection kit available to the public online.
The kit can be purchased without a prescription by anyone 18 years and older, retails for $39.99 and can be delivered in one day in some areas.
Each comes with a nose swab and collection tube, as well as a specimen bag and a prepaid shipping label to ship the sample back to one of Amazon’s labs around the country.”