Senator Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, is working with Democratic colleagues Michael Bennet of Colorado and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire to introduce a bill this month to stop patients from getting surprise medical bills; the FDA warned a major Canadian drug distributor, CanaRx to stop selling unapproved and mislabeled medicines to Americans looking to save money on prescriptions; Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives are trying to keep the chamber united behind narrower proposals aimed at strengthening the Affordable Care Act and lowering drug prices in the wake of the introduction of a Medicare for All bill.
Senator Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, is working with Democratic colleagues Michael Bennet of Colorado and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire to introduce a bill this month to stop patients from getting surprise medical bills, The Hill reported. Lawmakers are pushing to prevent examples like that of a Texas teacher whose story went viral last year after he got a $108,951 bill from the hospital after his heart attack because the facility was not in his insurance network.The FDA warned a major Canadian drug distributor, CanaRx to selling unapproved and mislabeled medicines to Americans looking to save money on prescriptions, The New York Times reported. CanaRx sells prescription medicines at a lower cost to hundreds of public and private employer programs in the United States.Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives are trying to keep the chamber united behind narrower proposals aimed at strengthening the Affordable Care Act and lowering drug prices in the wake of the introduction of a Medicare for All bill, which has energized the party’s progressive base. Top Democrats are trying to avoid criticizing the bill publicly, even as they express little enthusiasm, Politico reported.
Exploring Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization Variations
March 26th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the March 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on variations in prior authorization use across Medicare Advantage plans.
Listen
FDA Approves Vadadustat for Anemia in Patients With CKD Undergoing Dialysis
March 28th 2024The FDA approved vadadustat (Vafseo), an oral medication, to treat anemia in adult patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis for at least 3 months. This fills a need for a new treatment option as anemia is common in these patients and can significantly impact their quality of life.
Read More
Navigating Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in National Health Plans
February 13th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the February 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on how health plans can screen for health literacy, social determinants of health, and perceived health care discrimination.
Listen
Wearable Activity Tracker Data Enhance Patient Assessment in Lung Cancer
March 28th 2024This analysis included 119 patients with advanced lung cancer, who were evaluated on 3 facets of physical activity over 14 days of using the amuelink wearable device from Sony: metabolic equivalent tasks, distance walked, and steps taken.
Read More