Demands for government action grow amid mounting pressures on health care; Opill offers convenient access to contraception without a prescription; the White House announces progress as drugmakers submit counteroffers for Medicare’s drug price negotiation program.
Health Care Providers Call on Federal Intervention to Address Cyber Outages
UnitedHealth Group's handling of the ransomware attack on its subsidiary, Change Healthcare, has drawn sharp criticism from health care providers, prompting calls for urgent government intervention, according to Axios. With payment systems paralyzed, hospitals and medical associations have warned of dangerous cash shortages, demanding immediate action from the Biden administration to alleviate the crisis. As pressure mounts on UnitedHealth Group to address the fallout, stakeholders are urging HHS to step in as well.
Birth Control Pill Opill Set to Hit US Stores This Month
Perrigo has announced the soon-to-be availability of Opill, the first over-the-counter birth control pill in the US, according to The Associated Press. With no age restrictions and priced affordably at $20 for a on1e-month supply, Opill will offer a convenient alternative amid ongoing legal battles over reproductive health rights. The launch marks a significant milestone in expanding access to birth control options and comes during a period of broader debate surrounding reproductive rights in the US.
Drug Manufacturers Engage in Medicare Price Negotiations Despite Legal Challenges
President Biden has confirmed that all manufacturers involved in the federal government's Medicare price negotiation program have submitted counteroffers, marking a significant milestone in efforts to lower prescription drug costs, according to The Hill. Despite legal battles from the pharmaceutical industry, negotiations continue for the first 10 selected drugs, with talks set to conclude on August 1. The development underscores ongoing efforts to address rising health care expenses and provide older Americans with more affordable medication options.
Study Highlights Significant Increases in Utilization, Spending on DMD Drugs in Medicaid
May 17th 2024The findings add to recent research on the growing utilization, expenditure, and prices of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) therapies in the current landscape, an area health care policy could potentially address.
Read More
Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity: Urban Health Outreach
May 9th 2024In the series debut episode of "Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity," Mary Sligh, CRNP, and Chelsea Chappars, of Allegheny Health Network, explain how the Urban Health Outreach program aims to improve health equity for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Listen
Perioperative Nivolumab Boosts NSCLC Survival: CheckMate 77T Trial
May 16th 2024This interim analysis of the CheckMate 77T trial, outcomes were compared between adult patients receiving neoadjuvant nivolumab plus chemotherapy or neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus placebo for resectable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Read More