Court decision could ban abortion pill, mifepristone, nationwide; Illinois gears up to fight mental health crisis among children; CMS rejects expanded coverage for Alzheimer drug, Leqembi.
One Texas Judge Will Determine A Nationwide Abortion Pill Ban
A decision from a Texas courtroom could ban the use of a widely used abortion pill, mifepristone from pharmacies and physician’s offices nationwide, according to Kaiser Health News. This decision, which could be decided as soon as Friday, could force the FDA to remove their approval of mifepristone, which would prevent manufacturers from shipping the drug anywhere in the United States, including states where abortion is still legal, such as California, Massachusetts, Illinois, and New York.
Illinois Gov. Addresses Child Mental Health Crisis
Governor J.B. Pritzker plans to announce on Friday efforts to provide better access and treatment to address a growing mental health crisis among children in Illinois, according to The Associated Press. This announcement will mark the start of a $22.8 million dollar proposal to tackle mental illness. Pritzker expects to implement technological, practical, legislative, and other strategies by October.
CMS Rejects Unrestricted Coverage for Alzheimer Drug
CMS rejected a request by the Alzheimer’s Association for unrestricted coverage of the drug, Leqembi. According to CNBC, the Alzheimer’s Association called the decision "appalling." CMS said it rejected the expansion on the basis of needing to see more evidence demonstrating Leqembi and similar treatments to be reasonable and necessary. CMS said it would approve expanded coverage once the drug was fully approved by the FDA; the drug was approved on an expedited basis.
Enhancing Outpatient Hemophilia Care May Improve Health Outcomes and Costs
May 18th 2024Prospective data from patients attending a rural practice in West Virginia between 2016 and 2023 show that a quality improvement program that followed guideline recommendations and was tailored to specific patient needs reduced preventable bleeds and lowered costs.
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Health Equity and Access Weekly Roundup: May 18, 2024
May 18th 2024The US Senate hosted a panel addressing physician and health care shortages and efforts to increase minority representation in the medical field. An expert discussed initiatives to prevent senior homelessness. Advocates called for the repeal of the Comstock Act. Regulatory reforms are called for to improve rural cancer patients' access to pharmacies. Research reveals the impact of denials on patient access to immunology treatments.
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CMS Medicare Final Rule: Advancing Benefits, Competition, and Consumer Protection
May 7th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with Karen Iapoce, senior director of government products and programs at ZeOmega, about the recent CMS final rule on Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage.
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Covering antiobesity medications like semaglutide could save Medicare around $500 million annually; preliminary CDC data showed a 3% decline in the number of US overdose deaths last year; the Biden administration recently announced the first national maternal mental health strategy.
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Congress Urged to Repeal Comstock Act Threatening Reproductive Rights and Public Health
May 16th 2024In a joint letter addressed to Congress, Healthcare Across Borders, Take Back the Court Action Fund, and UltraViolet Action called out the resurgence of the Comstock Act, urging immediate action to repeal this century-old law that threatens reproductive rights and public health in the US.
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