What We're Reading: Bipartisan Healthcare Package; Colorado Caps Insulin Prices; FDA Authorizes Zika Diagnostic Test

Senators Reveal Bipartisan Healthcare Package

Colorado Becomes First State to Cap Insulin Price

FDA Authorizes Marketing of First Zika Diagnostic Test

Bipartisan members of the Senate Health Committee have introduced sweeping healthcare legislation that would address surprise medical bills and add transparency to the rebate system between drug companies and pharmacy benefit managers. The package includes approximately 36 different bipartisan provisions aimed at reducing healthcare prices for consumers. According to The Hill, the legislation avoids controversial issues, such as Affordable Care Act repeal, Medicare for All, and abortion funding.Colorado has become the first state to cap the price of insulin thanks to a bill signed by Governor Jared Polis, D-Colorado. Starting in January, people with diabetes in Colorado won’t have to pay more than $100 per month for their insulin. The law, which comes as insulin makers face national scrutiny for price hikes, does not limit what manufacturers can charge insurance companies. It’s expected that insurers will pay the difference, according to the Denver Post. The law also requires Attorney General Phil Weiser to investigate the price hikes of insulin in recent years.The FDA has authorized marketing of ZIKV Detect 2.0 IgM Capture ELISA, the first diagnostic test authorized to detect Zika virus in the United States. Data from a clinical trial of 807 test samples and multiple analytical studies demonstrated that the test was safe and effective at identifying immunoglobin antibodies against Zika virus in the blood. The test is only to be used in patients with clinical symptoms consistent with Zika virus infection and/or who meet the CDC’s Zika virus epidemiological criteria, such as history of residence in or travel to a region with active Zika transmission at the time of travel.