What We're Reading: Law Implementing Late Fees in Missouri Medicaid in Limbo

A controversial law in Missouri that would charge Medicaid recipients late fees for missing appointments may not go into effect for a year. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri’s Republican-led Legislature overrode the Democratic governor’s veto of the measure, but the future of the law remains in limbo. The law would charge $5 for the first missed appointment and would allow $8 co-pays for Medicaid patients who seek non-emergency care in an emergency room.

Increased focus and attention on rising drug prices can bring about positive results, according to Chip Davis, president and CEO of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association. In a statement, Davis laid out policies and principles for policy makers to consider to promote access to affordable generic drugs and improve development of generics. Davis did address the few instances of generic drugs that have had large price increases and he noted that these are in the minority.

Fitness trackers may be popular, but they aren’t helping people lose weight. A study of overweight or obese young adults who were put on a diet and asked to exercise more with only half given fitness trackers found that people with the trackers lost less weight, reported NPR. There are a few explanations for the outcome, one of which being that people with the trackers may have been able to better see how much they exercised and so they thought they could eat more.