Experts: CMS Move to Cut Insulin Costs Has Limits
Recently, CMS unveiled a new program to reduce Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket costs for insulin (RDB 3/12/20, p. 8). The voluntary model aims to lower the cost of a 30-day supply to “no more than $35” a...
News Briefs
✦ President Donald Trump’s statements touting chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as promising treatments for the new coronavirus has triggered hoarding of the drug and subsequent shortages, the New York Times re...
Coronavirus Hasn’t Hurt Drug Supply, but That Could Change
Industry experts say the COVID-19 outbreak is unlikely to limit U.S. drug supplies in the short or middle term. However, they tell AIS Health that increased demand for longer-duration stocks of medication from self-...
Plan Impact Is Unclear in New Call for Hepatitis C Screening
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has expanded its screening recommendation for hepatitis C virus (HCV), calling for all asymptomatic adults ages 18 through 79, including pregnant women, to be tested ...
With PBM Investment, Costco Makes Foray Into Health Care
On March 3, St. Louis, Mo.-based integrated health system SSM Health revealed that Costco Wholesale Corp. purchased a minority stake in Navitus Health Solutions, the health system’s PBM that includes specialty pha...
Proposed Rule Reignites Fight Over Copay Accumulators
Health insurers are praising a provision in a recently proposed regulation that gives commercial plans greater leeway to run so-called copay accumulator programs, which prevent drug manufacturer coupons from countin...
CVS Health Offers Genomic Testing for More Precise Care
Targeted therapies have made tremendous progress in oncology, with some products essentially rendering certain cancers chronic conditions. According to the National Cancer Institute, the FDA has approved hundreds of...
Switching to Immediate-Release Drugs May Save Billions
The Medicare Part D and Medicaid programs could save a significant amount of money if more patients took immediate-release (IR) medications that require two doses per day instead of extended-release (ER) versions th...
News Briefs
✦ CMS on March 11 rolled out a voluntary model that would set out-of-pocket costs for insulin at a maximum $35 copayment per 30-day supply throughout the benefit year for beneficiaries in participating enhanced Pa...
Providers Protest Tenn. Blues’ New White Bagging Policy
An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that the program initially was to start Jan. 1 but that the insurer pushed it back to July 1. The program launched Jan. 1, with a six-month transition period ending ...