Democrats Ramping Up Opposition To Mehmet Oz For CMS Administrator
Democrats are beginning to ramp up efforts in opposition to Mehmet Oz as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Democrats question the numerous investments he holds, including in UnitedHealth Group. As well, they question his previous endorsement of Medicare Advantage for All, which would enroll those currently covered by private insurance, all Medicare beneficiaries, and the uninsured in Medicare Advantage (MA). Oz now says he favors expansion of MA not a radical healthcare transformation.
Additional articles: https://insidehealthpolicy.com/daily-news/senate-democrats-scrutinize-oz-s-ma-all-proposal-insurance-ties and https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5032680-warren-democrats-oz-medicare-privatization/
(Some articles may require a subscription.)
#medicareadvantage #medicare #oz #trump
Ailing Walgreens May Go Private
Walgreens is weighing a potential sale to a private equity firm. The ailing drug store chain may sell to Sycamore Partners. The Wall Street Journal says the deal could come together early next year.
Additional article: https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/retail/walgreens-talks-sale-pe-firm-wsj
(Article may require a subscription.)
#walgreens #healthcare
https://www.modernhealthcare.com/providers/walgreens-private-equity-sycamore-partners-wsj
Health Plan Leader Compensation
Fierce Healthcare covers the 2023 compensation of major health plan leaders. The compensation ranges from $18.6 to $23.5 million for the top five earners.
#healthplans #healthcare
Makary Once Advocated For Reform Of Drug Pricing
More evidence that Dr. Marty Makary would be a good head of the Food and Drug Administration. Makary would be a science-based leader but also have some compassion for those struggling with high drug prices. In a paper, Makary proposed a major overhaul of the Orphan Drug Act to ensure companies did not make disproportionate profits by taking advantage of benefits meant for drugs with truly small patient populations. He and other authors argued the act allowed drug makers to maneuver many drugs into qualifying for the status. They proposed a number of reforms.
(Article may require a subscription.)
#branddrugmakers #drugpricing #fda
Gold Cards May Not Be Working As Intended
This MedPage Today article covers the fact that so-called gold-card prior authorization reform laws may not be playing out as intended. In Texas, it has been hard to qualify for the 90% approval threshold given the granularity of CPT codes.
#priorauthorization #goldcardlaws #healthplans #providers
https://www.medpagetoday.com/practicemanagement/practicemanagement/113331
Portugal Has Much Better Outcomes And Spends A Fraction Of the U.S.
Interesting article in STAT on Portugal’s success in driving health outcomes at a fraction of the cost of the United States. Portugal has a life expectancy nearly four years longer than the U.S. despite spending 20% of what the U.S. does on healthcare per person. Portugal ranked third out of 195 countries in providing access to affordable healthcare. The United States ranked 183rd.
Not all is perfect in Portugal, but it does emphasize primary care in its system.
#primarycare #healthcare #healthcarereform
— Marc S. Ryan
