Biden On Healthcare Attack In Election 2024
President Joe Biden is attacking former President Donald Trump on his healthcare stances and indicating he wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Polling shows Biden is better trusted on healthcare and this could help him in swing areas of the country.
See my blog on this topic: https://www.healthcarelabyrinth.com/election-update-and-the-potential-role-of-healthcare-issues/ .
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#election2024 #healthcare #aca #exchanges #medicaid #obamacare
Calls For Medigap Reform
New calls for Capitol Hill to reform Medigap coverage if someone wants to rejoin the traditional fee-for-service (FFS) program. Ideas include both guaranteed issue and community rating. Researchers want this coupled with solving for overpayments and enhancing the traditional program to fill gaps in the benefit.
Additional article: https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/improving-access-medigap-beneficiaries-leave-medicare-advantage
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#medicaresupplement #medigap #medicare #medicareadvantage
https://crr.bc.edu/medigap-and-the-one-way-street-problem/
Sanders’ GLP-1 Criticism Has Injected Some Guilt Into Novo Nordisk
Demark-based Novo Nordisk said it is open to working with lawmakers to address system issues so that all Americans have access to their GLP-1 medications. This comes after ongoing attacks by Senate HELP Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-VT, for the high price of its GLP-1s Ozempic (gross price $968.52) and Wegovy (gross price $1,349.02). Novo Nordisk tried to justify the price by saying it has to rebate 40% of those gross prices, but costs are still well above costs in other developed countries.
Ozempic will generate $18 billion this year. Wegovy will generate $9 billion. The total development cost for these drugs was about $10 billion. Clearly, the U.S. healthcare system and Americans are getting ripped off.
In other news, nearly 60% of Americans who started GLP-1s between 2014 and 2023 didn’t continue long enough to see meaningful health benefits. About 30% of people stopped in the first month.
Additional article: https://www.modernhealthcare.com/insurance/weight-loss-drugs-blue-cross-blue-shield-association-ozempic-wegovy-glp-1s
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#weightlossdrugs #branddrugmakers #drugpricing
Illinois Passes Prior Authorization Reforms
Continuing a trend, Illinois passed various prior authorization reforms on products governed by state insurance laws.
#priorauthorization #healthcare #healthplans
https://www.beckerspayer.com/policy-updates/illinois-passes-prior-authorization-reform-bill.html
— Marc S. Ryan
