“Death Panel” Trigger Could Limit Medicare Access
Once dubbed a “death panel”, the Independent Payment Advisory Board is back in the news. The board was devised under the Affordable Care Act as a cost-cutting entity that will materialize once Medicare spending exceeds a specified growth rate.
HHS Reports Tout Value of Hepatitis C Treatment, Screening
Two new publications point to the value of treating hepatitis C – early, aggressively and alongside heightened screening efforts.
New Opioid Guidelines, Same Coverage Quandry
New pain treatment guidelines underscore a now familiar disconnect: the gap between what patients need and what their health plans will pay for.
Rare Disease Day Spotlights Need for Research
Rare Disease Day brings international attention to the plight of patients who struggle with ALS, Gaucher disease, cystic fibrosis and other less common conditions. This year’s theme is research, a challenge for any disease state but especially for conditions with small patient populations.
Why ICER’s Model Doesn’t Work for Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatments
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review has issued a draft report concluding that targeted immune modulators, such as biologic treatments, for rheumatoid arthritis are too expensive. The conclusion could embolden health plans to limit patient access.
But does ICER’s model accurately reflect the experiences of the 1.5 million Americans with rheumatoid arthritis?
New Cystic Fibrosis Group Weighs in on Obamacare Revamp
As Congress continues to debate the future of the Affordable Care Act, a new advocacy group has a message for key legislators: protect cystic fibrosis patients as you reshape health care policy.
Does ICER’s Model Work for Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatments?
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review’s newest cost-effectiveness report underscores just how far economic modeling sometimes diverges from patients’ reality, explained the Institute for Patient Access in a February 17 letter. The report analyzes rheumatoid arthritis treatments’ value by modeling expenses for simulated patients over a lifetime on certain treatments.
Fewer Treatment Choices and Higher Costs Plague Diabetes Patients
Access to medication has become an all-too-common challenge for patients with one of the country’s most common diseases: diabetes.
Trials Data Strengthens Patients’ Demands for Breakthrough Cholesterol Meds
New data on PCSK9 inhibitors is in – and it may bolster patients’ demands for the breakthrough cholesterol drugs in the face of health plan coverage barriers.
Why Impact & Cost of Chronic Migraine Comorbidities Justify “Whole-Person” Care
Chronic migraine is seldom a lone condition, explains a new white paper from the Headache & Migraine Policy Forum.
