How to Achieve Hepatitis Elimination
Eliminating hepatitis B and C can be done, experts agree. And this week, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine answers that thorny follow-up question: How?
Access Worries Persist after ICER’s Arthritis Report, Meeting
A drug pricing watchdog group had its final say Friday on targeted arthritis treatments – and it may not be good news for patients.
Will Political Finger-pointing Dampen Zika Vaccine Efforts?
A vaccine for Zika virus is in the works with the potential to halt the devastating disease that’s spread to more than 5,000 people and 1,600 pregnant women in the United States alone. But before the drug is even available, a political debate is heating up – not over the drug’s development and accessibility, but over speculation about its future price tag.
Can the Gas Company’s Model Help Seniors Manage Rx Co-pays?
Senior citizens can face crippling out-of-pocket costs for their Medicare Part D prescription drugs. But now the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine has proposed an intriguing solution inspired by an unexpected source: the utility companies.
Cardiac Meds Cut Patients’ Heart Attack Risk – Or Your Money Back
Cholesterol-lowering drugs known as PCSK9 inhibitors can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by 20 percent, new research confirms. And if patients and health plans still harbor doubts, at least one manufacturer has a bold offer: a money-back guarantee.
How a Human Milk Diet Protects Premature Infants
“Breast is best” is familiar advice for new mothers and infant health care providers. But what about mothers of preemies, who often struggle to produce enough milk for their fragile newborns?
Poor & Black Children Bear the Brunt of Asthma, Research Confirms
More than 6 million children in the United States suffer from asthma. But several new studies paint a startling picture of how this disease impacts especially vulnerable subpopulations: in particular, poor and black children.
“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.
