House Passes Bill Allowing Medicare Drug Price Negotiation
WASHINGTON — By a party-line vote of 220-207, the House passed the Inflation Reduction Act — a bill that among other provisions allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices — and sent it to President Biden for his signature. “The Inflation Reduction Act is also one of the most significant pieces of health care legislation to […]
Medical Debt Collectors Added to Wrongful Billing Lawsuit
Two medical debt collection agencies have been added to a Washington state lawsuit against 14 associated hospitals over alleged violations of consumer protection laws related to financial assistance practices, the state’s attorney general announced. The lawsuit, initially filed in February, mainly targets the Providence healthcare system, which operates dozens of hospitals in Washington and other […]
Biden Tests Positive for COVID a Second Time, But Is Asymptomatic
WASHINGTON — President Biden tested positive a second time for COVID-19 on Saturday, a little over 2 days after announcing he had tested negative following his first brief bout with COVID. “Acknowledging the potential for so-called ‘rebound’ COVID positivity observed in a small percentage of patients treated with Paxlovid [the antiviral nirmatrelvir/ritonavir], the president increased […]
House Committee Advances Bill to Streamline Prior Authorization
WASHINGTON — In a moment of comity that’s becoming increasingly rare in Congress, the House Ways & Means Committee voted unanimously by voice vote to send to the House floor a bill to improve prior authorization procedures in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. “This kind of opportunity has become all too rare, and I hope that […]
Want to Keep People Working in Mental Health? Pay Them More $$, Experts Say
WASHINGTON — What will it take to keep mental health professionals from leaving the field? About $13 per hour more in pay, said Emily Blomme, CEO of Foundation 2 Crisis Services, a crisis prevention and intervention service in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, during a mental health summit sponsored by the Alliance for Health Policy Wednesday. For […]
Medicare’s Proposed Physician Fee Schedule a Mixed Bag, Doc Groups Say
WASHINGTON — Physician group responses to the proposed 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule ranged from disappointment over the proposed 4.4% overall payment cut to praise for many of the provisions related to accountable care organizations (ACOs). “The scary part for most of us is we’re getting these reductions despite the fact that we’re still fighting […]
High Court Sides With Docs Accused of ‘Pill Mill’ Operations
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday ruled unanimously in support of two doctors convicted of prescribing opioids without a “legitimate” medical purpose, arguing that there should be a higher standard of proof in prosecuting such cases. A provision of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) declares it a federal crime for a person to knowingly […]
Senators Debate Need for More $$ for the Fight Against COVID
WASHINGTON — Thursday’s Senate hearing updating progress on the COVID pandemic was either a well-reasoned explanation for why Congress should allocate more money for fighting COVID, or a setup to orchestrate additional funding even though it’s not clear how the money will be spent, depending on who is asked. “The progress we have made so […]
Prior Authorization Back in the Spotlight on Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON — Prior authorization, that oft-maligned process of getting insurer approval prior to performing a procedure or prescribing a drug, is in the spotlight once again, on several fronts. On Capitol Hill, the issue began to bubble up in late April, when the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) […]
Investigational drug attacks synovial sarcoma, a rare type of tumor
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a way to attack synovial sarcoma — a rare tumor of soft tissues, such as ligaments and muscles — using an investigational drug that triggers cell death. The drug was developed by Washington University researchers who are planning a phase 1 clinical trial […]