The Senate’s rejection of two ACA-focused healthcare bills widened partisan divides and sparked warnings from advocacy groups that the move will sharply raise premiums and reduce affordable coverage.
President Donald Trump selected Susan Monarez — the current acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — to lead the agency going forward. This nomination replaces one that the White House withdrew on March 13, after it became clear that physician and former Republican congressman Dave Weldon would not receive enough Senate votes to be confirmed.
Greenway Health blends smart technology with human expertise to elevate revenue cycle.
This week, two bipartisan members of the Senate Budget Committee launched an investigation into private equity and its impact on healthcare. They initiated the probe to get answers about “questionable financial transactions” that could be hurting care quality for patients at hospitals owned by private equity firms.
In a letter to Senate leadership, several organizations asked for the passing of legislation that would reform the patent system and improve competition in the prescription drug space.
This week, senators introduced a bipartisan bill that would make it a federal crime to assault hospital workers. Even though nearly 40 states have passed laws to intensify penalties for violent acts committed against healthcare personnel, there is currently no federal law protecting hospital employees from assault or intimidation.
Legislation introduced by Utah Senator Mike Lee would eliminate testing to show a biosimilar can be substituted for a reference biologic product. Lee contends the current testing requirement adds costs and delays market access for these lower-cost biological medicines.
In a landscape where complexity has long been the norm, the power of one lies not just in unification, but in intelligence and automation.
The Senate Finance Committee voted 26-1 to advance the Modernizing and Ensuring PBM Accountability Act. The bill has several provisions, including delinking PBM income from prescription drug prices under Medicare Part D and banning spread pricing in Medicaid.
During a Monday hearing, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions discussed which changes to telehealth coverage made during the Covid-19 pandemic should stay.
Congressional Democrats and Republicans introduced privacy bills that attempt to rein in what companies can do with data collected during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Wyden are demanding that Cigna turn over documents on insulin pricing, as part of a larger probe on rising insulin costs. The lawmakers claim that large pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts, which Cigna acquired in 2018, is failing to comply with the investigation.
Alan Murray on improving access for medical transportation.
Nine senators sent a letter to FTC Chairman Joseph Simons urging greater scrutiny over like the one between BMS and Celgene, expressing concern over antitrust issues, innovation and drug pricing.
Five Democratic senators - two running for president - wrote in a letter to the FDA's acting commissioner that the scandal highlighted industry "privilege and greed."
The Senate Finance Committee grilled executives from seven of the biggest drugmakers about the dramatic rise in drug costs.
Novartis spokesperson says company cooperated with inquiries and disputes conclusions in the report.
The legislation, which has drawn criticism from researchers, patient advocates and industry, would enable patients to request experimental drugs while bypassing the FDA.