12 Senate Democrats Unveil Plan to Cut Costs, Expand Coverage
In a recent letter, Senate Democrats proposed lowering healthcare costs, expanding coverage and cracking down on insurance company practices.
19 Senators Urge HHS to Drop Appeal That Would Jeopardize Americans’ Access to Life-Saving Drugs
A bipartisan group of senators sent a letter to HHS asking it to rethink its appeal of a recent federal district court decision that limits the use of “copay accumulators" — which are programs insurers use to prevent medication copay assistance from counting toward patients’ deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums.
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Survey on the Healthcare Financial Landscape Offers a Roadmap for Stakeholders
Zelis highlights how employers, payers, and consumers are integrating digital tools to manage healthcare costs.
2 Senators Release Framework Targeting PBMs
Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Chair Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) introduced a bipartisan framework that lays out the key challenges federal prescription drug programs are dealing with, as well as potential solutions.
PBMs Come Under Fire During Senate Hearing
The Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing Thursday, which discussed how the Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency Act would affect practices by pharmacy benefit managers, including clawbacks. Some questioned why PBMs are even necessary.
Grassley opens probe into Orphan Drug Act abuses
In a statement, Grassley said the inquiry is “based on reporting from Kaiser Health News” and strong consumer concern about high drug prices.
HHS nominee Price clears Senate committee with no Democrats present (updated)
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) suspended rules requiring a quorum for a vote, allowing Price to advance to the full Senate.
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Enterprise EHR boosts scalability, interoperability, and governance for large healthcare systems.
At least 6 senators grilling HHS nominee Tom Price also hold healthcare stocks
At least six members of the two Senate committees tasked with questioning or confirming Tom Price for HHS secretary hold shares in healthcare companies — such as Merck, Medtronic and Gilead — according to a Kaiser Health News analysis.
Burwell, senators to identify priorities for fixing Meaningful Use by 2017
HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell has agreed to work with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to identify specific ways to fix the faltering Meaningful Use health IT incentive program, either legislatively or administratively. Burwell made the pledge to Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) during a hearing on the HHS 2016 budget before the Senate Appropriations Committee's health subcommittee Thursday,
Senators seek Medicare telehealth parity, more rural broadband
Mississippi’s two senators, Roger Wicker and Thad Cochran, both Republicans, will reintroduce legislation to extend Medicare coverage for telehealth services in medically underserved areas. Wicker, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet, announced plans during a hearing Tuesday to bring up the Telehealth Advancement Act in the new Congress. […]
Dr. Vivek Murthy to serve as surgeon general, despite the NRA’s efforts
On Monday, the Senate confirmed Dr. Vivek Murthy will serve as surgeon general of the United States with a 51-43 vote. The position has been vacant since July 2013, and the main reason it took this long to appoint Murthy was the push back from the National Riffle Association. Murthy, a Harvard- and Yale-educated physician […]
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Inside an Automated Healthcare Practice: Redesigning Care Around People, Not Paperwork
By reducing administrative burden and redesigning workflows around human needs, it creates space for what matters most: connection between clinicians and patients.