Peter Wehrwein, Managing Editor

Researchers find a mismatch between demographics of the neighborhoods where the FQHCs with vision care are located and those using the vision services.

Although bills that would make comprehensive changes to the PBM industry have advanced in Congress, Paul Kelly, a veteran healthcare lobbyist, says a limited version that saves Medicare money may pass as an offsetting "pay for" for extension of more liberal rules for telehealth services that Medicare covers.

A limited pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform bill may be used as a "pay for" to offset the costs of extending Medicare telehealth flexibilities, shares Kelly, of Capitol Advocacy & Government Affairs.

Veteran healthcare lobbyist discussed the prospects for the Senate passing comprehensive PBM legislation in the most recent episode of Managed Healthcare's DC Roundtable podcast.

The American Thoracic Society (ATS) has recommended moving to race-neutral equations for assessing what lung functions mean. A study presented at the ATS meeting this weekend projected how the new equation would affect disease classification, lung test standards for becoming a firefighter and VA disability benefits.

Results from a phase 2a study suggest that the benefits of Tezspire (tezepelumab) for people with chronic pulmonary obstructive disease may be limited to those with elevated blood eosinophil counts indicative of type 2 inflammation.

Results from the phase 3 NOTUS trial presented at the ATS meeting confirm benefits of Dupixent (dupilumab) among 20% to 40% of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who have evidence of type 2 inflammation.

Pamrevlumab is the third investigational agent to fail in a phase 3 trials. Researchers said It may be time to stop treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis as a single disease and treat subcategories organized by relevant biomarkers.

Hundreds linked up to have their picture taken with Will Flanary, M.D., an ophthalmlogist in Portland, Oregon, and a hugely popular social media comedian after his talk yesterday during the open ceremony of the 2024 American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference in San Diego .

William Flanary, M.D.., has a huge social media following as Dr. Glaucomflecken, a character he created on Twitter when he was an ophthalmology resident in Iowa. More than 13,400 people have registered to attend the American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference, which is being held this weekend at the San Diego Convention Center.

Debra Boyer, M.D., M.H.P.E., discussed the program of the 2024 American Thoracic Society International Conference in San Diego and the limits of artificial intelligence.

Some research has suggested that omega-3 fatty acid supplements could help treat dry eye disease. But Korean investigators reported results from a randomized clinical trial this week in JAMA Ophthalmology tthat showed no benefit.

The Biotechnology Innovation Organization has some suggestions, including "platform designation" by FDA and changes at the CDC.

This month's episode of the Meet the Board podcast features a new member of our editorial advisory board, Marci J. Chodroff, MD, FACP, vice president of Medical Affairs at Magellan Rx Management, a Prime Therapeutics company.

The splashy meeting with more than 7,000 people in attendance reflects the growth of the specialty pharmacy sector.

Health plans that use Optum Rx as their pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) will be allowed to tier their coverage of GLP-1s and still receive rebates under an agreement the PBM has reached with the manufacturers, says the PBM president. Optum officials said later that the negotiations were still ongoing,

The retired four-start Navy admiral shared lessons learned from his training as a Navy SEAL and other parts of his life in his keynote address.

Optum and Takeda executives discuss their efforts to collaborate on implementing a value-based care for people with inflammatory bowel disease.

The growth in spending on the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists is a “mega tsunami,” said Doug Long, MBA, vice president industry relations for IQVIA. The script that specialty drugs are the main drivers of U.S. drug expenditures may need some revision.

How the Inflation Reduction Act is implemented and the role of pharmacy benefit managers in drug pricing are likely to be two areas that could look very different after the 2024 election.

Cencora’s Corey Ford says after the IRA’s out-of-pocket cap goes into effect next year, Part D plans are expected to put in place more narrow drug coverage and pharma companies will likely face a more competitive environment.

Physician shortages and retail pharmacy closures are creating areas without access to healthcare in rural regions and inner cities, warns Luke Greenwalt, vice president, market access, at IQVIA.

Newly launched drugs coming are facing payer controls and other hurdles, says Luke Greenwalt, vice president, market access, at IQVIA.

The way the drugs have taken off, combined with the number of people in the U.S. who are obese, have made the GLP-1s "an acute problem for every U.S. payer,” says George Van Antwerp, MBA, a manager director at Deloitte.

The GLP-1s and some of the migraine drugs are included in this category of drugs that are priced to cost between $5,000 and $15,000 a year and are dispensed at a retail pharmacies, George Van Antwerp, MBA, a managing director at Deloitte, explains.

GLP-1s, artificial intelligence and the Inflation Reduction Act are among the topics featured in the education sessions of the specialty pharmacy meeting in Las Vegas. The keynote speaker is William McRaven, a retired four-star admiral and former chancellor of the University of Texas system.

Results published in the journal Ophthalmology find no risk reduction from daily one-gram capsules of omega-3 fatty acids.

Leaders at UC Davis Health created an emerging therapies committee to review and prepare for the wave of treatments that cost millions of dollars.