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Aetna, Signify Health and now Oak Street Health. Some see advantages to CVS acquiring a primary care provider — for U.S. healthcare as well as CVS. Others see risks of even more consolidation in the healthcare sector and perhaps a financial hit to CVS because of Oak Street’s net losses.

Social isolation loneliness is increasing and not just because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research shows it can have devastating health consequences.

For-profit companies now dominate hospice care in the U.S., and private equity firms are moving in. Some say the trend reflects the underlying economics and need for scale.

Through Express Scripts’ new Copay Assurance plan, consumers will have lower out-of-pocket costs because of caps on prescription drugs: $5 for generics, $25 for preferred brand drugs, and $45 for preferred specialty brand drugs.

In this month’s episode of the "What's On Your Mind podcast," Peter Wehrwein, managing editor of MHE connects with the now Chief Clinical Officer of OptumRx Integrated Pharmacies, David Calabrese. In this conversation, David touches on his transition in January as OptumRx’s former chief pharmacy officer and market president of health plans and PBMs to his new role as Chief Clinical Officer where he now focuses more on things such as specialty pharmacy to home delivery — with an overall goal of creating whole-patient care. Throughout the conversation, Calabrese also touched on the market’s hot topic of insulin prices and behavioral health services within the OptumRx community, among other topics.

Tirzepatide was associated with a greater reduction in hemoglobin A1c and body weight versus semaglutide. Though, with a current list price of $1,023 for a one-month supply of tirzepatide (Mounjaro; Lilly), is it worth it?

This case and a case in Washington state are likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court.

Former CEO Corey McCann, M.D., Ph.D., pointed a finger at payers.

Briana Contreras, an editor with Managed Healthcare Executive, had a chat with Clay Wilemon, CEO of 4L Data Intelligence, in this month’s episode of Tuning In to the C-Suite. The discussion was on the subject of fraud, waste, and abuse within the healthcare industry and how much of it stems from issues like overpayment. Clay addressed how the adoption of artificial intelligence can help combat fraud, waste and abuse and shared how much the industry can save by using AI.

Over 600 pregnant women and their newborns were analyzed to test the long-time assumption that has resulted in inconsistent data collected in past studies. For more clear results, researchers collected and evaluated pre-delivery maternal vaginal swabs and infant stool samples at 10-days and 3-months of life.

A study funded by Genentech showed that the assistance programs substantially reduce prescription abandonment regardless of race or income level.

The ruling states insurers and employers who run plans for employees will have a choice over whether and how to cover certain routine screenings, exams and tests.

Expenditures break down from managed care, out of pocket, investments and others. In 2022, the dominant share was held by managed care segment.

The new feature automatically applies manufacturer-sponsored coupons directly to an eligible patient’s order. So far, just a few pharma companies have made their coupons available through Amazon.

A bipartisan Senate bill, Affordable Insulin Now Act of 2023, would require plans to cover insulin for no more than $35 per month.

Health spending and medical care prices typically outpace growth over the overall economy, but as of mid-2022, inflation rates of the economy have reached a four-decade high.

Members of the Senate Finance Committee want to modernize the rules around PBM business practices to lower out-of-pocket costs and increase competition.

Amongst a few recommendations, Commonweath is encouraging how and how much we as payers, providers and consumers pay for primary care.

Managing Directors of L.E.K. Consulting, Joe Johnson, Todd Clark and Brendan Mitchell introduce the innovations happening in pharmacy, more specifically disruptive innovations, and how they affect managed care. The team explained some of the innovations to be on the lookout for in the future, also.

Yoona Kim, PharmD, PhD, co-founder, CEO of Arine Inc., talked about the relationship between racial health disparities and medication non-adherence, and how artificial intelligence can help improve adherence between groups most affected such as Black, Latino and Asian populations.

Below highlights ways to recognize outstanding mental healthcare providers and the benefits that come from these efforts.

FDA approvals this week include: novel treatment for invasive candidiasis, an accelerated approval to Zynyz for Merkel cell carcinoma, the high-concentration Humira biosimilar Hyrimoz, and extension of Evkeeza’s indication to include young children. The agency also issued two complete responses this week: for Incyte’s extended-release Jakafi and for AbbVie’s Parkinson’s therapy.

Jane F. Barlow, MD, MPH, MBA, chief clinical officer of Real Endpoints led a presentation at the annual AMCP meeting that can help align payers and their manufactures for success in value-based contracting. In this interview Barlow gives some insight on where we are now with value-based contracting compared to a few years ago and if it's gained some traction or if there are challenges that remain. She also touched what therapies are prime candidates for value-based contracting.

Melissa Andel of CommonHealth Solutions spoke at the AMCP annual meeting today in San Antonio about the ins and outs of the Inflation Reduction Act. She shared her discussion highlights the Act's plans of cost shifting in healthcare and the Medicare part-D benefit re-design. In this interview with Managed Healthcare Executive, Andel addressed the Eli Lilly $35 Insulin cap and how plans of price negotiation will resonate with the public. She also expressed what we may expect through Congress when it comes to repealing any provisions through the IRA, and what could be coming through inflation penalty rebates.

Ben Urick, PharmD, PhD, Health Outcomes Research Principal at Prime Therapeutics, LLC, discussed how non-adherence to medication has lead to medical cost offsets and shared solutions to improve adherence from patients and providers. In particular, Urick shared best data-collecting practices that can in-turn improve both adherence and cost. Urick led a discussion on the challenges leading to non-adherence and shared the efforts underway to remove them at the annual AMCP meeting in San Antonio.

When asked for solutions in better managing expensive drug costs, Michelle Booth of Magellan suggests a "mortgage-like" payment that could help make these therapies, which are covered under medical benefits, more accessible and affordable. Because there aren't many gene therapies out there just yet in the market, there hasn't been much pressure in offering discounts through value-based contracts to patients. Though, more discussions on this initiative are happening, Andy Killpack also of Magellan, said in the second-part of a two part AMCP annual meeting video series.

Magellan's Michelle Booth and Andy Killpack presented today at the annual AMCP meeting in San Antonio to discuss equitable access to recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) gene therapy as there are currently many barriers patients face toward treatment. Booth, senior director of specialty clinical solutions, claims though cost plays a significance in access, there are much more barriers from education to income that lead to inequities. Killpack and booth share solutions and other gene therapies expected to come to market.

At the annual AMCP meeting, Summit Re's Vice President of Actuarial & Underwriting, Rick Lassow, FSA, MAAA, led a discussion on managing high-cost medications through reinsurance and stop-loss programs. In this interview with Managed Healthcare Executive Lassow addresses high-cost cell and gene therapies ran through reinsurance and how Medicaid can benefit the most from reinsurance programs.