News

In a meta-analysis, inhaled corticosteroids were associated with a risk of oropharyngeal adverse events.

Briefs of FDA actions related to medication safety and reliability (ie, boxed warnings, dear healthcare provider letters)

Oral estrogen use in postmenopausal women may elevate the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE); however, the use of transdermal estrogen does not appear to increase the risk of VTE.

A new formulation for azithromycin, an antibacterial agent, is now approved by FDA for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis.

Briefs of FDA actions/approvals of drugs, doses, and indications

First-time generic drug approvals: Zolpidem immediate-release; nimodipine

The latest FDA action (through June 2007) related to sipuleucel-T (Provenge), tramadol (CIP-Tramadol ER), isotretinoin (CIP-Isotretinoin), bazedoxifene (Viviant), irbesartan plus hydrochlorothiazide (Avalide), prednisolone 1.0% plus tobramycin 0.3% ophthalmic suspension (T-Pred), pixantrone, SPRC-AB01

Retapamulin ointment, 1% is now approved by FDA as an antibacterial agent for the topical treatment of impetigo due to Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes.

Montelukast, a leukotriene receptor antagonist, is now approved by FDA for the prevention of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.

A number of cost-evaluation studies have emerged showing consumer-directed health plan (CDHP) members use less care. Meanwhile, others suggest that members are less satisfied with these plans and that they tend to choose unwise ways of saving money, such as skipping preventive care.

The mother of a child suffering from asthma calls Medical Mutual of Ohio's Nurse Line desperately needing advice. The nurse listens to the mother's concern and is poised to tell her everything she needs to know, but instead, the mother is told that she is not covered for this particular service.

Antipsychotics are the fourth largest group of medications prescribed in the United States today, with a collective cost of approximately $10 billion. Newer, second-generation medications represent 90% of the current market, and they cost considerably more than older antipsychotics.

Physician financial incentives can be a powerful tool to motivate physicians to improve hospital-related practice patterns which can save health plans millions of dollars in reduced hospital costs.

At the center of the supply chain, health plans and their IT systems are uniquely positioned to guide the "retail market" interactions. To do so, however, health plans must rethink their traditional roles.

A number of cost-evaluation studies have emerged showing consumer-directed health plan (CDHP) members use less care. Meanwhile, others suggest that members are less satisfied with these plans and that they tend to choose unwise ways of saving money, such as skipping preventive care.

When it comes to Medicare plans, managed care executives must find a way to increase value, say industry watchers.

As healthcare stakeholders weave their way toward the President's vision of providing every American with an electronic medical record by the year 2014, a growing number are taking the intermediate step of creating personal health records (PHRs).

Worldwide, 388 million people will die from chronic diseases in the next 10 years. Chronic diseases account for about 75% of all healthcare costs. Clearly, disease management and prevention is sorely needed, but it's been a struggle to change the behaviors of large groups of people. A number of programs are finding success using non-traditional methods.

Medicaid has to evolve into a delivery model that takes into account the uniqueness of each individual-both their specific health status, and issues outside of the traditional healthcare system, such as transportation, living conditions and substance abuse problems, according to insight from Newt Gingrich, founder of the Center for Health Transformation (CHT) and Rishabh Mehrotra, president and CEO of SHPS, a provider of health advocacy and health benefits solutions.

Every morning, Mark Wagar, president of Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, walks more than a mile through Manhattan to his office on 42nd Street. It's a city of great diversity and that fact that isn't lost on him, especially considering that one in four New Yorkers is an Empire member.

Hartford, conn.-In what industry watchers are calling the biggest example of marketing insurance products through an affinity group, Aetna and UnitedHealth Group will administer and deliver health insurance to AARP members.

National reports-In Idaho, the rate of uninsured is nearly 18%. National research shows that as the cost of health insurance premiums increases, so does the number of small businesses who drop coverage for their employees. And, in general, small businesses are least likely to offer health insurance to their employees.

Washington, D.C.-After months of speculation, the Bush administration named a veteran Health and Human Services (HHS) official to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the next two years.

Some industry behemoths such as the UnitedHealth Group and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Assn. (BCBSA) have decided to keep the member financial services in-house, creating their own banks. Other payers are developing relationships with multiple banks to offset the giants' economies of scale with flexibility and portability, allowing members to keep their money in the same bank even when they change health plans.

Last month, the LA Times reported that Blue Cross of California had agreed to change its position on policy cancellations, now making a distinction between those who make honest mistakes on application forms and those who fraudulently misrepresent themselves to obtain benefits. The Times predicted that the class-action settlement would "send shock waves" through the insurance industry.

An assignment of benefits is a transfer of an insured's interest in policy benefits to another party. The policy generally requires a written assignment by the insured to the provider, allowing the provider to bill the health plan directly. Such an assignment results in the payment of medical benefits directly to the healthcare provider rather than to the insured.

Economists and health experts on all sides are clamoring for more evidence on how medical products and procedures compare in safety, efficacy and cost. Legislative proposals before Congress include a range of initiatives to spur more comparative effectiveness (CE) research.

Trumpeting the now-popular battle cry of transparency, many states are attempting to control the contractual arrangements between pharmacy benefit services providers and their clients. Because of the historical issues around hidden revenue streams and misaligned objectives, it is no wonder the public sector is taking note.