Medicare proposes broader access to drug data
Washington, D.C.-Medicare Part D claims data could be used to identify drug side effects, improve compliance with prescribed treatment and identify whether certain drugs reduce or increase the use of healthcare services, according to a proposed rule clarifying how researchers may access information from the new Medicare program. In one of his last official acts before departing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in October, former administrator Mark McClellan, MD, unveiled this proposal for enlarging the scope of information on drug costs and effectiveness that could be useful to outside researchers. The ability to link Part D data to Medicare information on hospitalization and outpatient care would provide an "unprecedented resource" for health plans and payers to learn more about the impact of drug coverage on patients and on Medicare and other government health programs, according to CMS.
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Medicare Part D claims data could be used to identify drug side effects, improve compliance with prescribed treatment and identify whether certain drugs reduce or increase the use of healthcare services, according to a proposed rule clarifying how researchers may access information from the new Medicare program. In one of his last official acts before departing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in October, former administrator Mark McClellan, MD, unveiled this proposal for enlarging the scope of information on drug costs and effectiveness that could be useful to outside researchers. The ability to link Part D data to Medicare information on hospitalization and outpatient care would provide an "unprecedented resource" for health plans and payers to learn more about the impact of drug coverage on patients and on Medicare and other government health programs, according to CMS.
CMS emphasizes its policy will protect beneficiary privacy and guard against the potential misuse of data for commercial purposes and that the benefits of research outweigh the possibility of data misuse. Part D information could be used to monitor drug use patterns, detect adverse events and to evaluate the impact of out-of-pocket costs and shifts in coverage from Part B to Part D. While there is general support for the policy, it remains to be seen how fast it moves without a strong advocate such as Dr. McClellan.
In this latest episode of Tuning In to the C-Suite podcast, Briana Contreras, an editor with MHE had the pleasure of meeting Loren McCaghy, director of consulting, health and consumer engagement and product insight at Accenture, to discuss the organization's latest report on U.S. consumers switching healthcare providers and insurance payers.
Listen
Study of New Orleans Neighborhoods, Time to Viral Suppression, Shows Long Shadow of Redlining
October 7th 2024People living with HIV in neighborhoods that had been redlined by federal housing officials had a longer time interval between HIV diagnosis and achievement of viral suppression, a marker of successful treatment and access to healthcare, according to findings published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Read More
In our latest "Meet the Board" podcast episode, Managed Healthcare Executive Editors caught up with editorial advisory board member, Eric Hunter, CEO of CareOregon, to discuss a number of topics, one including the merger that never closed with SCAN Health Plan due to local opposition from Oregonians.
Listen
Key Patient Considerations for Use of Intravenous and Subcutaneous Therapies
October 7th 2024Jill Zouzoulas, M.D., of Tryon Medical Partners in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Jennifer Seminerio, M.D., of University of Southern Florida Health in Tampa, Florida, discussed the biologics and the pros and cons of the intravenous and subcutaneous delivery methods in Managed Healthcare Executive’s K-Cast video series.
Read More
