What Reimbursable Remote Care Through New CMS CPT Codes Means For Patients

The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy is throwing its support behind federal legislation that would create a Medicare benefit category for prescription digital therapeutics.

The senior vice president of health services and chief medical officer at Independence Blue Cross in Philadelphia discusses the spotlight that the COVID-19 pandemic put on behavioral health and Independence's integration of behavioral health into its coverage and care management in this month's episode of “What's on Your Mind?" podcast.

Although it’s not likely to pass, at least not this year, opponents say the proposal is already accelerating the spread of false claims and sowing distrust of physicians.

Our guest on this month’s episode of the “What's on Your Mind” podcast is Margaret Murray, M.P.A., founding CEO of the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) and a longtime member of Managed Healthcare Executive® editorial advisory board. Murray is an expert on Medicaid and healthcare policies that affect people with low incomes. In the interview with Managing Editor of MHE, Peter Wehrwein, she discusses ACAP’s growth and its legislative wins, Medicaid redetermination, “junk insurance,” and state Medicaid programs carving out pharmacy benefits.

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.

Specialty drugs are expected to comprise 80% of the FDA approvals this year. Among them are gene therapies for hemophilia A and Duchenne muscular dystrophy priced at between $2 million and $3 million.