Health Care Cost

Monica Bertagnolli, MD, fielded questions on hot-button issues during the long-delayed Senate hearing on her nomination to head the National Institutes of Health; Pfizer announces the list price for a 5-day course of its COVID-19 antiviral, nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid); a federal initiative is distributing funds to programs aiming to prevent drug overdoses in pregnant women.

During a session at AMCP Nexus, panelists provided a historical overview on the 340B drug discount program, highlighting the intentions of the plan and the research gaps leading to misconceptions about the program and whether it’s working to lower costs for patients.

In the aftermath of the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling, Anita Allen, PhD, highlights the challenges to abortion rights in the United States, emphasizing disparities faced by marginalized communities, outlining threats to reproductive health care, and calling for collective action and advocacy to defend constitutional privacy and uphold the dignity of all individuals.

Amazon Prime air service is testing delivery of medication within an hour or ordering; Surging insurance costs are affecting 150 million Americans; Opponents of President Joe Biden's mental health care proposal argue potential rules could hinder access to quality care.

To ensure patients are getting timely access to their treatments, there needs to be better collaboration between payers and providers, said Christine Pfaff, RPh, senior regional director of operations, American Oncology Network.

Two posters presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) 2023 Scientific Congress & Expo showed trends in funding and insurance coverage for individuals seeking fertility care.

A 2022 yearlong initiative at Summa Health Cancer Institute saw 100% of its patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiation treatment referred to an oncology dietician for nutritional support and/or speech and swallow therapy.

Non–guideline-concordant care for ovarian cancer was associated with higher all-cause and cancer-specific mortality, increased health care utilization, and increased Medicare expenditures, highlighting opportunities for improving cancer care in this vulnerable group.

Medicare Advantage star ratings reveal shifts in plan quality and performance; Rite Aid seeks debt reduction and restructures amid financial challenges; workers secure improved wages and staffing

Biosimilars are becoming more common as more launch on the market in the United States, but patient and provider education can help speed uptake of these products, explained Bincy Abraham, MD, Houston Methodist – Weill Cornell.

Older patients often face financial challenges on fixed incomes with different payer systems like Medicare, Sarah Wall, MD, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, says. Accessing treatment centers far away is difficult due to support system disruptions, leading to increased stress and financial strain.

According to the National Cancer Institute, in the year following a cancer diagnosis, the average cost of medical care plus medication exceeds $42,000, with some treatments having a price tag of more than $1 million.

Modest spending on integrated mental health services in primary care, facilitated by use of new collaborative care billing codes, did not increase overall health care costs.

Director Takiyah Durham, MBA, and Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, MD, share how the program is improving maternal and infant care in Pittsburgh, PA, at Highmark Health.

Fabric Health is transforming laundry time into an opportunity for community well-being, engaging families in laundromats to address health needs and connecting them with health care experts and needed social services. Adaptable and problem-solving oriented, the social-impact startup helps to bridge pandemic-exacerbated disparities by meeting people where they are, fostering health equity.

Jennifer Vaughn, MD, discusses how value-based care in hematology should consider cost and financial toxicity, as well as valuable patient experience.

COVID-19 health care costs are significantly greater than those for influenza and pneumonia. Treatment costs for severe COVID-19 exceed those for influenza and pneumonia by approximately $50,000.

A commentary questions the characterization of cryoprecipitate, which is not pathogen-reduced, as an alternative modality for treating hemophilia, despite its substantial risk of transmitting blood-borne pathogens to patients.

For patients who had 12 months of continuous health care coverage before and after receiving a diagnosis of vitiligo, treatment rates were at suboptimal levels.

In this analysis of more than 97 million commercially insured individuals, investigators found that the COVID-19 pandemic induced a spending shock in 2020 and that health care spending did not recover to baseline until mid-2021.

Clinical studies have transformed how breast cancer is prevented, identified, and treated. Successful clinical trials improve patient outcomes, so trial administrators must ensure participants receive appropriate support at trial enrollment.

Lower-sodium oxybate (LXB) and sodium oxybate (SXB) were proven equally effective for cataplexy and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), despite LXB having 92% less sodium.

Qualitative interviews were conducted and a web-based quantitative survey was administered to have a clearer understanding of the economic impact of social determinants of health on patients living with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG).

Updated vaccines are on their way to US pharmacies; importance of early diagnosis and treatment for individuals at risk of cardiovascular disease; Walgreens pharmacists stage their own protest.

Pinky, a mobile mammography unit from Stony Brook University Hospital Cancer Center on Long Island, increased screening for breast cancer from 9% to 69% among the predominantly Latina population that it serves.

Annualized costs for the 24-month study period were highest among patients with both NASH and T2D, highlighting the incremental cost of adding an additional diagnosis for comorbid NASH or T2D.

Mike Koroscik, MBA, MHA, vice president of oncology, Allina Health and the Allina Health Cancer Institute, discusses the successes and challenges of a population health reimbursement model and gives advice for other health organizations considering a similar partnership within their practices.

The data show the average age of dialysis in the least vulnerable neighborhoods was 68.2 years old, but 59.4 years—almost a decade earlier—in the most vulnerable.

Providers have to know how to manage patients who are hesitant to switch to a biosimilar and payers who have specific preferences about which biosimilar to use.

A presentation at the Association of Community Cancer Centers’ 40th National Oncology Conference explored how a cancer screening initiative can be sustainable and revenue positive while driving value-based savings in an evolving market.