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What We're Reading: California Halts Soda Taxes; Massive Drug Takedown; Amazon Shakes Pharmacy Firms
The California state legislature approved a last-minute deal to halt soda taxes for 12 years; the Department of Justice charged 601 people for taking part in a variety of frauds and schemes that resulted in more than $2 billion in healthcare losses; Amazon buying PillPack, an online pharmacy, is exactly what the pharmacy business has been fearing.
California Halts Soda Taxes Until 2031
The California state legislature approved a last-minute deal to ban soda taxes for 12 years between one of the state’s largest labor unions and the American Beverage Association, California Healthline reported. Democratic Governor Jerry Brown signed the measure, which gives the industry a break until January 1, 2031. In return, local municipalities will avoid a fight at the ballot box on a broader proposal that could have made it more difficult for them to raise general taxes and fees. Some state lawmakers said the deal holds Californians “hostage.”
DOJ Charges 601 in Massive Healthcare Fraud Schemes, Including Opioid Cases
The Department of Justice charged 601 people, including doctors, for taking part in a variety of frauds and schemes that resulted in more than $2 billion in healthcare losses, including improper billing to Medicare and Medicaid. Reuters reported the hundreds of suspects charged included 162 doctors and other suspects for their roles in prescribing and distributing addictive opioid painkillers. The arrests came in dozens of unrelated prosecutions announced together as part of an annual healthcare fraud takedown.
Amazon Shakes Up Pharmacy Chains With Purchase of Online Firm PillPack
Amazon buying PillPack, an online pharmacy, is exactly what the pharmacy business has been fearing, The New York Times reported. Amazon faced the problem of securing pharmacy licenses in each state, but PillPack is already licensed to ship drugs in 50 states. That paves the way for the ecommerce giant to become a major player in pharmacy retail overnight. PillPack, a startup, distributes pills in easy-to-use packages designed for patients with chronic conditions and multiple prescriptions.
Neurologists Share Tips for Securing Patient Access to Gene Therapies
March 19th 2025Tenacious efforts at every level, from the individual clinician to the hospital to the state to Congress, will be needed to make sure patients can access life-saving gene therapies for neuromuscular diseases.
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Varied Access: The Pharmacogenetic Testing Coverage Divide
February 18th 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the author of a study published in the February 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® to uncover significant differences in coverage decisions for pharmacogenetic tests across major US health insurers.
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The Impact of Cost Sharing on High-Value Care
March 14th 2025Michael Chernew, PhD, professor of health care policy and director of the Healthcare Markets and Regulation Lab, Harvard Medical School, shares how cost-sharing policies shape access to critical health care services and influence value-based insurance design.
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