Kaiser Permanente chairman and chief executive officer Bernard J. Tyson dies at 60; vitamin E acetate is linked as a potential cause of vaping-related lung injuries; Medicare’s outpatient premium cost is rising.
Bernard J. Tyson, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the health plan provider Kaiser Permanente, died unexpectedly in his sleep yesterday at the age of 60, reported USA Today. The news came after Tyson had spoken 1 day earlier at a tech gathering called AfroTech in Oakland, California. Kaiser Permanente issued a statement late Sunday evening stating, “On behalf of our Board of Directors, employees, and physicians, we extend our deepest sympathies to Bernard’s family during this very difficult time.” Tyson became the head of Kaiser Permanente in 2013 and had worked at the company for over 30 years.
Health officials at the CDC announced on Friday that there has been a breakthrough in the investigation of vaping-related lung injuries, as the chemical compound vitamin E acetate was found in all samples of lung fluid collected from 29 patients who were hospitalized for vaping, according to NPR. The vaping outbreak, which has led to the deaths of 39 people and sickened more than 2000 others, had been linked in hundreds of patients to the use of THC, the main psychoactive component of marijuana. Anne Schuchat, MD, CDC’s principal deputy director, told reporters on a press call that “vitamin E acetate is a known additive used to dilute liquid in e-cigarettes or vaping products that contain THC,” said Schuchat.
Medicare’s Part B premium for outpatient care is set to rise next year by nearly 7% to $144.60 a month next year, according to the Associated Press. Officials blamed the premium increase largely on rising spending for drugs administered in doctors’ offices, which are covered under the Part B outpatient benefit and include many cancer drugs. The $9.10 monthly increase follows a smaller $1.50 rise this year and comes after Social Security announced a modest cost-of-living raise for 2020 that comes out to approximately $24 a month for the average retired worker.
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.
Read More
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.
Listen
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Listen
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.
Read More
2 Commerce Drive
Cranbury, NJ 08512