Bipartisan Support Expected for PDUFA
Most attention has been focused on the House GOP’s Obamacare repeal bill and the legislation being drafted now in the Senate, but there are other big healthcare bills that need to be voted on. According to Reuters, the bill to reauthorize the Prescription Drug User Fee Act is expected to be approved with bipartisan support. The bill, which has to be renegotiated every 5 years, hammers out the details of how much money the FDA collects from drug makers and medical device companies in order to review new products. Currently, industry pays roughly 60% of the cost of the reviews, while taxpayers fund the rest.
Majority of Americans Exercise Enough
For the first time, more than half of Americans are getting the recommended amount of leisurely physical activity. A decade ago, the share of Americans exercising enough was much lower, hovering around 40%. Adults are recommended to get either 150 minutes of moderate movement or 75 minutes of intense exercise every week. However, despite the increase in exercise, metabolic diseases, which are tied to low levels of physical activity, have not declined.
Cutting Out Wasteful Medical Tests
Although it is well known that needless medical tests create unnecessary costs for the healthcare system, trimming the waste isn’t easy. A new article from Kaiser Health News highlights the struggle of changing behavior to save money and lives. In California, the 3 biggest healthcare purchasers are working together to reduce unnecessary tests, and although progress has been slow, unnecessary lab tests have been reduced by 10% simply through educating doctors and patients about overuse. The ABIM Foundation, which launched the Choosing Wisely campaign, expects that massive changes could take as long as 15 years.
Navigating Sport-Related Neurospine Injuries, Surgery, and Managed Care
February 25th 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Arthur L. Jenkins III, MD, FACS, CEO of Jenkins NeuroSpine, to explore the intersection of advanced surgical care for sport-related neurospine injuries and managed care systems.
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Senate Questions NIH Nominee on Funding, Transparency, and COVID-19 Impact
March 5th 2025Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, defended his vision for the National Institutes of Health in a Senate committee confirmation hearing, tackling concerns on research funding, public trust, and scientific integrity.
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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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Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Fuels Health Crisis: Detention, Depression, Deportation, and Disease
March 5th 2025Strict changes to immigration policies nationwide create a public health crisis in overcrowded detention centers, draining taxpayer dollars and diminishing undocumented immigrants' contributions to subsidies.
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