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What We're Reading: Republicans Release Health Plan; J&J's Talc Problems; House Panel to Consider Vape Tax
Republicans in the House of Representatives released their healthcare plan aimed at replacing the Affordable Care Act; Johnson & Johnson’s chief executive officer said in a deposition earlier this month that the company’s baby powder was free of asbestos 13 days before the FDA announced it had discovered the carcinogen in a container of the product; the House Ways and Means Committee will discuss a bill to to tax vape products at the same rate as cigarettes.
House Republicans Release Version of Health Plan
In Lawsuit Over Baby Powders, J&J CEO Says Product Free of Asbestos Shortly Before Recall
Ways and Means to Discuss Tax on Vape Products, Other Health Measures
Republicans in the House of Representatives released their healthcare plan aimed at replacing the Affordable Care Act. The Hill reported that the plan is an attempt to position Republicans for 2020 and as an alternative to various Medicare for All proposals from Democrats. It includes previous ideas, such as undoing Medicaid expansions in favor of state block grants and allowing states to decide which essential health benefits to cover, putting spending caps back in place on covered benefits, and removing the ACA’s provisions for free preventative health services.Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J's) chief executive officer said in a deposition earlier this month that the company’s baby powder was free of asbestos 13 days before the FDA announced it had discovered the carcinogen in a container of the product, Reuters reported. Last week, the company recalled 33,000 bottles of the powder. The company is facing thousands of lawsuits about its talc powders. Alex Gorsky said he "believed" the powders were clean in a deposition with one of the plaintiff's lawyers.The House Ways and Means Committee will discuss a bill to to tax vape products at the same rate as cigarettes, Roll Call reported. The measure would exempt any products that the FDA certifies for use as nicotine replacement therapy. Another bill under discussion would allow health savings accounts and flexible spending arrangements to purchase over-the-counter drugs as well as menstrual personal care products. Another measure would require high-deductible health plans to cover inhalers before reaching a deductible.
Urticaria Diagnosis Challenged by Overlapping Pruritic Skin Conditions
April 23rd 2025Urticaria is complicated to diagnose by its symptomatic overlap with other skin conditions and the frequent misclassification in literature of distinct pathologies like vasculitic urticaria and bullous pemphigus.
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New Research Challenges Assumptions About Hospital-Physician Integration, Medicare Patient Mix
April 22nd 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Brady Post, PhD, lead author of a study published in the April 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care®, challenges the claim that hospital-employed physicians serve a more complex patient mix.
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Personalized Care Key as Tirzepatide Use Expands Rapidly
April 15th 2025Using commercial insurance claims data and the US launch of tirzepatide as their dividing point, John Ostrominski, MD, Harvard Medical School, and his team studied trends in the use of both glucose-lowering and weight-lowering medications, comparing outcomes between adults with and without type 2 diabetes.
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ACOs’ Focus on Rooting Out Fraud Aligns With CMS Vision Under Oz
April 23rd 2025Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are increasingly playing the role of data sleuths as they identify and report trends of anomalous billing in hopes of salvaging their shared savings. This mission dovetails with that of CMS, which under the new administration plans to prioritize rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse.
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