Obesity Bill Backers Want CBO To Weigh Long-Term Prevention

Several lawmakers voiced support for obesity coverage legislation floating on Capitol Hill at a House Energy & Commerce health subcommittee hearing Tuesday (Sept. 19), with some lawmakers and a CMS official agreeing the high initial cost of Medicare potentially covering the drugs should factor in the long-term savings from preventing obesity-related diseases. The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act would require Medicare to cover obesity drugs. Competing studies have shown covering obesity drugs would either be more expensive than the entire...
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InsideHealthPolicy.com
IDP Issue: 
Inside Drug Pricing - 09/25/2023
IDP Volume: 
Vol. 6, No. 39
Author: 

Obesity Bill Backers Want CBO To Weigh Long-Term Prevention

Several lawmakers voiced support for obesity coverage legislation floating on Capitol Hill at a House Energy & Commerce health subcommittee hearing Tuesday (Sept. 19), with some lawmakers and a CMS official agreeing the high initial cost of Medicare potentially covering the drugs should factor in the long-term savings from preventing obesity-related diseases. The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act would require Medicare to cover obesity drugs. Competing studies have shown covering obesity drugs would either be more expensive than the entire...
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InsideHealthPolicy.com
CMS Issue: 
Inside CMS - 09/28/2023
CMS Volume: 
Vol. 26, No. 39
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Industry-Funded Study: CBO Underestimated IRA’s Impact On Drug R&D

A policy brief recently released by the University of Chicago and partially funded by drug maker Gilead suggests that Medicare’s new drug price negotiation authority could lead to a reduction in research & development that translates to 79 fewer small molecule drugs developed and 116 million life years lost over the next two decades. The findings back the pharmaceutical industry’s assertions in court cases challenging the Inflation Reduction Act’s price negotiation provisions, but run counter to the Congressional Budget Office’s...
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InsideHealthPolicy.com
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Industry-Funded Study: CBO Underestimated IRA’s Impact On Drug R&D

A policy brief recently released by the University of Chicago and partially funded by drug maker Gilead suggests that Medicare’s new drug price negotiation authority could lead to a reduction in research & development that translates to 79 fewer small molecule drugs developed and 116 million life years lost over the next two decades. The findings back the pharmaceutical industry’s assertions in court cases challenging the Inflation Reduction Act’s price negotiation provisions, but run counter to the Congressional Budget Office’s...
Article Type: 
Site Name: 
InsideHealthPolicy.com
IDP Issue: 
Inside Drug Pricing - 09/25/2023
IDP Volume: 
Vol. 6, No. 39
Author: 

House GOP: Don’t Use Public Health Emergency To Tackle Gun Violence

A resolution is expected to hit the House floor soon that some Republicans say is necessary to ensure HHS and federal agencies don’t use a public health emergency declaration to limit Americans’ access to guns. The latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show out of the 26,031 homicides tracked in 2021, nearly 21,000 of them were due to firearms. The American Medical Association declared gun violence a public health crisis in 2016, and several other health...
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InsideHealthPolicy.com
CMS Issue: 
Inside CMS - 09/28/2023
CMS Volume: 
Vol. 26, No. 39

Uncertainties Persist On Primary Care Bill Offsets After Senate Markup

The Senate health committee advanced sweeping primary care legislation on Thursday (Sep. 21), but uncertainties persist over how the bill will be fully paid for, with committee chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT) continuing talks with Finance Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) over additional offsets, and the Judiciary Committee also getting involved. When asked by Inside Health Policy at a meeting with reporters Tuesday (Sep. 19) whether other pay-for bills would be combined with the primary care package before it goes to...
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InsideHealthPolicy.com
CMS Issue: 
Inside CMS - 09/28/2023
CMS Volume: 
Vol. 26, No. 39
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Tri-Agencies Seek To Hike IDR Admin Fee To $150 In 2024

Parties using the federal independent dispute resolution (IDR) process would be charged a $150 administrative fee under a proposed rule released by the administration Wednesday (Sept. 20) that was needed after a Texas district court agreed with Texas doctors that a higher fee set in guidelines last December violated federal law, requiring the fee to be set via rulemaking with a notice and comment period. The rule comes as Congress focuses on the No Surprises Act this week -- with...
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HEA Issue: 
Health Exchange Alert - 09/27/2023
HEA Volume: 
Vol. 11, No. 34
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Sanders-Marshall Bill Clears Health Committee Amid Bipartisan Offset Concerns

The Senate health committee on Thursday (Sept. 21) passed out of committee a broad package of reauthorizations and reforms for the sector, but drew ire from ranking Republican Bill Cassidy (LA) and several Democrats for its payfors. The Primary Care and Workforce Act, a sweeping bipartisan community health center funding, nursing workforce and hospital reform package, passed 14-7, with Marshall and Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) voting with the majority. The committee voted on set amendments introduced by several senators, including...
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InsideHealthPolicy.com
CMS Issue: 
Inside CMS - 09/28/2023
CMS Volume: 
Vol. 26, No. 39
Author: 

Critics: Primary Care Offsets Pull From Other Important Health Priorities

The Senate health committee voted Thursday (Sept. 21) to advance legislation aimed at boosting primary care access and the health care workforce, but cost offsets for the bill could draw on a fund that is used to support many other public health programs. The Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF) is one of several funding streams the bipartisan Sanders-Marshall Primary Care and Health Workforce Expansion Act would draw on for cost reductions. The authors, health committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT)...
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FDA Issue: 
FDA Week - 09/29/2023
FDA Volume: 
Vol. 29, No. 39
CMS Issue: 
Inside CMS - 09/28/2023
CMS Volume: 
Vol. 26, No. 39
Author: 

Thirty States Report Ex Parte ‘Glitch,’ 500K To Have Medicaid Reinstated

CMS is requiring 29 states and the District of Columbia to pause Medicaid terminations and reinstate coverage to nearly half-a-million Medicaid enrollees after the states found their automatic Medicaid renewal process has an error that results in still-eligible beneficiaries, especially children, losing Medicaid or CHIP coverage. D.C., Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia found the so-called ex parte glitch only affected children enrolled in their Medicaid and CHIP programs while seven other states found it was only affecting households with beneficiaries...
Article Type: 
Site Name: 
InsideHealthPolicy.com
CMS Issue: 
Inside CMS - 09/28/2023
CMS Volume: 
Vol. 26, No. 39
HEA Issue: 
Health Exchange Alert - 09/27/2023
HEA Volume: 
Vol. 11, No. 34

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