Editor's Note: This story has been updated to better reflect the U.S.' brief remarks. World Trade Organization members will meet at least three times in the coming months to discuss expanding their recent decision to broaden intellectual property flexibilities for COVID-19 vaccines to include tests and treatments, a proposal they must accept -- or not -- by mid-December. The 12th ministerial conference decision to broaden flexibilities in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights to facilitate...

On Oct. 1, a drug pricing measure took effect that increases Medicare pay to doctors who prescribe biosimilars, and Biden administration officials touted that measure on Monday as part of the administration “moving full-speed ahead” on drug price controls, but they didn’t mention Part D inflation rebates, which also took effect on Oct. 1, that save the government and consumers a lot more money than the biosimilar measure. The Inflation Reduction Act increases the add-on payment for biosimilars, which are...

The increased utilization of health care services enabled by widespread adoption of telehealth could cancel out some of the cost savings that competition from virtual care could bring to the health care system moving forward, the Congressional Budget Office says in a policy paper laying out potential ways to reduce commercial insurers’ costs. Titled “Policy Approaches to Reduce What Commercial Insurers Pay for Hospitals’ and Physicians’ Services,” the report released Thursday (Sept. 29) details policies that could drive down costs...