3 Takeaways On The New Federal Data Privacy Proposal After Its First Public Showcase

At the House Energy and Commerce’s data privacy hearing April 17, lawmakers discussed for the first time Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ discussion draft of a new federal data privacy bill, the American Privacy Rights Act (APRA), since its reveal last week.

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Federal Agencies Open Online Portal For Reporting Anticompetitive Practices In Healthcare

Thursday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled HealthyCompetition.gov, an online portal where anyone can submit a healthcare competition complaint for potential investigation.

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Ten Things to Know About Consolidation in Health Care Provider Markets

Mergers and acquisitions involving hospitals and other health care providers are drawing attention from federal and state regulators, including the Federal Trade Commission, and policymakers amid concerns that such consolidations can reduce competition and contribute to the high costs of health care. A new KFF brief examines and summarizes the evidence about consolidation among health care providers ...

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$1,000-A-Month Ozempic, New Weight Loss Drug, Costs $5 To Manufacture: Yale Study

Novo Nordisk's list price for a monthly package of Ozempic is $935.77 before insurance and other rebates, yet it can be manufactured for between $0.89 to $4.73 a month, according to researchers at Yale University.

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No More $35 Insulin Cap? Eli Lilly, Plaintiffs Call Off $13.5M Class Action Settlement

A settlement between the drugmaker and insulin patients that would have capped patients' out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 for 4 years has fallen apart, after an "unfavorable ruling" from the judge overseeing the case.

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HHS Streamlines 340B Dispute Process To Hospitals’ Applause, Pharma’s Disappointment

The Biden administration has put the finishing touches on the steps entities covered under the 340B Drug Discount Program must take to resolve disputes with drug manufacturers. The final rule, issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) this week, landed to the delight of ...

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California In A Jam After Borrowing Billions To Pay Unemployment Benefits

California’s massive budget deficit, coupled with the state’s relatively high level of joblessness, has become a major barrier to reducing the billions of dollars of debt it has incurred to pay unemployment benefits. The surge in unemployment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the state’s unemployment insurance trust into insolvency. And over the last year California’s joblessness ...

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CMS Releases Rules On Wait Times And Payment Standards In Medicaid

Rule requires 80% of Medicaid Home and Community Based Services payments directly compensate workers rather than "administrative overhead."

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Biden Administration Sets Higher Staffing Mandates. Most Nursing Homes Don’t Meet Them.

The Biden administration finalized nursing home staffing rules Monday that will require thousands of them to hire more nurses and aides — while giving them years to do so. The new rules from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are the most substantial changes to federal oversight of the nation’s roughly 15,000 nursing homes in more ...

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Medicare’s Push To Improve Chronic Care Attracts Businesses, but Not Many Doctors

Carrie Lester looks forward to the phone call every Thursday from her doctors’ medical assistant, who asks how she’s doing and if she needs prescription refills. The assistant counsels her on dealing with anxiety and her other health issues. Lester credits the chats for keeping her out of the hospital and reducing the need for ...

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