Biden’s July Executive Order Includes Drug Pricing Provisions. But Will They Do Enough?

President Joe Biden’s executive order of July 9 included various steps toward making good on campaign promises to take on pharmaceutical companies by allowing the importation of prescription drugs and curbing the high cost of medicines.

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CMS Proposes Extension Of Medicare Telehealth Coverage

CMS is proposing to extend Medicare coverage of certain telehealth services granted for the COVID-19 public health emergency to the end of 2023 to help gather data that can determine whether the services should be permanently covered.

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Who Is Running Against Newsom in the Recall?

We’re just about two months away from a closely watched election that will indelibly shape the state’s future. And as of this weekend, we know — for the most part — who will be on the ballot.

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GOP Joins Dems In Taking On Big Pharma

Senators working to keep the bipartisan infrastructure deal alive are zeroing in on Medicare prescription drug rebate formulas to offset up to $60 billion of the $1.2 trillion package, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

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Wary and Weary, Los Angeles Largely Accepts Restored Mask Mandate

As the sun began to burn through the morning marine layer, patrons of the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, Calif., were still adjusting to the new normal, which was pretty much the old normal — an order from Los Angeles County to wear masks indoors in businesses and public places.

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Report: Only 5% Of Hospitals Fully Compliant With Controversial Price Transparency Rule

A new analysis found only 5.6% of hospitals were fully compliant with a major price transparency rule, with most failures centered on not posting payer-negotiated prices. The analysis released Friday by the group PatientRightsAdvocate.org is the latest evidence of widespread noncompliance with the rule, which went into effect back in January. “These findings align with previous research indicating ...

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CMS Proposes Increasing Penalties For Hospitals Not Meeting Price Transparency Rule

The Biden administration wants to include a per-bed monetary penalty for larger hospitals that do not comply with a price transparency rule after several analyses have shown widespread noncompliance among facilities. The administration included the provision in the proposed 2022 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) proposed rule released Monday by the Centers for Medicare & ...

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Vaccine Mandates More Likely Once FDA Grants Full Approvals, Health Experts Say

The United States could see a wave of Covid-19 vaccine mandates as soon as the Food and Drug Administration grants full approval to one or more of the shots, public health experts predicted. The three vaccines authorized by the FDA for emergency use against the coronavirus have proven safe and effective under that expedited review process and in the ...

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Biden’s Latest Order Could Boost Private Equity, End State Licensing

President Joe Biden’s latest executive order promoting competition in the U.S. economy could be a boon to private equity and disrupt the medical profession’s long-standing guilds, depending on how far federal officials want to take matters. The order empowers federal agencies to use existing federal law to lower healthcare costs, particularly prescription drugs. While few ...

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California Makes It Easier for Low-Income Residents to Get and Keep Free Health Coverage

The World War II veteran needed to repay the loan for the water pump installed on his 1-acre property in rural Tulare County, the only source of water to his mobile home. He carefully socked away a few thousand dollars so he could make the payoff — only to find that those savings put him over the asset threshold to remain on Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program for low-income people.

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