A key House panel is demanding documents and communications from major pharmacy benefit managers CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and OptumRx on what they call anti-competitive tactics such as spread pricing and rebates. The probe, announced Wednesday by the House Oversight Committee, is the latest signal Congress is seeking reforms to the PBM industry, as efforts ...
During the peak COVID timeframe in 2021, the U.S. spent nearly $4.3 trillion on health care. Government insurance programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, made up 42% (or a whopping $1.8 trillion of national health care spending) in 2021. That’s according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which says private insurance programs, including employer-sponsored ...
Drugs known as statins are the first-choice treatment for high cholesterol but millions of people who can’t or won’t take those pills because of side effects may have another option. In a major study, a different kind of cholesterol-lowering drug named Nexletol reduced the risk of heart attacks and some other cardiovascular problems in people ...
When the covid-19 pandemic swept the country in early 2020 and emptied doctors’ offices nationwide, telemedicine was suddenly thrust into the spotlight. Patients and their physicians turned to virtual visits by video or phone rather than risk meeting face-to-face. During the early months of the pandemic, telehealth visits for care exploded. “It was a dramatic shift ...
A low-carb, high-fat “keto-like” diet may be linked to higher levels of “bad” cholesterol and double the risk of cardiovascular events such as blocked arteries, heart attacks and strokes, according to new research. “Our study found that regular consumption of a self-reported diet low in carbohydrates and high in fat was associated with increased levels ...
Thousands of Nevadans could lose their no-cost Medicaid health coverage this year as pandemic emergency provisions wind down, according to state officials. Following a three-year grace period during the worst of COVID-19, Medicaid recipients will be required to reapply for benefits beginning April 1.