Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Some Generic Drugs Cost Thousands More Than They Should, Analysis Finds
The cancer drug Gleevec went generic in 2016 and can be bought today for as little as $55 a month. But many patients鈥 insurance plans are paying more than 100 times that. CVS Health and Cigna can charge $6,600 a month or more for Gleevec prescriptions, a Wall Street Journal analysis of pricing data found. They are able to do that because they set the prices with pharmacies, which they sometimes own.聽(Walker, 9/11)
On medical debt and the high cost of living 鈥
Retired Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton is teaming up with the organization RIP Medical Debt to help eliminate $10 million in medical bills for residents around the state. The program is set to start later this month, with recipients around Colorado receiving letters that notify them their medical bills have been paid in full. Medical expenses have been among the leading causes for bankruptcy in the United States. (9/11)
A nationwide rule allowing hearing aids to be sold over-the-counter for treatment of mild or moderate hearing loss went into effect last fall. This was a big deal because it removed the requirement to get a prescription and fitting (which requires an appointment, in-person fitting and more money) as well as the sale of cheaper devices. (A good pair of over-the-counter hearing aids will run you between $800 and $3,000, but people may still save an average of a聽couple thousand dollars with OTC compared with prescription devices.) (Rendall, 9/12)
Earlier this year, people who pay attention to food insecurity in New Hampshire noticed something alarming: The rate of families reporting insufficient food access shot up by more than 10%. By this spring, estimates showed that more than half of Granite State households with children didn鈥檛 have enough to eat. (Dario, 9/11)
On the costs of primary care medicine and private equity deals 鈥
Primary care is considered by many to be a cornerstone of medicine, keeping patients healthier and avoiding more costly intervention down the line. The 鈥淧rimary Care for You鈥 legislation, which will be the focus of a Joint Committee on Health Care Financing hearing Tuesday, is only the latest time the state has sought to reform primary care. Former Governor Charlie Baker tried twice 鈥 in 2019 and again in 2022 鈥 with proposals that would have required providers and payers to increase spending on behavioral and primary care by 30 percent over three years. (Bartlett, 9/11)
When private equity firm Prospect Medical Holdings Inc. bought a cash-strapped hospital outside Philadelphia, it promised a return to profitability that would ensure the long-term sustainability of a facility that thousands of people counted on. Seven years later, Delaware County Memorial Hospital is closed, Prospect is in debt and a community group is suing. (Coleman-Lochner and Church, 9/12)
