Democrat Nancy Pelosi announced that the proposed bill from the Democrats to lower drug prices is ready but won’t be unveiled until September. Anthem plans to launch a new health app with a trial rollout in Indiana before national rollout. UnitedHealth published a study examining the costs of visiting a hospital emergency department, urgent care clinic, or primary care physician, and the results are undeniable: it’s cheaper to visit urgent care or a primary care doctor. These stories and more in this week’s Innovation Partners’ BioBlog.
Pelosi aide: Major bill to lower drug prices coming in September
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced today that the Democrats will unveil their proposed bill to lower drug prices in September. The bill is ready, but Peolosi’s aid says the Democrats are choosing their timing to preclude attacks on the bill while Congress is on recess. Wendell primus, Pelosi’s top aid, says that the measure will allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices, which has for years been a top goal for Democrats. The prices that are negotiated will apply to private insurers as well, bringing down costs across the market.
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Merck and Eisai Receive Third Breakthrough Therapy Designation from FDA for KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) plus LENVIMA® (lenvatinib) Combination Treatment
Merck and Eisai today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation for KEYTRUDA, Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, in combination with LENVIMA, the orally available kinase inhibitor discovered by Eisai, for the potential first-line treatment of patients with advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) not amenable to locoregional treatment. This is the third Breakthrough Therapy designation for the drug and based on updated Phase 1b trial notes.
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UnitedHealth: Healthcare could save $32B annually by diverting avoidable ED visits
According to UnitedHealth, two-thirds of visits to the emergency department (ED) are avoidable. The insurance company estimates that the healthcare industry could save $32 billion if patients choose primary care providers or urgent care facilities instead of emergency rooms. The company believes that providing better access to primary care and urgent care facilities, especially after typical business hours, would help lower healthcare costs for patients.
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Senate committee unveils ambitious plan to cap drug price hikes, out-of-pocket expenses
A senate committee led by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) unveiled a package of drug pricing reforms that would cap how much drug makers can increase prices in Medicare. The proposal would also cap out-of-pocket expenses for Medicare beneficiaries and reform the prescription program benefits. The goal is to improve accountability throughout the industry.
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Anthem launching new app offering personalized health information, texting with doctors
Health insurer Anthem plans to launch a mobile app that will enable its 40 million members to gain fast access to personalized health information and treatment options. Members also will be able to text with a doctor through the app at a lower cost than visiting a physician’s office. The app, named CareSpree, pilots in Indiana this month, with a complete rollout planned for the end of summer.
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Delay from breast cancer diagnosis to chemotherapy after a cancer operation may shorten survival for patients
Waiting too long for chemotherapy after a breast cancer operation may shorten survival rates, according to an article in the Annals of Surgical Oncology. The current recommendation is to begin chemo within four months of surgery. The study suggests that timeliness be added to the quality of care metrics for patients undergoing breast cancer treatment. The four year study examined results from over 172,000 patients with various stages of breast cancer that had not spread outside the breast.
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Federal judge upholds Trump’s expansion of non-ObamaCare plans
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington ruled that Trump’s expansion of plans that do not conform to the Affordable Care Act may proceed. The judge ruled against insurance companies that attempted to block the Administration’s move. The Trump Administration’s changes attempted to enable people to have or continue healthcare coverage instead of going without it. The Administration continues to chip away at the ACA with mixed success.
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