PHARMACIST STEVE

Oversight Chair Knocks PBM Execs for July Testimony Under Oath https://ncpa.org/newsroom/news-releases/2024/08/28/oversight-chair-knocks-pbm-execs-july-testimony-under-oath Calls on them to provide any necessary corrections to the record within three weeks Isn’t lying under oath called perjury? According to this article, three top execs of the 3 largest PBMs LIED under oath to the  House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman […]

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I have been wanting to post about this but waited till there was some progress. Back the end of Jan 2024 Barb ended up having lumbar surgery. Her pain had reached a level that even upping her doses of opioids over several months could not suppress her increased pain. She debated on having the surgery […]

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Centene to end Part D broker payments https://www.beckerspayer.com/payer/centene-ends-part-d-broker-payments.html Centene will no longer pay commission to insurance brokers enrolling or renewing members in its Medicare Part D plans.  In a message sent to brokers, published Aug. 25 on Pinnacle Financial Services, Centene said it will continue paying compensation to brokers enrolling members in its Wellcare Medicare […]

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Pharmacy Closures Disproportionately Affect Vulnerable Americans https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/pharmacy-closures-disproportionately-affect-vulnerable-americans Columbus, OH—How do so-called pharmacy deserts disproportionately affect U.S. residents living in regions with low healthcare practitioner supply and high social vulnerability? That was the question raised in a recent research letter published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open. “Retail pharmacy chains have been […]

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Guess how much the insurance/PBM industry was DEMANDING in a kickback/rebate/discount from Lilly for them to paid for this medication for one of their beneficiaries? Eli Lilly selling Zepound vials at 50% discount: 4 notes https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/pharmacy/eli-lilly-selling-zepound-vials-at-50-discount-4-notes.html Eli Lilly has started selling single-dose vials of its blockbuster weight loss drug Zepbound for roughly half of its […]

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Feds Killed Plan To Curb Medicare Advantage Overbilling After Industry Opposition https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/medicare-advantage-overbilling-diagnostic-codes-cms-killed-rule/ A decade ago, federal officials drafted a plan to discourage Medicare Advantage health insurers from overcharging the government by billions of dollars — only to abruptly back off amid an “uproar” from the industry, newly released court filings show. The Centers for Medicare […]

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New Painkiller Could Bring Relief to Millions—Without Addiction Risk https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-pain-medication-suzetrigine-prevents-pain-signals-from-reaching-brain/ The medication initially known as VX-548 blocks sodium channels in nerves, blocking pain signals before they reach the brain hen doctors ask Sara Gehrig to describe her pain, she often says it is indescribable. Stabbing, burning, aching—those words frequently fail to depict sensations that have […]

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‘This is organized crime’: Pharmacy board blasted for alleged corruption, retaliation at public hearing https://1819news.com/news/item/this-is-organized-crime-pharmacy-board-blasted-for-alleged-corruption-retaliation-at-public-hearing The Alabama State Board of Pharmacy (ABOP) was subjected to a nearly two-hour grilling by lawmakers on Thursday after a recent report that found multiple “significant problems” with the board’s operations and perceived retaliatory practices against licensees. The Alabama Examiners of […]

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