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Humana prepares for ‘frustration’ over Medicare Advantage changes, 13 market exits
Posted on September 5, 2024 by Pharmaciststeve
Humana prepares for ‘frustration’ over Medicare Advantage changes, 13 market exits
Humana will stop offering Medicare Advantage in 13 counties in 2025, CFO Susan Diamond said Sept. 4.
Speaking at an investor conference, Ms. Diamond said the company will no longer offer several plans in 2025. The exits will affect around 560,000 beneficiaries, 10% of Humana’s MA membership. The company expects to retain around half of the members affected by plan exits.
In most areas where Humana is ending plans, the insurer has another plan available, Ms. Diamond said. She did not specify which counties Humana planned to exit.
“There are very few places, literally 13 counties, where we will have no presence at all — completely insignificant,” she said.
In July, Ms. Diamond said the company expected to lose a few hundred thousand members in 2025.
Humana ended plans that did not have a path to profitability, Ms. Diamond said.
Rising medical costs and lower reimbursements from CMS led Humana and other insurers to plan market exits in 2025.
CVS Health executives said they expect to lose up to 10% of Aetna’s MA membership next year. Centene is also planning to exit Medicare Advantage markets in six states.
There will be disruption across the MA industry as Humana and its competitors exit markets and adjust benefits to account for rising costs, Ms. Diamond said.
Ms. Diamond said the company acknowledges that there is “going to be a lot of frustration” among beneficiaries about the level of changes being made.
“Even if they’re frustrated by the level of benefit change we made, if that plan is still the best option, they will typically stay in the plan,” Ms. Diamond said. “That’s what we’ve seen historically in cases where we’ve had to make so many types of changes.”
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US allows increased production of Takeda’s ADHD drug to address shortage
Posted on September 5, 2024 by Pharmaciststeve
US allows increased production of Takeda’s ADHD drug to address shortage
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has increased the production limit for Takeda Pharmaceutical’s (4502.T)
ADHD drug Vyvanse and its generic versions by about 24% to address the medicine’s ongoing shortage in the United States.
The raised production limit follows the Food and Drug Administration’s request in July, the DEA said in a notice on Tuesday.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs have been in short supply for years. The FDA warned of a shortage of Israel-based drugmaker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries’ (TEVA.TA)
Adderall in October 2022, troubled by manufacturing delays.
That led to a spike in demand and subsequent shortage of Takeda’s Vyvanse.
Vyvanse, also known as lisdexamfetamine, is classified by the DEA as a schedule II controlled substance, which is applied to drugs considered to have a high likelihood of being abused, and additional prescribing safeguards are put in place.
The production limit for lisdexamfetamine was increased by 6,236 kilograms (kg), which includes 1,558 kg to address increased domestic demand and 4,678 kg for increased foreign demand for finished dosage medications, according to the DEA.
“These adjustments are necessary to ensure that the United States has an adequate and uninterrupted supply of lisdexamfetamine to meet legitimate patient needs both domestically and globally,” DEA said.
US FDA approved generic versions of Vyvanse from 11 drugmakers, including U.S.-based drugmakers Mallinckrodt and Viatris (VTRS.O)
UK-based Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK.L), and Indian drugmaker Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (SUN.NS)
last year after Takeda lost exclusivity over the drug.
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September is Chronic Pain & Suicide Awareness month
Posted on August 31, 2024 by Pharmaciststeve
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OMG he is US!
Posted on August 31, 2024 by Pharmaciststeve
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I just want to say the following sucks 1. My Retirement. Ok really this time! #1 Goverment #2 Healthcare #3 with my sick kids again! #4 I have No Snacks! #5 And of course life now and again
Posted on August 31, 2024 by Pharmaciststeve
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Donald Trump Opens Up to Dr. Phil in Latest Interview | Dr. Phil Primetime
Posted on August 31, 2024 by Pharmaciststeve
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Pain Identified as Dominant Symptom in Long COVID
Posted on August 30, 2024 by Pharmaciststeve
Pain Identified as Dominant Symptom in Long COVID
https://reachmd.com/news/pain-identified-as-dominant-symptom-in-long-covid/2467986/
Pain may be the most prevalent and severe symptom reported by individuals with long Covid, according to a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers.
The study, published in JRSM Open, analysed data from over 1,000 people in England and Wales who logged their symptoms on an app between November 2020 and March 2022.
Pain, including headache, joint pain and stomach pain, was the most common symptom, reported by 26.5% of participants.
The other most common symptoms were neuropsychological issues such as anxiety and depression (18.4%), fatigue (14.3%), and dyspnoea (shortness of breath) (7.4%). The analysis found that the intensity of symptoms, particularly pain, increased by 3.3% on average each month since initial registration.
The study also examined the impact of demographic factors on the severity of symptoms, revealing significant disparities among different groups. Older individuals were found to experience much higher symptom intensity, with those aged 68-77 reporting 32.8% more severe symptoms, and those aged 78-87 experiencing an 86% increase in symptom intensity compared to the 18-27 age group.
Gender differences were also pronounced, with women reporting 9.2% more intense symptoms, including pain, than men. Ethnicity further influenced symptom severity, as non-white individuals with long Covid reported 23.5% more intense symptoms, including pain, compared to white individuals.
The study also explored the relationship between education levels and symptom severity. Individuals with higher education qualifications (NVQ level 3, 4, and 5 — equivalent to A-levels or higher education) experienced significantly less severe symptoms, including pain, with reductions of 27.7%, 62.8%, and 44.7% for NVQ levels 3, 4 and 5 respectively, compared to those with lower education levels (NVQ level 1-2 — equivalent to GCSEs).
Socioeconomic status, as measured by the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), also influenced symptom intensity. Participants from less deprived areas reported less intense symptoms than those from the most deprived areas. However, the number of symptoms did not significantly vary with socioeconomic status, suggesting that while deprivation may exacerbate symptom intensity, it does not necessarily lead to a broader range of symptoms.
Lead author Dr David Sunkersing (UCL Institute of Health Informatics) said: “Our study highlights pain as a predominant self-reported symptom in long Covid, but it also shows how demographic factors appear to play a significant role in symptom severity.
“With ongoing occurrences of Covid-19 (e.g., LB.1, or D-FLiRT variants), the potential for more long Covid cases remains a pressing concern. Our findings can help shape targeted interventions and support strategies for those most at risk.”
In the paper, the researchers called for sustained support for long Covid clinics and the development of treatment strategies that prioritise pain management, alongside other prevalent symptoms like neuropsychological issues and fatigue.
Given the significant impact of demographic factors on symptom severity, the study underscored the need for healthcare policies that addressed these disparities, ensuring equitable care for all individuals affected by long Covid, the researchers said.
Study limitations included a lack of information on other health conditions participants may have had and a lack of information about health history. The researchers cautioned that the study may have excluded individuals with very severe Covid and those facing technological or socioeconomic barriers in accessing a smartphone app.
The study was led by the UCL Institute of Health Informatics and the Department of Primary Care and Population Health at UCL in collaboration with the software developer, Living With Ltd.
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Oversight Chair Knocks PBM Execs for July Testimony Under Oath
Posted on August 29, 2024 by Pharmaciststeve
Oversight Chair Knocks PBM Execs for 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 James Comer (R-Ky.) called on executives from Express Scripts, CVS Caremark, and OptumRx to correct the record for statements.
What kind of political BS is this, the law says a fine or FIVE YEARS IN PRISON. Those corporations will pay just about any fine that would be imposed. Each of those companies are worth hundreds of millions each. Throw those 3 exec’s ass in JAIL FOR 5 YEARS and watch all those PBMs rapidly start changing their processes. Repeal the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ McCarran%E2%80%93Ferguson_Act McCarran–Ferguson Act gives the insurance industry an exemption to the Sherman Antitrust Act and then let the FTC have their way with the monopolistic practices of our insurance industry.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Aug. 28, 2024) – The National Community Pharmacists Association released the following statement from CEO B. Douglas Hoey, pharmacist, MBA, after House Committee on Oversight and Accountability
Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) called on executives from Express Scripts, CVS Caremark, and OptumRx to correct the record for statements they made under oath during their appearance before the committee in July:
“PBM-insurers’ days of reckoning are continuing. Congress and the FTC aren’t falling for their nonsense, and the heat on them has never been higher. PBM-insurers exert so much influence on which drugs patients have access to and how much they cost that calling out their mistruths and working to hold them accountable is critical, and we applaud Chairman Comer for doing so. We also need to emphasize that Congress must absolutely pass PBM reforms this year. The time for waiting is over because PBM-insurers showed they will fudge the truth wherever they can and they’ll only change their ways if they are forced.”
In a statement released after the July hearing, Hoey called out
the excuses and at times downright lies the PBM executives were attempting to feed members of the committee about the roles their organizations play in increasing prescription costs and decreasing patient access to health care.
Making sure to note that under the law,
those who are untruthful in committee testimony under oath run the risk of a fine or five years of imprisonment,
Comer’s letters to the PBM executives specifically highlight their statements that contradict the committee’s and the Federal Trade Commission’s findings about the PBMs’ self-benefitting practices that jeopardize patient care, undermine local pharmacies, and raise prescription drug prices; claims that they do not steer patients to PBM-owned pharmacies; and claims contradicting the committee’s and FTC’s findings regarding contract negotiations, contract opt-outs, and payments to pharmacies. The committee is asking the big three PBMs to provide their corrections to the record by Sept. 11, 2024.
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Dr. Mark Ibsen describes his experience being targeted for treating pain
Posted on August 28, 2024 by Pharmaciststeve
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