 Health Care |
Health Care |
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PBMs seek removal of 'biased' FTC chair, commissioners |
The three biggest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) want Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan and two other commissioners to recuse themselves — or have the full commission remove them — from an agency insulin lawsuit. |
Attorneys for UnitedHealth's Optum Rx, Cigna and CVS Caremark said Khan, along with Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, have long track records of publicly maligning PBMs that indicate a "serious bias" against them. The companies in separate filings said the commissioners' public assertions that PBMs are "price gougers" that hold significant control over access to prescription drugs and the prices of drugs are false. The FTC announced the lawsuit last month against the companies for engaging in alleged anticompetitive practices that boosted profits while "artificially" inflating the list price of insulin. The commission alleged that the three PBMs created a "perverse drug rebate system" that prioritizes high rebates from drug manufacturers, leading to higher costs for patients. The case is being brought under FTC's internal administrative process, rather than a traditional court of law. The case will be heard and decided by an FTC administrative law judge. That decision can then be appealed to the full commission, which may hold a hearing and will eventually issue its opinion. That opinion can then be appealed to any of the circuit courts. The companies argued the commissioners have already concluded that the PBMs' rebate practices are "unfair and illegal." The Biden administration and bipartisan lawmakers have been upping the pressure on PBMs, scrutinizing the business practices of the industry and seeking to shine light on the opaque intermediaries at the center of the pharmaceutical distribution system. PBMs negotiate the terms and conditions for access to prescription drugs for hundreds of millions of Americans. They are responsible for negotiating prices with drug companies, paying pharmacies and determining which drugs patients can access and how much they cost. |
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How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: |
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Federal health officials have approved the import of certain IV fluids from overseas as hospitals across the country scramble to deal with a Hurricane Helene-inflicted shortage. The shortage occurred after floodwaters from Helene damaged Baxter International's IV fluid manufacturing facility in Marion, N.C. The plant had supplied roughly 60 percent of the IV solution used by hospitals in the U.S. every day. A survey … |
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Microsoft unveiled several new artificial intelligence (AI) tools on Thursday aiming to support health care organizations through medical imaging models, health care agent services and an AI-driven workflow solution for nurses. The announcement detailed how each tool will improve workflow for busy health care professionals. The AI imaging tool, developed in collaboration with partners like Providence and Paige.ai, … |
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Federal and state health officials said they have confirmed a third human case of bird flu in California and identified an additional two new possible cases. The case was identified in a Central Valley dairy farm worker who had contact with infected cattle, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Thursday. To date, all three California cases occurred in dairy workers from three different farms with no known … |
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Branch out with a different read: |
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Most Americans support requiring insurance to cover IVF treatments: Poll |
Most Americans support legislation requiring insurance companies to cover infertility treatments, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), according to a poll released Thursday. The survey, sponsored by Americans for IVF and shared first with The Hill, found 70 percent of respondents would back a bill requiring private companies to cover the treatments, which can often cost tens of thousands of dollars. The sentiment … |
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Local and state headlines on health care: |
- How a N.Y. ballot measure became a battleground in the culture wars (NBC News)
- Florida Supreme Court sides with DeSantis in dispute over state abortion webpage (Florida Phoenix)
- Massachusetts cannabis regulators fine companies for record-keeping, pesticide violations (Boston Globe)
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Health news we've flagged from other outlets: |
- 10 people to watch who could shape health policy in a Harris administration (Stat)
- The end of a shortage of popular weight-loss drugs may mean many people lose access to them (CNN)
- Cash shortages and complex rules impede Native American healthcare access (KFF Health News)
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Most read stories on The Hill right now: |
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Democrats' nerves are at an all-time high. Two months ago — even a month ago — they were feeling bullish about Vice President Harris’s … Read more |
| Toronto-Dominion Bank, commonly referred to as TD Bank, is facing unprecedented fines and penalties from U.S. officials after allegedly failing to … Read more |
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Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: |
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