Here’s a drug project to watch: Louisiana officially unveiled a proposal this week in which the state would pay drug companies fixed prices over several years for “unlimited access” to hepatitis C drugs for Medicaid and prison populations.
The big picture: Louisiana is calling it a “subscription payment model” — kind of like Netflix. Except instead of nonstop streaming, Louisiana gets as many hepatitis C treatments as it needs. Louisiana thinks it can save money and lives, while locking in revenue for drug companies.
The Trump administration has a message for accountable care organizations, a cost-cutting enterprise encouraged by the Affordable Care Act: You're either in or you're out.
The big picture: ACOs are one of the many efforts to get doctors, hospitals and other providers to work together — and get paid together — under the belief that greater collaboration will both save money and improve quality.
