Medicare is taking years longer than private insurance to cover some generic drugs, meaning seniors could be paying more for their prescriptions, according to Access for Affordable Medicines, a lobbying group for the generic drug industry.
Between the lines: A 2017 policy change made the distinction between generics and brand-name drugs unclear, forcing the two types to compete within the same formulary tiers, Bloomberg notes.
The Trump administration argues its new price transparency rules will help patients shop for cheaper care and encourage insurers to make such shopping attractive.
Yes, but: Research shows most patients don't shop for care, even when tools exist to make it easier.
Massachusetts lawmakers passed the toughest ban on flavored tobacco and vaping products in the country on Thursday, proposing a 75% excise tax on vaping products and requiring the state's Medicaid program to cover tobacco cessation counseling, AP reports.
The big picture: Massachusetts now awaits Gov. Charlie Baker’s decision whether to sign the bill.Several states introduced bans and filed lawsuits to address the high rate of lung injuries and dozens of deaths due to vaping. A nationwide ban on flavored e-cigarette products, which was ready to be rolled out by the Trump administration, has been stalled, the Washington Post reports.
The FDA has approved the drug Givlaari, made by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, for adults who have acute hepatic porphyria, a genetic disorder that leads to severe abdominal pain and affects just 1 in 25,000 people.
The big picture: Alnylam set Givlaari's net price, after discounts to insurers, at $442,000 per year, or about $39,000 per vial. It's a lofty price tag, but those prices are common among drugs that use new scientific techniques to treat very rare diseases.
As suicide and overdose rates have increased, mental health and substance abuse insurance coverage has gotten worse, according to a new Milliman report commissioned by the Mental Health Treatment and Research Institute.
Why it matters: Behavioral health treatment often isn't covered by insurance, and it's often unaffordable — including for patients for whom treatment is a matter of life and death.
