The three biggest pharmacy benefit managers made more than $7.3 billion over five years marking up the prices of specialty generic drugs for cancer, HIV and other conditions, the Federal Trade Commission charged on Tuesday.
Why it matters: It's the second time the FTC has singled out CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and OptumRx for driving up drug costs. The report could provide fodder if President-elect Trump opts to make good on vows to crack down on pharmacy middlemen.
Most packaged foods may soon carry front-facing nutrition labels under an 11th-hour proposal the Biden administration unveiled on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Consumer advocates say front-of-package labels have been shown in other countries to steer consumers to healthier options and incentivize food companies to reformulate their products.
The creation of ARPA-H and first-ever limits on "forever chemicals" in consumer products and drinking water are among the significant legacies of the cancer "moonshot," Biden administration officials said Monday.
Why it matters: The moonshot aimed to cut the cancer death rate by at least half and was a passion project for President Joe Biden, though skeptics said the substantial sums directed at it could have been better spent and that the regulatory regime encouraged quantity over quality.
Enrollment of first-year Black and Hispanic medical students fell sharply in the year after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in higher education, according to new data from the institutions.
Why it matters: Research shows that a racially diverse physician workforce can improve patient outcomes.
Americans have consistently viewed medical workers, K-12 teachers and military officers as the most ethical professions — but even their ratings have dropped considerably, new Gallup polling shows.
Why it matters: Americans' opinion of the ethics of various professions has stalled at its lowest point — reflective of declining confidence in U.S. institutions overall.
The Biden administration unveiled a tuition repayment program to incentivize nurses to work in nursing homes or state agencies that monitor them as it wraps up its final days in office.
Why it matters: President Biden's marquee policy to improve nursing home care — a national staffing requirement for skilled nursing facilities — is likely to be rolled back by the incoming Republican trifecta.
Insurers who administer private Medicare plans could see a more than $21 billion pay increase in 2026 under a plan proposed by the Biden administration on Friday.
The big picture: The adjustment would be a boon for UnitedHealth Group, the country's largest Medicare Advantage insurer. Other major MA players like Humana and CVS Health would also benefit.
A sweeping update of federal security standards to better protect patient data against cyberattacks is drawing pushback from health systems, who say it's unworkable and too expensive.
Why it matters: With the effects of the massive Change Healthcare attack still resonating and increasingly sophisticated attacks hitting hospitals, there's concern about a one-size-fits-all approach and how smaller and financially strapped facilities can adapt.
