Cigna on Monday announced a new drug-pricing arrangement in which discounts it negotiates with manufacturers will be passed on directly to patients at the pharmacy counter instead of shared with employers.
Why it matters: The move comes amid intensifying pressure on drug price negotiators known as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) over a rebate system that's been criticized for being opaque and driving up drug costs.
Manufacturers of pricey wound-care products are squaring off with alliances of hospitals, doctors and other providers who care for Medicare patients over an effort to curb program spending on the high-tech bandages.
Why it matters: Politically connected interests have a lot riding on the market for "skin substitutes" — which has been dogged by accusations of suspicious spending and patient harm and is expected to top $15 billion this year per a new analysis by the National Association of Accountable Care Organizations.
Migratory birds aredriving up avian flu cases across the country, reviving concerns about U.S. readiness to respond to outbreaks, especially during the government shutdown.
Why it matters: The most immediate concern is how the spread of the disease in commercial poultry flocks could drive up food prices.
Data went dark this month. The government shutdown is halting the collection and release of statistics tracking the job market, public health and crop production, as well as other economic indicators.
Why it matters: The numbers are critical for understanding what's happening in the U.S., particularly at a moment of rapid change in both government policies and in the job market.
