After President Donald Trump’s drug pricing speech last week was deemed a “non-event” by analysts, all eyes turned to the secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, Alex Azar, to see what the former pharma executive viewed as the administration’s top concerns. Azar called on the industry to “stop the price hikes” […]
Healthcare Reform
Trump’s drug pricing plan called ‘non-event’ by analysts
President Donald Trump last week unveiled his administration’s plan to lower drug prices. But investors seemed relieved after the president made his highly anticipated announcement – stocks for large pharmaceutical companies and middlemen, like pharmacy benefit managers, were up on Friday. Trump did not commit to follow through with promises he made while campaigning for […]
CMS administrator Verma calls on insurers, providers to give patients their data
For the millions covered by Medicare, accessing their healthcare data ought to be simple – after all, the data belongs to them, according to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator Seema Verma. Earlier this year, CMS launched the latest version of the Blue Button initiative, a program designed to allow Medicare beneficiaries to collect […]
Senators urge HHS to seek lower price for naloxone
U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Gary Peters (D-MI) penned a letter to the Dept. of Health and Human Services, urging the agency to demand that manufacturers lower the price of the opioid overdose reversal drug, naloxone. The lawmakers wrote that the price of naloxone has climbed dramatically since it was first approved by the […]
House passes “right to try” bill allowing use of experimental drugs for terminally ill patients
The US House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill aiming to expand the “right to try” experimental drugs, sending the bill, which is backed by President Trump, to the Senate. The bill would allow terminally ill patients access to investigational drugs drugs that haven’t been approved by the FDA, according to a report from The […]
8 women medtech innovators you need to know
As we celebrate more women becoming medtech leaders and paving the way for innovation, it’s important to remember the many accomplishments women have already made when it comes to the advancement of health and medicine. X-rays on the battlefield, the American Red Cross, leprosy treatment and more — these advances happened because of women. As […]
Controversial “right to try” bill fails in the House
A controversial bill that would grant terminal patients access to experimental therapies failed yesterday in the House. Although the “right to try” effort didn’t muster up enough votes to send it to the Senate, majority leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said in a statement that the fight wasn’t over. “We will try again, pass legislation, […]
Medtech’s existential crisis and how it can survive
Executives in medtech and other life sciences companies view digital health startups and high tech giants as an existential threat. To compete, they’re going to have to invest in or acquire customer engagement and personalization skills usually associated with online retailers and social networking sites, according to a new report out today from EY. The […]
Medtronic thinks these clinics could be the future of diabetes care – here’s why
Managing a chronic illness can feel like a full-time job. Between juggling multiple appointments with an array of specialists and following a meticulous care plan, patients dealing with conditions like diabetes have a lot on their plate. Medtech titan Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) wants to help change that. The company’s CEO, Omar Ishrak, placed his faith in value-based care as the […]
Health insurance stocks slide on Amazon-Berkshire Hathaway-JPMorgan Chase non-profit self-insurance venture
Shares in major health insurers UnitedHealth and Anthem fell today after online retail giant Amazon (NSDQ:AMZN), major holding company Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase announced a collaborative, independent non-profit looking to provide their employees with healthcare. The three companies said they will look to “bring their scale and complimentary expertise” to the long-term project, which will […]
Report: Advocacy groups urge Congress to fund diabetes research program
Advocacy groups have reportedly warned Congress that if lawmakers don’t find permanent funding solutions for diabetes research programs, it could jeopardize important work being done around the country to help people living with diabetes. Politicians on Capitol Hill have provided funding that will support the Special Diabetes Program and the Special Diabetes Program for Indians through […]
