Alex Azar, the president’s nominee to head the Dept. of Health & Human Services, has nearly a decade of experience in the pharmaceutical industry – and that experience is either predictive of his inability to act on lowering drug prices or will serve him well as HHS chief, depending on who you ask. At Azar’s […]
Healthcare Reform
7 top stories that mattered for medtech in 2017
The medtech industry saw its transformation accelerate in 2017: Whether it’s the roster of largest companies, business models or the regulatory environment, times are a-changing. Competition is also heating up in areas including diabetes care and robotic surgery. Here are seven stories that mattered for the medical device industry this year. Next>>
Report: Drugmakers may have ducked $1.3B in Medicaid rebates
Without calling out any drug companies by name, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General revealed this week that 10 potentially misclassified drugs may have resulted in $1.3 billion in lost rebates to Medicaid between 2012 and 2016. The issue of ducking rebates came to the public’s attention earlier this […]
US House proposes 5-year extension to medical device tax suspension
The US House of Representatives has proposed a five-year suspension to the medical device tax that would keep it from becoming active again next year, according to an AdvaMed press release posted today. The proposal comes from House Ways & Means Committee Chair Kevin Brady (R-Texas) and Reps. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.) and Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.), […]
Is medtech behind the curve on value-based care?
Less than 60% of healthcare professionals think medical device brands meet their patient outcomes expectations – an important part of value-based care, according to a new survey from analytics platform company Vennli. “With the changes occurring in value-based healthcare model, healthcare providers are subject to more scrutiny than ever before. … Providers will put pressure on […]
CVS Health to buy Aetna in $69B merger
CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) plans to buy health insurer Aetna (NYSE:AET) in a $69 billion merger, according to a report from The New York Times. The deal comes as companies like Amazon (NSDQ:AMZN), which is reportedly trying to launch into the pharmacy business, are looking to change the way that consumers interact with the healthcare industry. Get the full story at our sister […]
One Drop wants to help lead a healthcare revolution for people with diabetes – here’s how
When Jeff Dachis was diagnosed with Type I diabetes four years ago, he remembers leaving the doctor’s office with a sinking feeling in his chest. “I had about six minutes with a nurse practitioner and was given an insulin pen and a prescription and a pat on the back – and I was out the […]
House passes DoD bill with room to renegotiate drug, device approval provision
The US House of Representatives this week passed a nearly $700 billion defense policy bill, but left room for negotiating new terms related to a controversial provision which would have given the Dept. of Defense the power to approve medical devices and drugs without FDA clearance. The house voted 356 to 70 to approve the […]
FDA chief to big pharma: ‘End the shenanigans’
FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb yesterday scolded pharmaceutical companies that employ tactics to stifle generic drug competition, calling on them to “end the shenanigans.” At this week’s Federal Trade Commission meeting on competition within the pharmaceutical industry, the FDA chief called out brand-name pharma companies for trying to extend negotiations over risk evaluation and mitigation […]
House punts med device tax until after tax reform is finished
The US House of Representatives will not be considering the 2.3% medical device tax in its new push for tax reform, promising to attend to them after the reform effort is finished, according to a Washington Examiner report. Both the medical device tax and taxes on health insurers which were part of Obamacare will be […]
Value-based care: CMS’s new administrator wants more of it
Seven months into her tenure, CMS administrator Seema Verma is turning out to be highly supportive of value-based care models. In fact, she recently told an audience in Cleveland that she wants them implemented faster. The situation appears to dispel doubts that alternative payment models – such as Accountable Care Organizations or “comprehensive care” models for […]