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FDA authorizes pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid, with limitations
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday revised the Emergency Use Authorization for Pfizer’s antiviral COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid, allowing pharmacists to prescribe the treatment, with limitations.
Paxlovid is authorized for the treatment o…
Senate Democrats release plan for Medicare drug negotiations
Senate Democrats have carved out a deal on legislation that would attempt to lower prescription drug costs for Americans by allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices.
COVID-19 accounted for 17% of 45-54-year old deaths
COVID-19 was the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 45 and 54 in 2021, accounting for 16.8% of all deaths in that age group, found a study in JAMA Internal Medicine. It was the third leading cause of death during the height of the pa…
Cigna divests life, accident and supplemental benefits businesses in Asia
Cigna has divested its Asia-based life, accident and supplemental benefits business, selling it to Chubb in a transaction estimated at about $5.4 billion.
Cigna chairman and CEO David M. Cordani said the transaction allows the insurer to focus on growi…
Inflation, lingering effects of COVID-19 will impact 2023 premiums
Several factors are expected to impact premiums in 2023, including global inflation, the lingering effects of COVID-19 and the end of enhanced subsidies for plans on the exchange, according to a new report from the American Academy of Actuaries.
Children’s uninsured rate fell during COVID-19
The annual rate of uninsured children fell from 5.1% in 2019 to 4.1% in 2021, representing about 700,000 fewer uninsured children during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new data released by the Urban Institute.
HHS awards more than $155 million to expand training for primary care residents
The federal government is making a push to expand residency programs, with the Department of Health and Human Services announcing more than $155 million in awards for 72 teaching health centers that operate primary care medical and dental residency pro…
House members urge CMS to expand Medicare dental coverage
Lawmakers from the U.S. House of Representatives are asking the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to expand the definition of medically necessary dental coverage for Medicare beneficiaries, saying the agency currently has the regulatory author…
Supreme Court declines to hear UnitedHealthcare appeal of Medicare overpayment rule
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear UnitedHealthcare’s challenge to a federal rule stipulating insurers offering Medicare Advantage plans refund payments based on unsupported diagnoses in patients’ medical records.
Optum launches laboratory benefit management solution to reduce unnecessary testing
Optum announced it’s launching a laboratory benefit management solution designed to help health plans reduce unnecessary lab testing and ensure their members receive appropriate, high-quality tests.
The potential savings for health plans range from $12…
