Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Despite Intense Scrutiny, Doctors Still Receiving Astronomical Sums From Drug and Medical Device Companies
ProPublica: We Found Over 700 Doctors Who Were Paid More Than A Million Dollars By Drug And Medical Device Companies
Back in 2013, ProPublica detailed what seemed a stunning development in the pharmaceutical industry’s drive to win the prescription pads of the nation’s doctors: In just four years, one doctor had earned $1 million giving promotional talks and consulting for drug companies; 21 others had made more than $500,000. Six years later — despite often damning scrutiny from prosecutors and academics — such high earnings have become commonplace. (Ornstein, Weber and Jones, 10/17)
The New York Times: Union Says G.M. Strike Won’t End Until Workers Vote On Deal
The longest strike against General Motors in half a century isn’t over yet. Leaders of union locals voted Thursday to approve a tentative contract agreement with the automaker, but said the strike — already a month old — would continue until workers voted to ratify the deal. After meeting for more than five hours in Detroit, the group said voting by the 49,000 members of the United Automobile Workers at G.M. plants would begin on Saturday and be completed within a week. (Boudette, 10/17)
KCUR: Health Insurers Have To Give Back $1.4 Billion, And Kansans Get The Fattest Checks
A private insurer’s 2018 premiums in Kansas ran too high — at least compared to the medical bills it had to pay for customers that year. That means thousands of Kansans get money back this fall because they got overcharged last year. Sunflower, a subsidiary of Centene, ran afoul of rules in the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. That forced rebates of more than $25 million dollars to nearly 19,000 customers who bought Ambetter individual health plans. (Llopis-Jepsen, 10/17)
Modern Healthcare: UnitedHealthcare Outpatient Surgery Policy Threatens Hospital Revenue
UnitedHealthcare is ramping up a prior authorization policy intended to shift outpatient surgeries to lower-cost settings outside of the hospital, a move that could put a dent in hospital revenue. It's the latest volley in a battle over where care should be delivered. Other health insurers in recent years have begun refusing to pay for some services, such as MRIs, when they occur in hospitals, which generally charge higher prices than physician offices or ambulatory surgery centers. UnitedHealthcare's new policy takes an aggressive stance on planned surgeries. (Livingston, 10/17)
Modern Healthcare: GE Healthcare, Premier Explore Same-Day Breast Cancer Diagnosis Clinic
GE Healthcare and Premier are working together to develop a care model that would allow patients to receive diagnosis and treatment plan information for breast cancer in the same day. Right now, women often must wait several days or even weeks after a follow-up mammogram before they know the results. Then, another appointment is set up to discuss the diagnosis and treatment plan. (Castellucci, 10/17)
Boston Globe: AG Says Price Transparency Isn’t Helping Consumers Save On Health Care Costs
Years after Massachusetts health insurers launched websites to help consumers make sense of medical costs, the tools are seldom used and are failing to contain health spending as hoped, according to a report from Attorney General Maura Healey’s office. The analysis injects fresh skepticism into the popular theory that giving consumers more information about the cost of medical services will compel them to choose lower-cost health care providers. (Dayal McCluskey, 10/17)
Kaiser Health News: In Hamburg, ‘Gesundheit’ Means More Than A Wish For Good Health
Researchers around the world hail Germany for its robust health care system: universal coverage, plentiful primary care, low drug prices and minimal out-of-pocket costs for residents. Unlike in the U.S., the prospect of a large medical bill doesn’t stand in the way of anyone’s treatment. “Money is a problem in [their lives], but not with us,” said Merangis Qadiri, a health counselor at a clinic in one of Hamburg’s poorest neighborhoods. (Luthra, 10/18)
Kaiser Health News: Sen. Grassley Questions UVA Health On Findings From KHN Investigation
In response to a Kaiser Health News investigation into the University of Virginia Health System’s aggressive collection practices, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) sent a letter Thursday demanding answers to questions about UVA’s billing practices, financial assistance policies and even its prices. Over six years, the state institution filed 36,000 lawsuits against patients seeking a total of more than $106 million in unpaid bills, a KHN analysis finds.The Finance Committee oversees federal tax laws, and Grassley wrote that it is “my job to make sure that entities exempt from tax are fulfilling their tax-exempt purposes.” (Lucas, 10/17)
