Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New Report Explores How Medicare Payments Impact Hospice Care
The Washington Post's Wonkblog: How The Drive For Profits Is Shaping End Of Life Care
A federal watchdog has warned - yet again - that financial incentives in Medicare may be warping the ways that hospice care works in the U.S. In a report released Wednesday, the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services warns that some hospices appear to have sought higher profits by focusing on patients living in assisted living facilities. (Whoriskey, 1/14)
In other marketplace news -
Reuters: Big Pharma Faces Up To New Price Pressure From Aggressive Insurers
The world's biggest drugmakers face a new reality when it comes to U.S. pricing for their products as insurers use aggressive tactics to extract steep price discounts, even for the newest medications. Big Pharma executives acknowledged the depth of change this week during public presentations and interviews with Reuters at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference in San Francisco. Drugmakers have long relied on their ability to charge whatever they deemed appropriate in the U.S., the world’s most expensive health care system. (Beasley and Humer, 1/15)
