Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Seeking Price Drop, Sanders Warns Wegovy Could Ruin Health Care System
The Hill: Wegovy Could Bankrupt US Health System, Sanders Says In New Report
Blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy could bankrupt the U.S. health care system unless the price drops, according to a staff report released Wednesday from the office of Senate Health Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Unless prices dramatically decline, Wegovy and weight loss drugs could push Americans to spend $1 trillion per year on prescription drugs, the report concluded. (Weixel, 5/15)
Newsweek: Medicare Could Save $500 Million With Coverage Change
Anti-obesity medications are a hot topic in the medical world, and many Americans remain conflicted on how and when they should be covered by health insurance. Despite the controversy around paying for weight loss drugs like Ozempic, a new Intensity report found covering the anti-obesity medications could in fact save Medicare around $500 million yearly. (Blake, 5/15)
Axios: Weight-Loss Drug Shortages Leave Wegovy Patients Stressed
Patients prescribed highly effective anti-obesity medications are growing anxious about the increasing difficulty of obtaining them amid long-running shortages driven by blockbuster demand for the drugs. (Reed, 5/16)
The Hill: Voters More Aware Of Drug Pricing In Inflation Reduction Act: Poll
President Biden’s messaging about lowering the cost of prescription drugs through the Inflation Reduction Act is resonating with more people, but most voters overall are still unaware of some key provisions, according to a new poll from health policy research group KFF. Lowering health costs has been a key reelection message for Biden, and he has touted passage of the IRA as a signature achievement. (Weixel, 5/15)
In other news —
The Hill: Carper, Scott Introduce Legislation To Extend Hospital-At-Home For 5 Years
Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) will introduce legislation Wednesday that would extend the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) waiver program past its 2024 expiration date. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced several waivers and flexibilities in 2020, allowing for various inpatient-level hospital services to be conducted in patients’ homes. (Choi, 5/15)
Politico: What’s In Schumer’s AI Framework For Health Care
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s bipartisan artificial intelligence working group is calling for committees to consider a policy framework that could rein in the technology’s use in health care. The policy proposals, from the working group of Schumer and Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.), are the most detailed Congress has offered on AI in health care to date. (Leonard, 5/15)
Modern Healthcare: AI In Healthcare Needs Strict Oversight, Rigorous Testing: IHI
Health systems implementing artificial intelligence should have strict oversight, informed patient consent and rigorous testing in place for the technology, according to safety recommendations from a recent Institute for Healthcare Improvement report. The report, published Wednesday by IHI's think tank, Lucian Leape Institute, lays out best practices from 30 patient safety and technology experts on generative AI used in documentation assistance, clinical decision support and chatbots that interact with patients. (Devereaux, 5/15)
Fox News: Health Care Costs Up To 300% Higher For Privately Insured Patients Than Those With Medicare
Most Americans — more than 65% — have private health insurance, but a new report has revealed a potentially very expensive drawback. Patients who have private (commercial) coverage may end up paying significantly more for their medical care compared to those who have public health insurance, such as Medicare, according to recent data from RAND Corp. in Washington, D.C. As of 2022, employers and private insurance companies paid an average of 254% more for medical services than what Medicare programs would have paid. (Rudy, 5/15)
Modern Healthcare: FTC’s Lina Khan Defends Antitrust Probes, Noncompete Rule
Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan pointed to her agency's antitrust work Wednesday, including blocking healthcare mergers and investigating vertical integration, in her pitch to boost the FTC's budget. Khan also defended the FTC's recent decision to finalize a rule banning non-compete clauses, and told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services she would like to see the agency's budget grow next year by about 25% to $535 million so she can continue to expand its work. She also wants to add 55 more staffers. (McAuliff, 5/15)
Also —
CNN: FDA Greenlights Self-Collection Of Vaginal Samples For Cervical Cancer Screening
Instead of a traditional speculum-involved pelvic exam to screen for cervical cancer, the US Food and Drug Administration has given the go-ahead for patients to have the option to collect their own vaginal samples for screening in a health care setting, such as at their doctor’s office, an urgent care or even a mobile clinic. (Howard, 5/15)
Reuters: US FDA Approves Expanded Use Of Bristol Myers' Cancer Cell Therapy
The U.S. health regulator on Wednesday approved the expanded use of Bristol Myers Squibb's (BMY.N) cancer cell therapy Breyanzi for the treatment of adults with a type of blood cancer called follicular lymphoma, that has returned or has not responded to prior treatments. The Food and Drug Administration's decision marks the fourth approval for Breyanzi, which can now be used to treat patients who have received two or more prior lines of therapy. (5/16)
Newsweek: Ventilator Recall Issued With Warning Of 'Serious Injuries Or Death'
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered a software recall for a type of ventilator, for fear of "serious injuries or death." The ventilators—the Philips Respironics, Inc. Trilogy EVO, Trilogy EV300, Trilogy Evo O2, and Trilogy Evo Universal—have been assigned a Class I recall, which is the most serious type of recall that the FDA has. (Thomson, 5/15)
AP: UN Agency Authorizes Second Vaccine Against Dengue Amid Outbreaks In The Americas
The World Health Organization on Wednesday authorized a second dengue vaccine, a move that could provide protection for millions worldwide against the mosquito-borne disease that has already sparked numerous outbreaks across the Americas this year. In a statement on Wednesday, the U.N. health agency said it approved the dengue vaccine made by the Japanese pharmaceutical Takeda. ... The two-dose vaccine protects against the four types of dengue. (5/15)
