Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Issues Order Aimed At Medicare Drug Price Talks, Hospital Payments
Stat: Trump Targets Health Care Costs With Executive Order On Drug Price Negotiations, Hospital Payments
President Trump unveiled a wide-ranging executive order on Tuesday that aims to lower drug prices, boost transparency into fees charged by middlemen, and limit Medicare payments for outpatient services provided by hospitals. Much of the order would require further rulemaking or other actions to have any effect. (Bannow and Oza, 4/15)
More Medicare updates —
The Hill: Democrats Call On RFK Jr. To Keep Biden Rule Allowing Medicare Coverage Of Anti-Obesity Drugs
A group of Democratic senators are calling on Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to keep a proposed Biden-era rule that would have allowed Medicare and Medicaid to cover drugs used to treat obesity after the Trump administration decided not to finalize it. Democratic Sens. Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Cory Booker (N.J.), Ben Ray Luján (N.M.) and Gary Peters (Mich.) asked that Kennedy reissue the rule proposed under former President Biden. (Choi, 4/15)
Bloomberg: Humana Faces Setback In Fight To Reverse Medicare Bonus Cuts
Humana Inc. lost an administrative appeal in its ongoing battle to reverse changes to Medicare quality ratings that threaten billions of dollars in revenue next year. The health insurer disclosed the decision in a legal filing Tuesday. Humana is still pursuing a separate lawsuit against the federal government in Texas district court. (Tozzi, 4/15)
Modern Healthcare: Cone Health Buys Medicare Advantage Insurer From Novant
Novant Health has sold its stake in Medicare Advantage company HealthTeam Advantage back to Cone Health. Cone Health — which launched HealthTeam Advantage in 2015 — is now the full owner of the Medicare Advantage carrier, the Greensboro, North Carolina-based health system said in a Tuesday news release. Cone Health declined to provide financial details of the deal. (Berryman, 4/15)
Fierce Healthcare: 'Watching The Clues': Uncertainty Clouds Medicare Conference
Medicare agents and brokers are trying to get a handle on a rapidly changing health landscape, but, in some respects, there are more questions than answers. That sense of uncertainty, even worry, was palpable at Medicarians in Las Vegas on March 30 to April 2. Medicarians hosts stakeholders ranging from agents and brokers, to carriers to investors, to regulators each year. (Tong, 4/15)
