Viewpoints: Finding Cures And Medical Advances; Cost Of Caring For Microcephaly
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
The Wall Street Journal:
Three Ways To Find More Disease Cures
The triumph of science over disease in the past century is astounding. Since 1900, a host of maladies—diphtheria, measles, whooping cough, polio, tetanus, typhoid and smallpox, among others—have been mostly controlled. These victories helped more than double human lifespans over the 20th century, according to the World Health Organization. ... Yet out of more than 10,000 known disorders, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences says that fewer than 1,000 have truly effective treatments. Without research breakthroughs, Alzheimer’s disease could cost $1.1 trillion a year for treatment and care by 2050, estimates the Alzheimer’s Association. That’s nearly twice the annual Defense Department budget. (Michael Milken, 11/28)
Cincinnati Enquirer:
Medical Advances Offer Hope – With Precautions
Biosimilars are designed to work like the brand biologics they imitate, but they are not the same as “generics.” A generic is an exact chemical copy of the original drug. A biosimilar can be slightly different from the brand biologic due to the complexity of the manufacturing process, transportation or handling. These slight differences mean either product could produce adverse reactions in some patients. (Marcia Horn, 11/28)
The Washington Post:
The Cost Of Caring For A Child With Microcephaly For 53 Years
So far, the financial cost of the Zika virus and the birth defects caused by it is unclear. The care for one child with birth defects can cost $10 million or more, Tom Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a press briefing in April. When our son Andy was born with microcephaly 53 years ago, a doctor advised me and my husband to put him in an institution. We were determined to keep him at home, but if we had put him in an institution at 2 months of age, I estimate his care would have cost Medicaid almost $21 million (in 2013 dollars) over the past 53 years. That’s $1,084 a day, or $395,660 a year. (Barbara Altman, 11/28)
Stat:
Rebates To Pharmacy Benefit Managers Are Contributing To High Drug Prices
In the furor over high drug prices, both Congress and the media have largely focused on the role played by drug companies such as Turing Pharmaceuticals, Valeant, and Mylan. Another contributor — pharmacy benefit managers and the rebates they get from drug companies — is only now getting the attention it deserves. Pharmacy benefit managers serve as intermediaries between the plan sponsor, such as an insurance company, and pharmacies. They determine which pharmacies will be in the plan’s network, develop the formulary (list of covered medications), and negotiate price rebates with drug manufacturers. Manufacturers provide these rebates in exchange for having specific medications listed on the formulary. It’s all perfectly legal. Yet the non-transparent nature of these arrangements makes it difficult to know what percentage of these rebates are passed on as savings to plan sponsors and how much is kept by the pharmacy benefit manager. (B. Douglas Hoey, 11/28)
Modern Healthcare:
Will Donald Trump's Rejection Of Conflict Rules Set Tone For Healthcare Leaders?
Would it be ethical if a healthcare CEO took time during an official meeting or phone call with an elected official or executive of another organization to promote or discuss issues related to his or her separate private business? “That would be a breach, or potential breach, of the fiduciary duty of loyalty,” said Douglas Chia, executive director of the Conference Board's Governance Center. Yet that is exactly what President-elect Donald Trump allegedly did in post-election conversations with a British political leader, the president of Argentina, and Trump Organization business partners from India. Healthcare governance experts fear that Trump's behavior could send a signal to leaders in healthcare and other industries that it's OK to mix their official activities with private economic interests. (Harris Meyer, 11/27)
Des Moines Register:
More Medicaid Money Promotes Better Outcomes For Patients
As expected, the governor’s decision to appropriate additional government funds to facilitate the Medicaid Modernization transition has come under fire from opponents eager to downplay the success of managed care. A few weeks ago, Gov. Terry Branstad approved an increase in per-patient rates paid to managed care organizations. The extra expenditure will not interfere with the projected goal of $110 million in Medicaid cost savings. The additional funding will be used to cover costs associated with the Iowa Health and Wellness Program and significant increases in prescription drugs. In short, the additional funds promote better outcomes for patients. (State Sen. Jack Whitver, 11/27)
