112119 tech&pharma
New California Law May Expand Use Of HIV Prevention Drugs, With Caveats
Mark Kreidler
Legislation that takes effect next July will let people buy the medications without a prescription for a limited period. Medical professionals say it’s a step in the right direction but will not significantly increase the use of the medicine without additional efforts.
White House Unveils Finalized Health Care Price Transparency Rule
Julie Appleby
The final directive drew swift responses from the hospital and insurance industries. The Trump administration also released a proposed rule that would require health insurers to spell out for all services beforehand just how much patients may owe for their out-of-pocket costs.
La Casa Blanca revela norma final sobre transparencia de precios en salud
Julie Appleby
La norma establece que, a partir de 2021, los hospitales deben publicar los precios de todos sus servicios en internet, para que los consumidores tengan información.
Voters Say Congress Needs To Curb Drug Prices, But Are Lawmakers Listening?
Emmarie Huetteman
Nearly 8 in 10 Americans say the cost of prescription drugs is unreasonable, but the odds look grim for Congress to pass significant pricing legislation this year.
FDA Keeps Brand-Name Drugs On A Fast Path To Market ― Despite Manufacturing Concerns
Sydney Lupkin
The agency approved Gilead’s “game changer” hepatitis C cure, bypassing concerns raised by its own federal inspectors.
How Germany Averted An Opioid Crisis
Shefali Luthra
Doctors are less likely to prescribe opioids in Germany and quicker to notice if a patient is at risk of abuse. And, for those who do experience addiction, treatment is easier to come by.
Moved Overseas For School, Stayed For Insulin
Shefali Luthra
Katie West, an American health researcher who has lived in Germany the past three years, hasn’t mastered the language and misses her family. But not having to worry about the cost of her lifesaving medication makes it OK.
Hospitals Take Shot At Opioid Makers Over Cost Of Treating Uninsured For Addiction
Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
A few hundred hospitals have banded together to sue drugmakers in state courts, but far more are staying on the sidelines to avoid 'unflattering attention' about their role in the opioid crisis.
Pharma Sells States On ‘Netflix Model’ To Wipe Out Hep C. But At What Price?
JoNel Aleccia and Barbara Feder Ostrov and Donna Gordon Blankinship
Manufacturers of lucrative drugs say they’re offering discounts off the high sticker prices ― but taxpayers footing the big bills might never know what the state is paying or if it’s getting a good deal.