Marketplace Insurers, Already Under Fire For Limited Networks, Double Down To Cut Costs
A McKinsey & Co. analysis of regulatory filings for 18 states and the District of Columbia found that only about 25 percent of the plans offered on those exchanges would be preferred-provider organizations or similar options that generally give consumers the ability to choose from larger selections of doctors and hospitals and include out-of-network coverage, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The Wall Street Journal:
Insurers Move To Limit Options In Health-Care Exchange Plans
Under intense pressure to curb costs that have led to losses on the Affordable Care Act exchanges, insurers are accelerating their move toward plans that offer limited choices of doctors and hospitals. A new McKinsey & Co. analysis of regulatory filings for 18 states and the District of Columbia found that 75% of the offerings on their exchanges in 2017 will likely be health-maintenance organizations or a similar plan design known as an exclusive provider organization, or EPO. Both typically require consumers to use an often-narrow network of health-care providers—in some cases, just one large hospital system and its affiliated facilities and doctors. (Wilde Mathews, 8/31)
Stat:
How Mylan Tried To Keep Teva From Selling A Generic EpiPen
A new study finds that citizens’ petitions can “play a crucial role in delaying” generic drugs from becoming available — and cites Mylan Pharmaceuticals as a prominent example of companies whose reliance on such tactics is questionable. In particular, the study points to a petition that Mylan filed in early 2015 in an attempt to persuade the US Food and Drug Administration not to approve a rival to its EpiPen device for life-threatening allergic reactions, which was being developed by Teva Pharmaceuticals. (Silverman, 8/31)
The Associated Press:
Poll: More Voters Trust Clinton On Health Care
A new poll finds that more voters trust Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to do a better job on health care issues, from Medicare to medical costs. But they're not holding out hope for big improvements. The survey from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation found that Clinton leads Republican opponent Donald Trump when it comes to the future of Medicare, Medicaid, the federal health care law, and the cost of medications. (9/1)
The New York Times:
Study Finds Increase In Temporary Paralysis Accompanied Zika Outbreaks
In seven countries that recently experienced Zika outbreaks, there were also sharp increases in the numbers of people suffering from a form of temporary paralysis, researchers reported Wednesday. The analysis, published online in The New England Journal of Medicine, adds to substantial evidence that Zika infections — even asymptomatic ones — may bring on a paralysis called Guillain-Barré syndrome. (Saint Louis, 8/31)