NEW YORK (Reuters)—Nearly a third of U.S. counties will likely be served by only one insurer that participates in an Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace in 2017, according to an analysis published Aug. 28 by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The 31% of U.S. counties that will have just a single option of insurers within the…
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Aetna CEO Warned It Would Cut Obamacare If Humana Deal Was Blocked
NEW YORK (Reuters)—Aetna Inc.’s CEO said in a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) during the review of its deal to buy rival Humana Inc that the insurer would exit much of the individual Obamacare insurance market if the agency challenged the merger. In the July 5 letter, Chief Executive Officer Mark Bertolini…
The ACR’s Advocacy at State Legislature Level in 2016 Focuses on Biosimilars, Step Therapy
A majority of state legislatures have concluded their work for 2016. The ACR’s state advocacy efforts continued to focus on policy benefiting rheumatologists and patients alike. The two dominant issues this year were biosimilar substitution and step therapy. Biosimilar Substitution Biosimilar substitution remains the most prevalent issue throughout the states. The ACR continues to monitor…
U.S. Antitrust Officials Poised to Block Anthem, Aetna Deals
NEW YORK (Reuters)—U.S. antitrust officials are poised to file lawsuits to block Anthem Inc’s acquisition of Cigna Corp., as well as Aetna Inc.’s takeover of Humana Inc., a person familiar with the matter tells Reuters. Antitrust regulators have been scrutinizing the deals and looking at the potential for higher prices if the insurance market consolidates…
ACR Advocacy at the State Level in 2016
A majority of state legislatures have concluded their work for 2016. The ACR’s state advocacy efforts continued to focus on policy benefiting rheumatologists and patients alike. The two dominant issues this year were biosimilar substitution and step therapy. Biosimilar Substitution Biosimilar substitution remains the most prevalent issue throughout the states. The ACR continues to monitor…
U.S. Justice Department Has Concerns about Aetna-Humana Deal
(Reuters)—The U.S. Department of Justice has significant concerns about Aetna Inc.’s proposed acquisition of health insurer Humana Inc., a source familiar with the situation said on Thursday, and shares of Humana fell more than 11%. Aetna’s purchase of Humana would combine two of the largest providers of Medicare Advantage plans for elderly people, and investors…
Medicare Advantage Grows, but Provider Choice Is Limited
CHICAGO (Reuters)—Medicare enrollees are moving in greater numbers than ever to the program’s managed care option as a way to save money. But the tradeoff is much less ability to use their preferred doctors and hospitals. Seniors can choose between traditional fee-for-service Medicare—which is accepted by most healthcare providers—or a Medicare Advantage plan. The latter…
Biosimilars: Unanswered Questions
Debate continues about how biosimilars that are emerging to treat rheumatic diseases will be named and monitored, said panelists at a recent meeting in Washington, D.C.—Biosimilars in the United States: Next Steps. Angus Worthing, MD, FACR, FACP, a member of the ACR’s Government Affairs Committee, shared rheumatologists’ concerns as these new therapies come to market….
Prepare Now to Survive MACRA
The year 2015 brought an end to the much-maligned Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), sometimes known as the “doc fix.” The SGR established limits on Medicare reimbursement for physicians, and each year, physicians and those lobbying on their behalf were forced to stave off drastic cuts to their payments. “The SGR was Congress’s attempt to control…
Immunotherapy Largely Untested in Patients with Autoimmune Disease
(Reuters Health)—The safety and effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy is largely unknown in patients with autoimmune diseases, researchers say—and that might account for up to a quarter of individuals with lung cancer. Patients with autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis or psoriasis, have been mostly excluded from clinical trials testing immunotherapies over fears that…
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