According to CMS, MA plans will see an average payment increase of 3.32% from 2023 to 2024, worth approximately $13.8 billion in increases for next year.

The FDA has found a drug-resistant bacteria at an eye drop manufacturing facility linked to severe infections and even a few deaths.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was dealt a major blow after a federal judge ruled that employers don’t have to cover certain preventive services, including PReP, which prevents HIV.

UnitedHealthcare announced it would remove 20% of its current prior authorizations starting with the third quarter of this year. 

The medication can reverse an opioid overdose and is a critical, life-saving product now able to be sold directly to consumers in places like pharmacies, convenience stores, grocers, gas stations and online, the FDA said.

Xylazine is a sedative intended for animals such as horses and cattle, but it is increasingly being found mixed with strong opioids such as fentanyl.

“Medications shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg, metaphorically or literally,” says Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost “Insulin is just a symptom of the problem; PBMs are the disease.”

Twenty-seven healthcare organizations signed the letter to CMS asking the agency to create a hybrid payment model, including the National Association of Accountable Care Organizations, AMGA, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Primary Care Collaborative.