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Proposal to cap Part B pay on some drugs draws opposition
MedPAC’s recommendation on Part B add-on pay for costly drugs met strong resistance, but reactions were mixed to a plan to reduce reimbursement...
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FDA panel backs new COVID booster focusing only on variants
Panelists also raised other questions during the meeting, including concerns about moves toward tying COVID vaccinations into the model of annual...
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New USPSTF draft suggests mammography start at 40, not 50
“It is now clear that screening every other year starting at age 40 has the potential to save about 20% more lives among all women.”
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Panel backs limited new olaparib use in prostate cancer
The ODAC panel voted 11 to 1 in favor of a restricted expansion.
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New Medicare rule streamlines prior authorization in Medicare Advantage plans
About 13% of prior authorization requests that are denied by Medicare Advantage plans actually met Medicare coverage rules.
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CRC blood tests: A future without screening colonoscopies?
Screening colonoscopies ultimately could be largely phased out in the years ahead in favor of highly sensitive noninvasive tests, if the blood...
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New challenge for docs: End of COVID federal public health emergency
The Biden administration intends to end by May 11 certain COVID-19 emergency measures used to aid in the response to the pandemic.
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FDA panel backs shift toward one-dose COVID shot
The plan is to narrow down the current complex landscape of options for vaccinations, and thus help increase use of these shots.
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Medicare pay cuts partly averted in massive budget bill
The bill also authorizes new policies regarding accelerated drug approvals.
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Will ICER review aid bid for Medicare to pay for obesity drugs?
An influential group urges both a reduction in costs of certain obesity medicines and expanded insurance coverage of them. The recommendations are...
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U.S. dementia rate drops as education, women’s employment rises
Investigators speculated that the decline in dementia prevalence reflects larger socioeconomic changes in the United States.
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New Medicare physician fee schedule leaves docs fuming over pay cuts
Physician groups’ initial reactions centered on an across-the-board reduction of 4.4% in the conversion factor.
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Gout too often treated only in emergency department
A study based on patients seen at an academic medical center reinforces the need for greater attention to gout during primary care visits.
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Poor control of serum urate linked to cardiovascular risk in patients with gout
A new study of medical records adds to the evidence linking gout, particularly in patients with poorly controlled serum urate level, to...
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Research ties gout in women to comorbidities more than genetics
Research suggests a link between cardiometabolic comorbidities and obesity and gout in women, with genetic traits seen playing a lesser role.