Kaufman Begins NDEP Post
Dr. Francine R. Kaufman recently began a 3-year term as chair of the National Diabetes Education Program. Jointly sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the program provides free diabetes information to health care providers and patients. “It is with immense pleasure that I welcome Dr. Kaufman, a proven leader in the diabetes community, who will focus on disseminating materials and continuing and building on partnerships to improve diabetes prevention and care,” said Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers, director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Dr. Kaufman, who has served on NDEP advisory committees since 2000, is director of the comprehensive childhood diabetes center and head of the center for endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
Poor Marks for 2007 PQRI
Most physicians who participated in Medicare's 2007 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative found the program at least moderately difficult, according to a survey conducted by the American Medical Association. Only 22% of respondents to the online survey were able to successfully download their feedback report. Of those who downloaded the report, less than half found it helpful. In an open-ended question about their experience with the program, nearly all the responses were negatives, according to the AMA. The results are based on responses from 408 physicians. The AMA plans to work with Congress and the administration to alter the program to provide physicians with interim feedback reports. A recent survey from the Medical Group Management Association reported similar problems in accessing feedback reports.
Many Have Drug 'Gap' Coverage
A total of 13% of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Part D prescription drug plans and 63% of those in Medicare Advantage plans with prescription benefits had some form of coverage in the “doughnut hole,” or coverage gap, according to a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services study on Part D drug claims. The study, which included data on Medicare drug claims for the 25 million Part D beneficiaries, also indicated that the vast majority of enrollees used the drug benefit: In the program's first year, 90% of enrollees filled at least one prescription. In addition, the use of generic drugs has been high in Part D, rising from 60% in 2006 to nearly 68% in the first quarter of this year.
Behavioral Paths Aid Weight Loss
Obese school-aged children and teenagers can lose weight or prevent further weight gain if they participate in medium- to high-intensity behavioral management programs, according to a study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Effective programs taught techniques to improve dietary and physical activity habits, with some using strategies such as goal setting, problem solving, and relapse prevention. These programs met for a total of more than 25 hours, usually once or twice a week, for 6-12 months. Researchers found that after completing weight management programs, obese children would weigh 3-23 pounds less, on average, than would those who were not involved in the programs. The weight difference was greatest among heavier children as well as those enrolled in more intensive programs, and weight improvements were maintained for up to 1 year after the program ended, the AHRQ study found.
More Join Consumer-Directed Plans
The number of people enrolling in consumer-directed health plans rose 25% from last year, according to a survey of nearly 2,800 private insurance enrollees by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. The survey also found that consumers in CDHPs are more cost conscious than are non-CDHP consumers; they are 30% more likely to track their health expenses than are those in more traditional health insurance plans, and 27% more likely to ask their doctors about the cost of treatment. “[CDHP] consumers are demonstrating more active engagement in their own health care than are non-CDHP consumers, as evidenced by an increased use of health and wellness programs and better tracking, estimating, and budgeting” for health care costs, said Maureen Sullivan, senior vice president for strategic services at BCBSA. The 39 independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies serve a total of 4.4 million CDHP enrollees—a 50% increase from last year.
Pharmaceutical Sales Outlook
The U.S. pharmaceutical market is expected to grow 1%-2% in 2009, resulting in sales of about $292-$302 billion, according to analysis from the health care market research firm IMS Health. This latest projection is down from the 2%-3% increase projected by IMS earlier this year, and reflects the expected impact of patent expirations, fewer launches of new products, and the slowing U.S. economy. Worldwide pharmaceutical sales are expected to grow 4.5%-5.5% in 2009, similar to growth this year. “The market will continue to contend with a number of forces—among them the shift in growth from developed countries to emerging ones, specialist-driven products playing a larger role, blockbuster drugs losing patent protection, and the rising influence of regulators and payers on health care decisions,” Murray Aitken, senior vice president of Healthcare Insight at IMS, said in a statement.