EpiPen Manufacturer Says It Will Help With Out-Of-Pocket Costs

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/08/24/491232665/latest-target-in-the-drug-price-wars-the-ubiquitous-epipen?utm_campaign=KHN%3A+Daily+Health+Policy+Report&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=33405785&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8XZii4uOFohPHJzQb2tGya0B1V39hwW9G6vwptGGc5BvcM-YWZemfyDF8k4814h6RX0C21PHgcZ9Nz_LIAH_zmJW4gCw&_hsmi=33405785

The wholesale price of a single pen was about $47 in 2007, and it rose to $284 this summer, according to Richard Evans, a health care analyst at SSR. But consumers can no longer buy a single pen, so the retail price to fill a prescription today at Walgreens is about $633, according to GoodRX.

It’s the latest in a string of controversies over rising drug prices that have caught the attention of lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

The drug’s manufacturer, Mylan NV, responded to the criticism Thursday, announcing it will offer customers whose insurance doesn’t pay the full cost coupons for up to $300 off the injectors. But it’s unclear if that will be enough to tamp down the anger.

At least three senators have called for investigations into the price of the EpiPen, and Sens. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., have sent letters to Mylan demanding an explanation for the increase.

 

Presidential election: 4 things managed care should watch

http://managedhealthcareexecutive.modernmedicine.com/managed-healthcare-executive/news/presidential-election-4-things-managed-care-should-watch?GUID=A13E56ED-9529-4BD1-98E9-318F5373C18F&rememberme=1&ts=24082016

As the 2016 presidential election approaches, analysts and experts are advising healthcare executives to watch and monitor certain issues, such as pharmaceutical spending and healthcare reform, which will surely impact the health insurance industry. Here’s a look at what they recommend keeping a close eye on in particular.

Why an obscure Supreme Court case is a big deal for prescription drugs

Why an obscure Supreme Court case is a big deal for prescription drugs

“Consumers and the health system as a whole benefit from a more competitive prescription drug market,” Marilyn Tavenner, president and CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans, said in a statement. “Protecting monopoly-like pricing schemes threaten[s] consumers’ access to more affordable prescription medications.”

Obama budget would lift HHS spending to $1.1 trillion, entice Medicaid expansion

http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/obama-budget-would-lift-hhs-budget-11-trillion-entice-medicaid-expansion?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonua3JcO%2FhmjTEU5z16ukvX6%2B%2Fh4kz2EFye%2BLIHETpodcMTcFgN7zYDBceEJhqyQJxPr3MLtINwNlqRhPrCg%3D%3D

Republicans, blasting the proposal as overzealous when it comes to spending, have already shot down the budget.