On April 11, 2018, Virginia legislators will return to Richmond for a special session in which they will aim to finish work on the Commonwealth’s budget. At center stage, yet again, is the issue of Medicaid expansion, still unresolved eight years after Obamacare became law. Medicaid is a deeply flawed program that was meant to […]
Any Willing Pharmacy – Not as Good as it Sounds
On November 28, 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule that would revise Medicare Part D, the prescription drug program. The proposal dredges up the “any willing pharmacy” issue that would require any Part D plan sponsor, such as an insurer or a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), to allow […]
The VA Scandal Refuses to End
Countless investigations over the past decade have exposed a systemic cancer of mismanagement, neglect, and failure at the VA.
The BBA, Medicare Part D, and a Cautionary Tale
When President Trump signed the Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 on February 9, 2018, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) objected because of its prolific and irresponsible spending, calling the $300 billion (14 percent) increase over current levels “outrageous and unnecessary, as well as a complete abdication of fiscal discipline and […]
New FDA Report on BPA: It is Still Safe
On February 23, 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a statement by Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine Stephen Ostroff, M.D., regarding a draft report issued by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) on the compound bisphenol A, more commonly referred to as BPA. The report concluded that BPA, the compound used to […]
Trump Administration Reverses Obama-era Rule on Health Insurance
On Tuesday, February 20, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a long-awaited proposed rule that would change an Obama administration rule that curtailed short-term, limited-duration health insurance (STLDI) plans. The HHS press release stated, “In direct response to President Trump’s October 2017 Executive Order, the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), […]
Drug Prices – The Council of Economic Advisers and Trump Administration Weigh In
Report spotlights how imposing price controls and government regulations hamper drug approvals and slow competition.
FDA Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee Weighs in on IQOS
On January 24 and 25, 2018, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) nine-member Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) reviewed the Modified Risk Tobacco Product Applications (MRTPA) on an innovative tobacco product, named the IQOS, which is designed to reduce the harm associated with tobacco use. CAGW discussed the MRTPA and the advisory committee meeting […]
FDA Advisory Committee to Discuss New Tobacco Harm Reduction Product
The Family Smoking and Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (TCA) became law in June 2009 and gave the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate the manufacture, distribution, and marketing of all tobacco products. Included in the law is Section 918, which called for a report to Congress on how best to regulate, promote, […]
Taxpayers and Patients Win First Round on 340B Drug Discount Rule
On January 1, 2018, hospitals will begin to receive lower government reimbursements for drugs purchased under the 340B program.