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Health Care Roundup: Senate Hearing w/Pharma CEOs; Medicare for All Introduced; Logistical Toxicity; FDA Warns About Robotic Surgical Devices; More

March 1, 2019/in Cancer News, Cancer Policy Blog Access to Care, Affordable Care Act, Drug Pricing, Financial Toxicity, Health Care Coverage, Health Equity Health Care Roundup, NCCS News /by actualize
In order to bring you the latest cancer-related health care policy and news, we at NCCS combined our ACA Updates and What Caught Our Eye (WCOE) content into a weekly email and blog post. We aim to make the Health Care Roundup a concise, one-stop summary of what you need to know as we continue working together to make cancer care better for everyone.Your feedback is always welcome to make our content more useful to you. Please send comments to feedback@canceradvocacy.org.

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HEALTH CARE HIGHLIGHTS

Senate Finance Hearing on Drug Pricing

The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing this week on drug pricing, and Senators questioned seven CEOs from top pharmaceutical companies. While Senators of both parties asked tough questions about pricing practices and price increases, some experts suggested that the hearing was tamer than expected. In the Washington Post, Paige Cunningham wrote, “In the hearing on drug prices — billed as one of the biggest Congress-vs.-industry showdowns since the tobacco hearings of the 1990s — exchanges between the lawmakers and the CEOs were remarkably unremarkable.”

Senators showed some bipartisan support for proposals aimed at reducing drug prices, while pharmaceutical company executives pushed back on most proposals and described flaws in the system that drive up prices. Some executives indicated a willingness to lower prices if changes to the rebate system are implemented in both the Medicare and commercial markets. Executives expressed support for the CREATES Act, which would remove barriers to the testing and approval of lower-cost generic products.
Watch the hearing on C-SPAN.org »

Medicare for All Bill Introduced in House

Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) introduced the first “Medicare for all” legislation this week, with more than 100 Democratic co-sponsors in the House of Representatives. The legislation would reshape the Medicare program. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times writes:

“It would be wrong to think of the Jayapal bill as simply expanding the current Medicare program to cover more people and more benefits. It also would make major changes to the way doctors and hospitals are paid. This would change not just how Americans get their insurance, but it could also reshape the health care system in ways that are difficult to predict.”

Note: In last week's Health Care Roundup, we incorrectly stated that the Senate Finance drug pricing hearing was scheduled for Wednesday of this week. The hearing occurred on Tuesday. We regret the error.


CHART OF THE WEEK

Claims Denials and Appeals in ACA Marketplace Plans

Kaiser Family Foundation

The Kaiser Family Foundation reported this week that while insurers on Healthcare.gov denied nearly one in five claims for in-network services, less than one percent of consumers appealed denied claims.

Chart: Kaiser Family Foundation

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IMPORTANT READS

Cancer Complications: Confusing Bills, Maddening Errors And Endless Phone Calls

National Public Radio (NPR)

This article profiles Carol Marley as she struggles with both the financial and logistical toxicity of cancer treatment. She describes the financial toll her treatment is taking, even with good health insurance, as well as, the stress of navigating the myriad of bills she is facing, including a $18,400 bill for chemotherapy and a $870 bill for an MRI. Both claims were denied, one because it was submitted late and the other because there was no preauthorization. She said, "It's not any one individual. It's not any one system or provider. The whole system is messed up. … There's no recourse for me except to just keep making phone calls."

Read More »

FDA sounds an alarm on using robotic devices in cancer surgeries, citing concerns about safety and results

STAT News

The FDA warned against the use of robotically assisted devices in some cancer surgeries, including mastectomies, a move based on a study that evaluated 14 years of adverse events reported and collected in the FDA’s MAUDE (Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience) database.

The FDA “recommends that patients and doctors discuss the benefits, risks, and alternative procedure options before making treatment decisions. The agency also advised patients to ask their doctors about training, experience, and outcomes related to the use of robotically assisted surgery.”

Read More »

NIH apologizes for its failure to address sexual harassment in science

STAT News

Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), apologized for NIH’s role in the culture of sexual harassment and outlined steps NIH will take. Collins said that sexual harassment in science is “morally indefensible, it’s unacceptable, and it presents a major obstacle that is keeping women from achieving their rightful place in science.”

Read More »


Related Posts

https://canceradvocacy.org/blog/health-care-roundup-feb-22-2019/

https://canceradvocacy.org/blog/health-care-roundup-feb-15-2019/

Tags: aca update, affordable care act, drug pricing, FDA, financial toxicity, health care roundup, Medicare, What Caught Our Eye
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  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Our History
    • Our Leadership
      • Policy Advisors
    • Employment
    • Partnerships
    • Financial Information
  • Policy
    • Quality Cancer Care
    • Access to Care
    • Health Equity
    • Redefining Functional Status (RFS)
    • 2020 State of Cancer Survivorship Survey
    • Cancer Care Planning and Communications Act (CCPCA)
  • Get Involved
    • What is Advocacy?
    • Cancer Policy and Advocacy Team (CPAT)
    • Elevating Survivorship
    • Survivor Stories
    • Cancerversary
    • State Based Cancer Advocacy
  • Resources
    • COVID-19 Resources for Cancer Survivors
    • Survivorship Checklist
    • Cancer Survival Toolbox
    • Telehealth
    • Survivorship Champions
    • Publications
      • Talking With Your Doctor
      • Self Advocacy
      • Employment Rights
      • Remaining Hopeful
    • Cancer Convos Podcast
    • Taking Charge of Your Care
    • Care Planning for Cancer Survivors
    • Tools For Care Providers
    • Order Our Resources
  • News
  • Events
    • Ellen L. Stovall Award
      • Nominations
      • Honorees
      • Sponsors
      • Committees
    • From Shadows to Life: A Biography of the Cancer Survivorship Movement
    • Cancer Policy Roundtable
      • Spring 2021 Cancer Policy Roundtable
      • Fall 2020 Cancer Policy Roundtable
      • Spring 2020 Cancer Policy Roundtable
    • Cancer Policy and Advocacy Team (CPAT) Symposium 2020
    • Webinars
  • Contact Us

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Harmar Brereton, MD

Founder
Northeast Regional Cancer Institute

 

“Perhaps one of the most impactful collaborations in Dr. Brereton’s extraordinary career remains his early work and long friendship with Ellen Stovall. Through him, and in turn through the thousands of lives he has touched, Ellen’s work continues, and her mission lives on.”

—Karen M. Saunders
President, Northeast Regional Cancer Institute