WCOE: HHS Hints at Lax ACA Regulation; Burden of High Drug Costs; FDA’s Gottlieb Blasts ‘Rigged Payment Scheme’; Home BRCA Testing; More

“Trump Administration Blocks Idaho’s Plan to Circumvent Health Law”

The Trump administration rejected Idaho’s plan to allow the sale of stripped-down, low-cost health insurance that violates the Affordable Care Act https://t.co/28FmVbHwyD

— NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) March 9, 2018

New York Times — While rejecting Idaho’s plan in its current form, Ms. Verma encouraged the state to keep trying, and she suggested that, “with certain modifications,” its proposal might be accepted.
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“Azar hints ACA health plans could see laxer regulation”

HHS @SecAzar told a crowd of insurers on Thursday that the Trump administration will do what it can "within the law" to let insurers offer plans that go beyond what is allowed under the Affordable Care Act. https://t.co/yio3J2HpkP pic.twitter.com/amzh44Vqak

— Modern Healthcare (@modrnhealthcr) March 9, 2018

Modern HealthCare — HHS Secretary Alex Azar told a crowd of insurers on Thursday that the Trump administration will do what it can “within the law” to let insurers offer plans that go beyond what is allowed under the Affordable Care Act.
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“A Connecticut proposal could charge up to $10,000 for not carrying health insurance”

https://twitter.com/sarahkliff/status/971755689516429313

Vox.com — Connecticut is considering a proposal to create a super-charged individual mandate — one that could charge state residents a big chunk of their income for not carrying coverage.
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“The Price They Pay”

After reading this I don't want to argue about health care policy – I want to remind everyone we have a moral obligation to care for each other, regardless of where you believe that obligation comes from. We are failing. Thanks @katie_thomas @NormOrnstein https://t.co/inR7izFANZ

— Mitchell "the virus isn't done with us yet" Stein (@mhstein) March 5, 2018

New York Times — The burden of high drug costs weighs most heavily on the sickest Americans.

Drug makers have raised prices on treatments for life-threatening or chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis, diabetes and cancer. In turn, insurers have shifted more of those costs onto consumers. Saddled with high deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs that expose them to a drug’s rising list price, many people are paying thousands of dollars a month merely to survive.
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“Symptom Burden Highest 1 Month After Cancer Dx”

Nice study @JCO_ASCO on symptoms in pts with new dx of cancer. Honored to provide comment. @RIHospital Symptom Burden Highest 1 Month After Cancer Dx https://t.co/eZslt1J3Bj

— Don S. Dizon MD 🇬🇺 (@drdonsdizon) March 8, 2018

Med Page Today — Most cancer patients experience clinically significant symptoms in the first year after diagnosis and require tailored supportive care, according to a retrospective observational study of over 120,000 patients in Canada.

The analysis of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) showed that moderate-to-severe symptoms affected “well-being” in 55% of patients with all cancer types, particularly in the first month after diagnosis.
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“FDA commissioner to health insurers: You’re doing it wrong”

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb critiqued drug rebates at AHIP's National Health Policy Conference. https://t.co/ZRBLv0EtTW

— MedPage Today (@medpagetoday) March 9, 2018

CNBC.com — Insurance is designed, theoretically, to protect against the catastrophic: tornadoes, floods, hurricanes — or, where our health is concerned, cancer or another devastating disease.To make that financial protection affordable, many pay into the system: the healthy are supposed to subsidize the sick. But at a conference Wednesday organized by the health insurance industry, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb delivered a startling message: You’re doing it wrong.
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“Vinay Prasad on the NCCN’s cancer treatment guidelines: The US system needs an audit”

https://twitter.com/VinayPrasad82/status/971530016600211456

BMJ Opinion — What level of evidence should we have before costly, toxic cancer drugs are given to patients?
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“FDA approves first direct-to-consumer test for breast cancer risk”

JUST IN: @US_FDA approves the first direct-to-consumer test for breast/ovarian cancer genes, but with cautions. https://t.co/bg9QqCfoBk

— STAT (@statnews) March 6, 2018

STAT News — Federal regulators approved the first direct-to-consumer test for the BRCA genes, which increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
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“All Cancer Patients Should Have Access To Genomic Testing”

"Without access to these tests, those whose cancers have mutations for which matched, precision oncology drugs are available are doomed to take old-style chemotherapy before they might even consider new options." @ESchattner #bcsm https://t.co/u527vtqqyJ

— Susan G. Komen NYC (@KomenGreaterNYC) March 9, 2018

Forbes.com — The novelty of Foundation’s approach—like that of a few other companies leading the field of cancer diagnostics—is the scope of testing. These laboratories examine hundreds of genes by a method called next-generation sequencing (NGS). For a price of $5800, in two weeks’ time, Foundation reports on tumor mutation burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and mutations in any of 324 genes that may indicate sensitivity—or resistance—to oncology drugs.
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“Race/Ethnicity and Age Distribution of Breast Cancer Diagnosis in the United States”

#Breastcancer screening redefined by taking race into account https://t.co/BinlVvvCvF pic.twitter.com/RkBDxg7XCs

— JAMA Surgery (@JAMASurgery) March 9, 2018

JAMA Surgery — The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) currently recommends initiating breast cancer screening at 50 years of age in patients at average risk.1 However, we hypothesize that these guidelines may not be sensitive to racial differences and may be inappropriately extrapolating data from largely white populations for use in racially diverse populations. This process could result in underscreening of nonwhite female patients.
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