Apparently not: By exploiting a unique health insurance benefit design, we provide novel evidence on the causal association between outpatient and inpatient care. Our results indicate that greater outpatient spending was associated with more hospital admissions: a $100 increase in outpatient spending was associated with a 2.7% increase in the probability of having an inpatient event and [...]Three years after the Massachusetts’ health reform began, a study found the percent of people reporting they could not get needed care from specialists was little changed (7.1% vs. 7.0%). There was also no change in the percentage who said they visited an emergency room for a condition that could have been treated in a [...][T]he law counts on most of the scofflaws turning themselves in. If you do not have insurance and think you owe the tax, then you will be asked to check a box to that effect on your tax return. If you choose to ignore the mandate, you might also choose not to check the box. [...]A study by the Commonwealth Fund concludes that seniors in Medicare are less likely than those with employer-provided coverage to encounter problems with medical bills or experience access problems due to cost. But how can that be? As Chris Jacobs notes, a Congressional Research Service report found that traditional Medicare covers between 5 and 15 percent [...]Here’s the most underreported story of the summer. When the Supreme Court ruled on the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) it inadvertently liberated millions of people who were going to be forced into Medicaid. Now they will have the opportunity to have private health insurance instead. What difference does that make? It could be the difference [...]What do heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, stroke and cancer have in common? Scientists have linked each of these to a condition known as chronic inflammation, and they are studying how high-fat foods and excess body weight may increase the risk for fatal disorders. More from Laura Landro.
A physician, equipped with the latest medical and scientific information, prescribes a medicine as the best course of treatment for a patient. The patient follows the doctor’s orders, takes the medicine as prescribed and has a positive health outcome. A remarkable event? Hardly. This is what doctors do. But what if the condition for which [...]
Yesterday we wrapped up a successful PhRMA Social Media Summit at Astellas’ Americas HQ, focusing on best practices and information sharing with a presentation from the American Medical Association (AMA). Kevin O’Neil, AMA’s director of physician communications, and Nick Abruzzo, AMA’s vice president of interactive marketing, showcased the organization’s blog (“On the Road with Dr. [...]They have suffered the biggest income losses: The incomes of the top one percent fell 18 times more than the incomes for the middle class since the start of the recession. Inequality is falling, not rising: The income the top one percent fell from 16.7 percent of all after-tax income in 2009 to 11.5 percent [...]No state legislative session in your state this year? That isn’t reason enough to get a waiver from HHS in authorizing essential parts of ObamaCare as this update from Aetna’s Health Reform Weekly explains: NORTH DAKOTA: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently notified the state Department of Insurance (DOI) that it [...]
Yesterday was the first day of the PhRMA Social Media Summit at Astellas’ Americas HQ, where the focus was innovation for the biopharmaceutical industry. We heard from a number of industry and media experts, which prompted critical questions and discussions throughout the day. The summit began with Lionel Menchaca, Dell’s chief blogger, and Amy O’Connor, [...]
I saw this item today on potential progress against Alzheimer’s disease that is worth a look. The upshot of the article is that new work with stem cells in an animal study suggests that some memory lost due to Alzheimer’s may be recoverable. Studies like this point to how research may lead to progress in [...]
Some practical advice for eye disease patients and their families looking to stay on top of promising drug developments and register for drug trials.
Today we have an interview with Carl Schmid, Deputy Executive Director for The AIDS Institute, a national nonprofit organization that promotes action for social change through public policy research, advocacy and education. PhRMA: Thank you for joining us. The AIDS Institute was originally founded in the mid-80s as an advocacy organization and became a 501(c)3 [...]
The Center for Safe Internet Pharmacy announced a new campaign to educate consumers about buying prescription drugs online. One part of the program will identify and address illegal sites that pose a threat to consumers. With illegal drug sellers making more than a $1 million a day, this is a big problem. The worldwide pharmaceutical [...]
Tomorrow, I leave PhRMA to try my hand at something new. It feels like a lifetime since I’ve been here – nearly six years. That’s roughly one sixth of my 32 years, and longer than I’ve done anything in my life except for elementary school and aunthood. In those nearly six years, I’ve seen some [...]
In 2001 Hoffmann-La Roche’s drug Accutane was selling in its billions worldwide as a treatment for acne. For those who suffered from extreme scarring acne, it was something of a miraculous treatment, however evidence started to mount that for others it was a death sentence. Over the next few years it was estimated that between [...]