Why does health care in the U.S. cost so much more than elsewhere? Researchers publishing in the
Journal of the American Medical Association
point to prices, not overuse of services or worse health. Personal health spending grew by nearly a trillion dollars between 1996 and 2013, far outpacing overall economic growth—all while Americans became a little healthier and spent less time in the hospital. Health spending is likely higher in the U.S. compared to other countries because prices are steeper for drugs, medical devices, physician and nurse salaries and administrative costs to process medical claims. (
The New York Times
;
Reuters
;
JAMA
)
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The president called for steep sentences—including the death penalty—for fentanyl traffickers, but the plan he unveiled this week to curb the opioid crisis also called for doctors to reduce opioid prescriptions by a third. Trump also called on Congress to repeal the rule that limits treatment centers and hospitals to maintain only 16 beds at a time. The plan includes a research and development collaboration with the National Institutes of Health and pharmaceutical companies for alternatives to opioids.
(
The Wall Street Journal
[subscription required];
PBS NewsHour
)
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Innovation & Transformation
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Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have formed a caucus to focus on innovative policy that will improve quality and lower the cost of health care. The group, founded by Mike Kelly (R-PA), Ron Kind (D-WI), Markwayne Mullin (R-Ok), and Dr. Ami Bera, (D-CA), aims to “explore models of care that are coordinated, integrated, patient-centered and produce great results at a much better price.” (
mobihealthnews
;
Modern Healthcare
)
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Google researchers trained an artificial intelligence algorithm to read retinal images of diabetic retinopathy and achieved performance in line with board-certified ophthalmologists and retinal specialists. The results bode well for machine learning applications in medicine. (
mobihealthnews
)
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The CEO's Guide to Restoring the American Dream offers a behind-the-scenes look at how public and private employers and unions across the U.S. are reducing their spending by 20 percent or more while improving care quality and access. The book uses real-life examples to outline how top-performing benefits purchasers take control of the purchasing process, align economic incentives and apply simple, practical and proven approaches. The new edition also unpacks how employers have been the key (unwitting) enabler of the opioid crisis and how smart employers are going upstream to solve the opioid problem before it happens. Now available to H2RMinutes subscribers as a free download
here.
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A new Commonwealth Fund report sifts the data around drug development, pricing, regulation and clinical practice, finding a range of policy options that can improve innovation and price competition—thus improving patient access to needed treatments. Citing 10 major problems in the current pharmaceutical landscape, the report fingers competitive practices as well as federal limitations preventing price negotiation for Medicaid programs among the issues. (
The Commonwealth Fund
)
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The Food and Drug Administration gave notice of a proposed rule to reduce nicotine in cigarettes to non-addictive levels last week. Although it’s not a done deal, supporters hailed the news as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to greatly accelerate progress in reducing tobacco use — the nation’s No. 1 cause of preventa
ble d
eath.”
The FDA is
seeking public input on what nicotine level would be most appropriate to protect public health, whether change should happen incrementally or all at once, and potential unintended consequences that may occur. (
Kaiser Health News
;
FDA notice
)
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JCPP redefines medication management:
The Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners released an expanded definition of
medication therapy management
to enhance consistency and understanding of the practice, singling out pharmacists as the clinicians who do it. Now called
medication management services
, JCPP defines it as “a spectrum of patient-centered, pharmacist-provided, collaborative services that focus on medication appropriateness, effectiveness, safety, and adherence with the goal of improving health outcomes.” (
press release
)
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Amazon hires former FDA informatics lead:
Taha Kass-Hout, the former U.S. Food and Drug Administration chief health informatics officer, will serve on Amazon’s Grand Challenge team in a role focused on health care projects. (
CNBC
)
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AHIP’s Tavenner steps down:
After three years leading America’s Health Insurance Plans, Marilyn Tavenner will retire June 1. Tavenner was administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services under the Obama administration. Her replacement, Matt Eyles, has been AHIP’s chief operating officer. (
Politico
)
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Two Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgery residents lowered everyone’s stress levels last week with a soulful rendition of Mike Yung’s song, “Alright.” The two made the impromptu video as an homage to patients and the stress they suffer. (
StarTribune
)
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MarketVoices...quotes worth reading
“There is no other single action our country can take that would prevent more young people from smoking or save more lives.” Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, about the FDA’s notice to reduce nicotine levels in cigarettes to non-addictive levels, as quoted by
Kaiser Health News
.
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