Medicare Negotiation Lawsuit
The multiple lawsuits challenging implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act drug negotiations continue to wind their way through the court system. Oral arguments were heard yesterday at the Third Circuit Court. To date the government hasn’t lost a major hearing but the cases are ongoing.
On the Campaign Trail
Speaker Mike Johnson opened the door for the House to take up legislation to reform the ACA, should the opportunity present itself. While no specifics were given, the speech does highlight that should Republicans sweep Tuesday’s election there is a significant possibility for large changes to Medicaid and the ACA markets.
Bariatric Surgery
New research published this week showed that demand for weight-loss surgery (e.g., bariatric surgery) is dramatically down. A study of privately insured patients found that in 2023 while there was a 133% increase in prescriptions for the anti-obesity drugs there was a 25.6% decline in bariatric surgeries. The findings highlight that the increase in GLP-1 usage is having a complex effect on utilization.
CMMI Demo Delayed
CMS announced that it would be delaying the implementation of its kidney transplant model. CMMI had originally proposed for the mandatory payment model to begin in January but now it is unclear when the model will go into effect.
Happy Halloween!
