Competition’s the theme for this week’s round-up, brought to you from Olympic city, London. While the world’s best and fastest athletes battle it out for gold (checked periodically for performance-enhancing drugs by our friends at GSK), so the competition’s hotting up among health insurers and providers, too — at least if (some) politicians get their way. The goal: ultra-efficient, cost-effective medical care. In Europe’s engine-economy, Germany (current Olympic medal-count: 18) the government’s pushing for more … Continue reading
The RE Healthcare Round-Up
Real Endpoints’ Weekly Healthcare Round-Up has returned. Cue Carol Anne of the ’86 cult flick Poltergeist II – or, if you prefer, the infamous, avenging nerd Lewis (Revenge of the Nerds II) or the exuberant but dorky Stu Price (The Hangover). Feel free to mock our retro-culture cool, but don’t doubt our enthusiasm…or the importance of synthesis. In the six weeks since our last Round-Up, we’ve seen the approval of Qsymia and Belviq, two new … Continue reading
Are We Really That Different? Transatlantic Lessons In Shopping For Value
The Americans and the English might think that their health care systems are very different: one, a commercial, private-insurer driven network whose incentives are as mis-aligned as its per-capita spend is high; the other, a state-funded, friendly-yet-inefficient model characterized by rationing. There are plenty of similarities, though. Firstly, the pressures – most obviously, spiraling costs — are the same, whether they’re hitting state-owned or private payers. England’s patchwork of regional, public payers (the Trusts) make … Continue reading
The Healthcare Round-Up: 3/14 – 3/21
Put a spring in your step and read Real Endpoints’s weekly round-up of reimbursement related news. Overseeing Cancer Drug Regimens: Here’s a scary find. On March 16 researchers from Medco Research Institute reported new data at the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics annual meeting showing that a high percentage of patients on oral kinase inhibitors like Gleevec or Tarceva are also taking medicines that reduce the effectiveness of the cancer treatment. In total, … Continue reading
Cancer Pathways Are Just One Tool To Managing Cost
According to the Medco Drug Trend report, by 2015 oncology drug costs will be the second or third costliest class that it tracks, up from seventh in 2011. That’s why, in this relatively unmanaged category, many payers are turning to new cost-containment strategies. Of particular interest: cancer pathways, which standardize therapy based on recognized guidelines and outcomes data, as a vital mechanism to control out-of-control costs. (To attend a free Value & Innovation webinar on … Continue reading