TUESDAY, Jan. 11, 2022 (HealthDay News) — It’s a move that could severely limit the number of people taking the controversial new Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm: Medicare on Tuesday proposed to only cover the cost of the pricey medication for people enrolled in approved clinical trials. A final decision on coverageContinue Reading

MONDAY, Jan. 10, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Medicare has been told to reassess a significant premium increase it had announced that largely stemmed from the expensive new Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra’s directive, which was announced on Monday, comes shortly after Aduhelm maker BiogenContinue Reading

FRIDAY, Jan. 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Following a months-long and unprecedented review, Medicare officials expect to announce within the next couple of weeks whether the program will cover the controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm. The drug’s benefits are in question and its annual price tag tops $28,000. The U.S. CentersContinue Reading

TUESDAY, Jan. 4, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Many insured cancer patients still experience serious money problems linked to their illness, new research affirms. For example, nearly 3 out of 4 insured patients with colon cancer have major financial hardship in the year after their diagnosis, which affects their social functioningContinue Reading

MONDAY, Dec. 20, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The maker of the pricey new Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm (aducanumab) said Monday it will slash the cost of its medication in half, effective Jan. 1, 2022. The move follows widespread criticism of the drug’s original $56,000-a-year price tag. The reduction in the wholesaleContinue Reading

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 15, 2021 (HealthDay News) — “Medicare For All” gets tossed around a lot by advocates of universal health coverage, but a new study finds that today’s Medicare is far from free for seniors and people with disabilities. Instead, a large number of beneficiaries are sliding into medical debtContinue Reading

TUESDAY, Dec. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — President Joe Biden promised cheaper prescription drugs for all Americans on Monday as his social agenda legislation winds its way through Congress. Biden tried to shift Americans’ focus to pocketbook provisions overlooked in his $2 trillion legislation, which deals with everything from climateContinue Reading

FRIDAY, Dec. 3, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Nearly 13 million U.S. adults a year skip or delay filling needed prescriptions due to high price tags, new research shows. This figure includes more than 2.3 million Medicare beneficiaries and 3.8 million privately insured working-age adults who didn’t get needed medications eachContinue Reading

THURSDAY, Nov. 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Race-based gaps in health care and health outcomes persist in every region of the United States, a new state-by-state report card shows. Racial and ethnic disparities woven throughout America and its system of health care mean that people of color are more likelyContinue Reading

MONDAY, Nov. 15, 2021 (HealthDay News) — A new and expensive Alzheimer’s drug called Aduhelm is responsible for about half of the $21.60 increase in monthly premiums for Medicare’s Part B outpatient program in 2022, Medicare officials report. The new premium will be $170.10 a month, and the $21.60 boostContinue Reading

THURSDAY, Nov. 11, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Health insurance has gotten slightly more expensive during the pandemic: A new survey shows that annual family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose 4%, to an average of $22,221 this year. Of that amount, employees paid an average of nearly $6,000 toward theContinue Reading