A new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that out-of-pocket costs for childbirth run nearly $3,000 for insured women in large group plans. Out-of-pocket costs represented about 15% of the average cost for pregnancy, childbirth, and post-partum care, which were nearly $19,000 on average. This was supposedly a travesty.
Author: Devon Herrick
How to Market an OTC Breathalyzer (that doesn’t work)
Dallas billionaire Mark Cuban is in the news lately for his drug company startup, Cost Plus Drugs. Over the years Cuban was also on a show called Shark Tank, where would-be inventors and small business owners pitched their business ideas, competing for an investment.
While being interviewed for the “Full Send” podcast Mr. Cuban revealed his “worst” investment that he made on Shark Tank. An entrepreneur named Charles Yim appeared on the show to demonstrate his Breathometer, a smartphone breathalyzer app he claimed could test blood alcohol levels accurately.
Medicare Unlikely to Negotiate Lower Drug Prices than PBMs
Senate Democrats are looking to lower Medicare drug costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate the prices it pays for a limited number of drugs. The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 expressly forbid the government from interfering with negotiations between private payers and drug makers. However, allowing Medicare to negotiate directly with drug makers has long been a goal of Democrats and the idea is popular with voters.
The Downside of Telemedicine: Tele-Fraud
The Justice Department announced criminal charges in a $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme committed by numerous individuals across the United States. In some cases the owners of clinical labs are accused of paying kickbacks to marketers, who in turn paid bribes to telemedicine companies in return for physician orders.