Category: Cost of Healthcare

Finally: FDA to Allow OTC Hearing Aids without a Prescription

Posted on by Devon Herrick

On Tuesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally cleared the way for over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. Yes, this is a “no-brainer”, and the most obvious question is: why did it take so long? The law allowing the FDA to approve OTC hearing aids was passed in five years ago, in August 2017.

Under the new rule, people with mild to moderate hearing loss should be able to buy hearing aids online and in retail stores as soon as October, without being required to see a doctor for an exam to get a prescription.

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Tuesday Links – 16 August 2022

Posted on by John C. Goodman
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During a Nursing Shortage Nurses Abandon Hospitals

Posted on by Devon Herrick

Physicians have long dabbled in cosmetic medicine to boost their incomes. It is interesting to note that their cosmetic practices are competitive with transparent pricing, while their therapeutic areas of practice is bureaucratic with opaque prices. As a result of competition, cosmetic surgery prices have risen about equal to consumer inflation, which is one-third the rate of medical inflation.

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Who Benefits from Drug Rebates? Mostly Health Plans (Not Consumers)

Posted on by Devon Herrick

Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) have been in the news lately. PBMs manage drug benefits for insurers, self-insured employer health plans, Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare Part D. Recently executives from the three largest PBMs were hauled before Congress to discuss their business models. One reason for scrutiny is that the three largest PBMs control about 80% of the market.

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