@seniorpharmassist.bsky.social
Disappointing. What @ the actual "patients?" Widgets in our industrialized healthcare? FYI - most NC State Health Plan retirees are enrolled sponsored Humana plans - not Aetna 70/30 FFS.
Duking It Out: State Health Plan Negotiations Continue As Deadline Looms www.theassemblync.com/health/duke-...
Duking It Out: State Health Plan Negotiations Continue As Deadline Looms www.theassemblync.com/health/duke-...
Duking It Out: State Health Plan Negotiations Continue As Deadline Looms
With one month remaining before the current contract between state employees’ insurer, Aetna, and Duke Health expires, the biggest state players in health care aren’t even close to a deal.
www.theassemblync.com
September 22, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Disappointing. What @ the actual "patients?" Widgets in our industrialized healthcare? FYI - most NC State Health Plan retirees are enrolled sponsored Humana plans - not Aetna 70/30 FFS.
Duking It Out: State Health Plan Negotiations Continue As Deadline Looms www.theassemblync.com/health/duke-...
Duking It Out: State Health Plan Negotiations Continue As Deadline Looms www.theassemblync.com/health/duke-...
Clearly - healthcare spending doesn't impact all the same. Great info - thanks @kffhealthnews.org
Health Costs Consume a Large Portion of Income for Millions of People with Medicare | KFF
To document the affordability challenges posed by out-of-pocket health care costs for people with Medicare, this brief analyzes out-of-pocket health care costs as a share of Social Security income and...
www.kff.org
August 24, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Clearly - healthcare spending doesn't impact all the same. Great info - thanks @kffhealthnews.org
Love Stefanie Ferreri's passion for community-based pharmacists and what they/we can do to improve health in our communities!
August 24, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Love Stefanie Ferreri's passion for community-based pharmacists and what they/we can do to improve health in our communities!
Follow the money - generally, good advice! @nchealthnews.bsky.social
NC employers look to smaller PBMs without “shenanigans”
With many PBMs under scrutiny, smaller startups that bill themselves as transparent are seeing interest from employers.
www.northcarolinahealthnews.org
August 20, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Follow the money - generally, good advice! @nchealthnews.bsky.social
Not good news.... #medicarepartd Breaking Down Why Medicare Part D Premiums Are Likely to Go Up www.medpagetoday.com/publichealth...
Breaking Down Why Medicare Part D Premiums Are Likely to Go Up
Hikes could potentially increase by up to $50 per month
www.medpagetoday.com
August 16, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Not good news.... #medicarepartd Breaking Down Why Medicare Part D Premiums Are Likely to Go Up www.medpagetoday.com/publichealth...
Begins next month: Tariffs on Medicines From Europe Stand to Cost Drugmakers Billions www.nytimes.com/2025/07/28/h...
Tariffs on Medicines From Europe Stand to Cost Drugmakers Billions
www.nytimes.com
July 29, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Begins next month: Tariffs on Medicines From Europe Stand to Cost Drugmakers Billions www.nytimes.com/2025/07/28/h...
We agree; excellent information and the video is so clear.
We're excited to announce Part 2 of our Medicare Sustainability series and share new materials explaining the overabundance of Medicare Advantage plans and how to better support people with Medicare navigate plan decisions—all while saving Medicare dollars.
Medicare Advantage Proliferation: Too Much of a Complicated Thing - Medicare Rights Center
Medicare Advantage (MA) has grown significantly in recent years. While it provides an alternative coverage pathway for people with Medicare, there are important tradeoffs with Original Medicare that m...
www.medicarerights.org
July 24, 2025 at 12:48 PM
We agree; excellent information and the video is so clear.
We agree! Medicaid is critical to the health of so many - in many ways. That includes people and communities.
After doubling down & deepening the House's proposed cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, the ACA, & SNAP, the Senate is expected to vote on a reconciliation bill as early as this evening. Tell your senators: NO CUTS TO HEALTH CARE. NO CUTS TO SNAP. #HANDSOFFMEDICAID
Protect Medicaid—Tell Your Senators to Reject Harmful Cuts! - Medicare Rights Center
Republicans in the House of Representatives recently pushed through a bill that would implement devastating cuts to Medicaid. Now, Senate Republicans have followed the House’s lead, advancing a reckle...
www.medicarerights.org
July 1, 2025 at 11:39 AM
We agree! Medicaid is critical to the health of so many - in many ways. That includes people and communities.
Excellent work...per usual.
New paper out in #HealthAffairs on potential savings with the #InflationReductionAct in Medicare #PartD. Lots of savings for those needing specialty drugs but a note of caution for those with lower spending. Need to shop for a new plan if you take a preferred brand, especially in stand-alone plans!
Medicare Part D Redesign Savings May Be Lower For Beneficiaries With Spending Below The Out-Of-Pocket Cap | Health Affairs Journal
The Medicare prescription drug plan redesign under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 aims to simplify the Part D benefit while capping out-of-pocket spending for Part D–covered drugs. Whether and wh...
doi.org
June 3, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Excellent work...per usual.
The opaque world of prescription payments - great description of the biggest middlemen - #PBMs and how they are damaging #pharmacy access; original mission gone off track for big bucks. @nchealthnews.bsky.social
NC lawmakers target pharmacy “middlemen” in proposed reforms
State House, Senate pass legislation that would regulate pharmacy benefit managers, which manage prescription drug benefits for insurance companies.
www.northcarolinahealthnews.org
June 3, 2025 at 11:44 AM
The opaque world of prescription payments - great description of the biggest middlemen - #PBMs and how they are damaging #pharmacy access; original mission gone off track for big bucks. @nchealthnews.bsky.social
Critical to watch how manufacturers with medicines that are in "protected drug classes" and taken orally, set their launch prices in light of the IRA's $2,000 annual cap on Rx spending for Medicare beneficiaries. Terrific job @dusetzinas.bsky.social
Excited to share new work in @jama.com on launch prices for cancer drugs in Medicare Part D. Prices are going up, but no trend change post-IRA. Mean monthly launch prices increased from $10,954 in 2012-2014 to $27,891 in 2023-2025. Many thanks to @arnoldventures.bsky.social for funding this work!
Trends in Launch Prices and Price Increases for Self-Administered Anticancer Drugs in Medicare
This study examines trends in launch prices and price increases for anticancer therapies covered under Medicare Part D and approved from 2010 to 2024.
jamanetwork.com
May 19, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Critical to watch how manufacturers with medicines that are in "protected drug classes" and taken orally, set their launch prices in light of the IRA's $2,000 annual cap on Rx spending for Medicare beneficiaries. Terrific job @dusetzinas.bsky.social
This is great reporting that should be a WAKE UP CALL to all in North Carolina (and beyond). This would trample on some of our most vulnerable neighbors.
A push in Congress to limit provider taxes could strip billions in Medicaid funding from North Carolina.
buff.ly/jXv5hxF
buff.ly/jXv5hxF
Hospitals, nursing homes at risk if Medicaid provider tax cap is lowered
A Republican-led push to limit provider taxes could strip billions in Medicaid funding from North Carolina.
buff.ly
May 13, 2025 at 1:04 PM
This is great reporting that should be a WAKE UP CALL to all in North Carolina (and beyond). This would trample on some of our most vulnerable neighbors.
Proud to know and work with two of these pharmacy leaders! Tasha Woodall with MAHEC in Buncombe County and UNC-CH and Megan Carr at High Point SOP. Great pharmacy leadership #AGS25
May 10, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Proud to know and work with two of these pharmacy leaders! Tasha Woodall with MAHEC in Buncombe County and UNC-CH and Megan Carr at High Point SOP. Great pharmacy leadership #AGS25
Always good to hear from DeLon Canterbury with @geriatrix.bsky.social and his passion for @deprescribing.bsky.social
May 9, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Always good to hear from DeLon Canterbury with @geriatrix.bsky.social and his passion for @deprescribing.bsky.social
Pharmacoequity matters. Appreciate this work! #AGS25 @uressien.bsky.social
May 9, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Pharmacoequity matters. Appreciate this work! #AGS25 @uressien.bsky.social
Happy to attend the @deprescribeus.bsky.social meeting in Chicago...preconference to the #AGS25 mtg!
May 7, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Happy to attend the @deprescribeus.bsky.social meeting in Chicago...preconference to the #AGS25 mtg!
The "system" is the major problem, and transparency about where the money flows - and for what value - is critical.
A number of bills introduced in the General Assembly this session are intended to lower health care costs and make the health care system a little less painful to navigate.
buff.ly/651djfd
buff.ly/651djfd
Can NC lawmakers fix our health care headaches?
Several bills introduced in the General Assembly this session are intended to lower health care costs and make health care less painful.
buff.ly
May 5, 2025 at 2:39 PM
The "system" is the major problem, and transparency about where the money flows - and for what value - is critical.
Yes, we need more geriatricians and other professionals working in geriatrics. Direct care workforce is also particularly challenged - and immigration policies may make things much worse for those trying to age with dignity.
Geriatricians wanted: medical schools work to recruit aging health specialists
Medical students’ lack of exposure to the field and lower compensation are barriers to growing the geriatrician workforce.
www.northcarolinahealthnews.org
April 24, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Yes, we need more geriatricians and other professionals working in geriatrics. Direct care workforce is also particularly challenged - and immigration policies may make things much worse for those trying to age with dignity.
MedPAC: Medicare Paid MA Plans $38 billion for Non-Medicare Services in 2024 www.medpagetoday.com/publichealth...
MedPAC: Medicare Paid MA Plans $38 billion for Non-Medicare Services in 2024
It's an 'enormous amount of money ... we don't track,' says one MedPAC member
www.medpagetoday.com
April 12, 2025 at 12:13 PM
MedPAC: Medicare Paid MA Plans $38 billion for Non-Medicare Services in 2024 www.medpagetoday.com/publichealth...
Trump pledges tariffs on pharmaceuticals, setting up fight over who pays
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Not good!!
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Not good!!
Trump pledges tariffs on pharmaceuticals, setting up fight over who pays
President Trump’s threatened tariffs could lead to higher out-of-pocket costs or insurance premiums, depending on whether drugmakers try to pass on the costs.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 11, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Trump pledges tariffs on pharmaceuticals, setting up fight over who pays
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Not good!!
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Not good!!
Reposted
A federal judge in Texas blocked a Biden administration rule to boost staffing at nursing homes. KFF Health News walked through the decision from the judge and what it could mean for nursing home staffing. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Federal Judge Blocks Mandate on Nursing Home Staffing - KFF Health News
A federal judge in Texas blocked a Biden administration rule to boost staffing at nursing homes. The decision comes even though many homes lack enough workers to maintain residents’ care.
kffhealthnews.org
April 9, 2025 at 12:39 AM
A federal judge in Texas blocked a Biden administration rule to boost staffing at nursing homes. KFF Health News walked through the decision from the judge and what it could mean for nursing home staffing. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
At a meeting to kick off implementation of the new aging plan in NC - All Ages, All Stages NC. News pouring in about massive program and budget cuts in aging services across the Country. So sad when there is so much to do!
April 1, 2025 at 5:13 PM
At a meeting to kick off implementation of the new aging plan in NC - All Ages, All Stages NC. News pouring in about massive program and budget cuts in aging services across the Country. So sad when there is so much to do!