All GLG News Analyses Filed Under: Healthcare Services

All Part B medicare providers have their prices set by medicare at will why are the drug companies exempt from this same policy

On August 2, 2007, CMS decided that ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) will be paid in CY2008 using APCs, the system used to reimburse hospital outpatient departments. Freestanding ASCs will be paid 65% of the rates for HOPDs that were published in November, 2007. But how will CMS, MedPAC, and the Congress...

1. Author likens Seattle Branch DEA suspension to purchase of diverted products. 2. Author assumes that problems in Seattle branch are a breech of New York Agreement 2. Author assumes that there were no safeguards in place for controlled substances prior to New York Attorney General agreement.

The pharmaceutical companies were able to prevail on preveenting Medicare from negotiating for lower prices. Seems that the huge increase in generic utilization is a result they did not forsee.

Generic utilization rates in the Medicare Part D benefit are very high and increasing. Ironically, Part D may ultimately end up hurting brand manufacturers by accelerating already-rapid generic substitution rates as seniors approach the donut hole.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) just suspended the Federal Controlled Substance registration of Cardinal Health’s (CAH) Auburn, WA, branch. I doubt there will be any short term financial impact to the company from this event. However, the alleged diversion indicates that Cardinal is still...

The Indian newspaper Business Standard has a fascinating article on the Big 3 wholesalers' search for Indian suppliers. Wholesalers seem to be moving closer to production to source generics, possibly even bypassing the generic manufacturers for certain products.

1. Plan sponsors should take a leadership role in promoting best practices and good pension governance. 2. Pension fiduciaries should embrace accountability and transparency. 3. Arguments against excessive government regulation apply today as well as they did fifty years ago when Atlas Shrugged was...

Last week the FCC, through its Chairman, Keven Martin, announced plans to spend more than $400 million over three years to build broadband networks to connect health care providers within and across states and regions as part of the "network of networks" known as the National Health Information Network...

This in no doubt a very important step toward nationwide adoption of Electronic Medical Records but it is a small pilot program. This program will have lasting effects, but if successful the program needs to be rolled out on a much larger scale to stimulate adoption.