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Biden-Harris Administration announces Manufacturers Participating in Drug Price Negotiation Program

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President Joe Biden presents his COVID-19 response plan at the White House Thursday, January 21, 2021. Photo: Getty Images.

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration took another major step towards lower health care costs for seniors and families and announced that all manufacturers of all ten drugs selected for negotiation have signed agreements to participate in the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. For decades, Big Pharma fought to block Medicare from directly negotiating lower drug prices for seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries, while nearly three in ten Americans struggle to afford their medications because of cost. President Biden and Congressional Democrats finally beat Big Pharma and allowed Medicare to directly negotiate lower drug prices by passing the Inflation Reduction Act – despite zero Republicans voting in favor of the bill.

In total, the 10 drugs selected for negotiation accounted for $3.4 billion in out-of-pocket costs for an estimated 9 million Medicare enrollees in 2022. These drugs are used to treat heart failure, diabetes, arthritis, cancers, blood clots, and other conditions.

Manufacturers participating in the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program:

Participating
Manufacturer
Prescription Drug NameCommonly Treated ConditionsNumber of Medicare Part D Enrollees Who Used the Drug from June 2022-May 2023Average Out-Of-Pocket Cost Per Medicare Part D Enrollee* in Calendar Year 2022
Bristol Myers SquibbEliquisPrevention and treatment of blood clots3,706,000$608
Boehringer IngelheimJardianceDiabetes; Heart failure1,573,000$490
Janssen PharmsXareltoPrevention and treatment of blood clots; Reduction of risk for patients with coronary or peripheral artery disease1,337,000$617
Merck Sharp DohmeJanuviaDiabetes869,000$502
AstraZeneca ABFarxigaDiabetes; Heart failure; Chronic kidney disease799,000$448
Novartis Pharms CorpEntrestoHeart failure587,000$569
Immunex CorporationEnbrelRheumatoid arthritis; Psoriasis; Psoriatic arthritis48,000$2,005
Pharmacyclics LLCImbruvicaBlood cancers20,000$6,497
Janssen Biotech, Inc.StalaraPsoriasis; Psoriatic arthritis; Crohn’s disease; Ulcerative colitis22,000$4,207
Novo Nordisk Inc.Fiasp; Fiasp FlexTouch; Fiasp PenFill; NovoLog; NovoLog FlexPen; NovoLog PenFillDiabetes777,000$261
*Represents average out-of-pocket spending for enrollees not receiving Low Income Subsidy
Source: CMS (https://www.cms.gov/files/document/fact-sheet-medicare-selected-drug-negotiation-list-ipay-2026.pdf), HHS (https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/aspe-ira-drug-negotiation-fact-sheet)
In August, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the first ten drugs selected for Medicare drug price negotiation under the Inflation Reduction Act. The deadline for manufacturers of these drugs to notify CMS whether they were participating in the negotiation process was October 1st, and the deadline to submit manufacturer-specific data to CMS was October 2nd.Any prices negotiated for the first set of drugs participating in the drug price negotiation program will go into effect in 2026. Over the next 4 years, Medicare will negotiate prices for up to 60 drugs covered under Medicare Part D and Part B, and up to an additional 20 drugs every year after that.

Continuing to Lower Prescription Drug Costs

Every day, millions of seniors are saving money on prescription drug costs because of the Biden Administration’s actions. People with Medicare are saving an average of $70 in out-of-pocket costs on vaccines like shingles and Tdap because President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act made recommended vaccines free for beneficiaries starting this past January. Nearly four million seniors and others on Medicare with diabetes had their insulin costs capped at $35 per month this past January, saving some seniors hundreds of dollars for a month’s supply. And some seniors taking drugs covered under Part B for which manufacturers have hiked prices faster than inflation are saving up to $618 in lower coinsurance this quarter thanks to the new Medicare inflation rebates.

People with Medicare will continue to see their prescription drug costs go down as more provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act go into effect in the coming years. Medicare Part D enrollees will no longer pay 5% co-insurance when they reach the catastrophic phase of their benefit starting in 2024. Nearly 19 million seniors and other Medicare Part D enrollees are projected to save $400 per year on prescription drugs when the out-of-pocket cap drops to $2,000 in 2025, and 1.9 million enrollees with the highest drug costs will save an average of $2,500 per year. And, the prices negotiated for the high-spend drugs selected in August will go into effect in 2026.

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Buccaneers to Honor Cancer Survivors at Sunday’s Crucial Catch Game, Donating $40K to Research

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TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – On Sunday, September 29, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the Philadelphia Eagles at Raymond James Stadium in a 1 p.m. ET kickoff. The game will be the Buccaneers’ Crucial Catch event, supporting the NFL’s campaign to fight cancer and emphasizing the importance of early detection.

The Buccaneers will continue their tradition of giving back, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Foundation set to donate $40,000 to cancer research, raising their total contributions to over $550,000 in the last 13 years. Funds will benefit key cancer organizations including AdventHealth West Florida Foundation, Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation, and more.

Throughout the game, fans, players, and partners will “Raise the Flags” for loved ones affected by cancer. Fans will receive a custom mini-poster to show their support. At halftime, cancer survivors Bianca Muniz and Elana Gilbert will take the stage for an emotional performance honoring those impacted by cancer.

Official Crucial Catch merchandise will be available, with all proceeds supporting the American Cancer Society’s mission to provide screenings to underserved communities.

 

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AdventHealth awards $1.4 million to 6 nonprofits addressing urgent workforce needs in Central Florida

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ORLANDO, Fla. — AdventHealth is distributing nearly $1.4 million over the next three years to the 2024 recipients of its Community Impact Grants, giving six Central Florida nonprofits the chance to bolster their missions and help bring prosperity and wholeness to the community by training the workforce of tomorrow.

This year’s Community Impact Grants are focused on one of Central Florida’s top community health concerns, addressing critical workforce development needs in the health care, construction, hospitality and tourism industries, by funding programs that will provide job training, internship and apprenticeship opportunities and education assistance. Workforce development was selected as the priority for this year’s grants based on input from residents in the triannual Community Health Needs Assessment, building on investments made in 2023 that focused on mental health.

“At AdventHealth, we talk a lot about whole-person care, and we also realize that a person’s health is determined by so much more than just the health care setting,” said JB Boonstra, executive director of Community Advocacy for AdventHealth. “We know that employment is one of the most significant social determinants of health and a key part of that is earning a living wage. This year’s spotlight on workforce development speaks directly to that.”

The median income for a household in the Orlando area is about $43,000, the Department of Labor reports — not even close to the wage needed to live in Florida for a family of four, which is about $66,300, according to the United Way’s ALICE report.

“Almost half the people who go to work every day don’t make enough money to pay the bills, and one of the biggest challenges we see here in Central Florida in terms of workforce development is access to career opportunities,” said Marc Stanakis, president and CEO of Jobs Partnership, one of this year’s grant recipients. “For a lot of people in our community, they just don’t know what’s available or what types of jobs they can pursue that would allow them to get on a career path toward economic mobility. For organizations like ours, it’s really exciting to see the change that happens by simply opening the door of opportunity for someone.”

The 2024 grant recipients:

  • CareerSource Central Florida’s Community Health Champions program aims to create a career pipeline into the health care industry. Whatever roadblocks residents are facing, including language barriers, transportation challenges or unreliable Internet access for applying to jobs, CareerSource Central Florida offers a variety of vocational training and internship opportunities to overcome them. CSCF is upskilling health care workers who are culturally competent, empathetic and equipped to connect with the diverse populations they serve, making health care more accessible and impactful. Training goes beyond job skills, focusing on understanding and addressing the unique needs of community members.
  • The Sharing Center’s ProjectRISE, which, in addition to the organization’s food pantry, homeless resource center and thrift store, aims to address poverty and assist residents in accessing higher-paying jobs. Funding for ProjectRISE will allow 360 residents to enroll in a four-week comprehensive workforce development program focused on building emotional intelligence, soft skills and job-acquisition skills.
  • employU’s vocational rehabilitation program serves residents with mental and physical disabilities as part of the organization’s mission to create inclusive workplaces. Acting as a one-stop shop for career development and employment resources, employU provides employment training, paid work experience, job placement and job retention support. The organization will use the grant to fund new initiatives to help individuals access community resources and prepare for employment through workshops on financial literacy, social media safety and workplace readiness. It will also fund a program manager position to reach more residents and ultimately help them achieve financial independence.
  • Home Builders Institute BuildStrong Academy of Orlando is a tuition-free program delivering industry-recognized skills to train a new generation of home builders looking to break into the construction industry. The Academy offers career-focused education through hands-on learning, classroom instruction and real-life experience. Students train with skilled trades instructors who guide them through HBI’s nationally and industry recognized Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training curriculum and receive job placement assistance upon graduation, helping build a pipeline of residential and commercial construction workers.
  • iBuild Central Florida’s Pre-Apprenticeship Program is an innovative approach in attracting more people to jobs in the telecommunications construction industry, which is currently facing mass shortages nationwide. Based at Osceola Technical College, the program targets students enrolled in English language-acquisition and GED classes, 80% of whom live below the federal poverty line.
  • Jobs Partnership’s Stepping Up program equips residents who are unemployed or working low-wage jobs, combining soft skills training, career navigation and vocational training scholarships. Since its founding in 1999, the organization has served more than 3,300 people, empowering them to change their professional trajectories and developing a career pipeline into the health care industry. Last year, 79% of participants got a new job or started vocational training after completing the program.

Among the organizations that received grants, two are focused on bolstering the construction workforce. Central Florida’s lack of construction workers has contributed to a lack of affordable and attainable housing, with median home prices reaching $440,000, according to the Orlando Regional Realtors Association. And as the state wrangles with a shortfall of nearly 436,000 rental units, renters — who make up a third of the region’s population — have also watched rents skyrocket, hitting $1,600 a month for a one-bedroom unit.

“Virtually every industry is experiencing labor shortages, but the construction industry is significantly undersupplied,” said Emily Price, senior vice president of development and partnerships engagement for the Home Builders Institute. “The construction industry needs approximately 732,000 new workers each year to meet demand.”

Recognizing that employment and access to housing go hand in hand, Crystal Davidson, vice president of iBuild Central Florida, said creating a pipeline into the construction industry addresses multiple challenges. “They’ll be in a career field in the construction industry where they won’t want for a job for at least the next 25 years,” Davidson said, “because there is such a skills trade shortage across the United States, but especially in Florida.”

For more than 115 years, AdventHealth has called Central Florida home, and as a not-for-profit organization, has the privileged duty to invest financial resources into the community. In 2023 alone, AdventHealth contributed nearly $1.3 billion in community investments in Orange, Osceola, Seminole and South Lake counties, allowing more residents to access the medical care they need and deserve and supporting local nonprofit organizations.

“Investing in our community is a responsibility that AdventHealth treats very seriously and passionately, because we’ve seen the transformation that happens with these dollars,” said Tricia Edris, chief innovation and partnerships officer for AdventHealth’s Central Florida Division. “AdventHealth is proud to bring these six organizations together to now tackle issues around workforce development. It’s too big a problem for just one of us to solve. We must come together as a community.”

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Officials Celebrate Milestone at AdventHealth Minneola Topping-Out Ceremony

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MINNEOLA, Fla. (FNN) – AdventHealth Minneola marked a major construction milestone today as leaders, physicians, elected officials, and community members gathered for the hospital’s topping-out ceremony. The new facility has reached its full height of four stories, with attendees signing a commemorative structural beam.

“AdventHealth is honored to be Minneola’s partner in health. I’m thrilled to bring this world-class healthcare facility to South Lake County,” said Kay Barnett, CEO of AdventHealth Minneola.

Located on Hancock Road near Florida’s Turnpike, the 204,000-square-foot hospital will feature an emergency department, operating suites, heart catheterization labs, 80 private inpatient rooms, and more. It is expected to bring around 500 jobs to the community.

“Providing care close to home is central to our mission,” said Dr. Miles Bennett, Chief Medical Officer for AdventHealth Winter Garden and Clermont.

The facility is set to open in late 2025.

 

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