HHS Warns Against COVID-19 Vaccination Costs to Patients; Recapping FDA’s Controversial Approval of Biogen’s Adulhem

June 10, 2021 - It’s been a busy week in healthcare, beginning with FDA’s approval of Biogen’s Alzheimer’s drug, Aduhelm, which continues to draw the ire of industry experts across the pharmaceutical industry.

HHS WARNS AGAINST CHARGING FOR COVID-19 VACCINATIONS

In response to media reports outlining cost-related vaccine hesitancy, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra has issued a letter to payers and providers stating that the COVID-19 vaccine should carry no patient care cost.

To be clear, that has always been the case. Providers signed agreements with HHS to issue the COVID-19 vaccine with no patient financial responsibility; payers also carry a legal requirement to provide COVID-19 vaccinations and testing without patient financial responsibility.

HHS did acknowledge the costs associated with vaccine administration, include the training of staff and the storing of the vaccines, the latter of which was a particularly tall order considering stringent storage temperatures. The agency recommended providers bill Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers to cover these costs. READ MORE

BIOGEN GETS APPROVAL FOR CONTROVERSIAL ALZHEIMER’S DRUG

FDA has approved Biogen’s drug for Alzheimer’s disease, Aduhelm (aducanumab), despite ongoing debate over the drug’s efficacy.

Aducanumab is a monoclonal antibody selected from a population of elderly, healthy donors and cognitively stable patients and is now the first Alzheimer’s drug approved in over 20 years, as well as the first one to address cognitive decline in those with the illness. But, for nearly five years before FDA’s approval, there was notable controversy surrounding aducanumab.

Sam McGrail of PharmaNewsIntelligence recaps the controversial approval. READ MORE

MAYO CLINIC FORGES AI PARTNERSHIP FOR IMAGING

Mayo Clinic signed a multi-year collaboration agreement with Visage Imaging, the US subsidiary of Australian company Pro Medicus Limited, to research and develop artificial intelligence in healthcare.

The partnership will enable both parties to commercialize and make developments in artificial intelligence. Specifically, Mayo Clinic will leverage the Visage AI Accelerator, “an end-to-end AI solution that bridges research and diagnostic imaging on the same, unified platform,” Visage Imaging’s website states.

The collaboration agreement extends a previous six-year contract between Mayo Clinic and Visage Imaging established in 2016 that enabled the implementation of Visage 7 technology across Mayo Clinic’s radiology departments. READ MORE

PATIENTS EAGER FOR REMOTE PATIENT MONITORING

Four of every five consumers responding to a May 2021 survey by MSI International say they’re in favor of remote patient monitoring, especially for monitoring chronic diseases. About half want to see it integrated with clinical care services.

According to the survey of some 300 consumers, between 65 percent and 70 percent said they’d be willing to participate in an RPM program with their care providers to monitor blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar, and blood oxygen levels. Patients also see an opportunity in these programs to take more control over their own health and play a more active role in care management. By seeing the data and talking to their care providers, they can make adjustments at home in their daily routines.

As for perceived drawbacks, nearly half of those who participated in the survey expressed concerns about the accuracy of the monitoring technology, complications caused by the devices used, the reliability of the platform, and cost of care. This points to the value of educating patients before the program begins. READ MORE

ARE WELLNESS PROGRAMS NOT WORTH THE EFFORT?

Wellness programs may influence health behaviors but demonstrated little impact on healthcare spending, health outcomes, or employment outcomes, according to a new Health Affairs study. It has been debated whether workplace wellness programs, a common preventive care strategy among insurers and employers, have a significant impact on employee wellness.

From 2015 through 2017, the researchers conducted a study of a randomized set of warehouse retail sites owned by a single large employer. The study implemented a wellness program with 12, four- to eight-week-long modules covering a variety of wellness and preventive care subjects. There were no significant changes in clinical health measures, healthcare spending and utilization, or employment outcomes such as absenteeism.

“The results differ from much of the prior literature on workplace wellness programs, which generally used nonrandomized designs and often found positive and large returns on investment,” the researchers explained. READ MORE

ONE MEDICAL ACQUIRES IORA HEALTH FOR $2.1 BILLION

One Medical has announced its plans to acquire human-centric, value-based primary care group Iora Health in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $2.1 billion.

The agreement will allow One Medical, a human-centered and technology-powered primary care organization, and Iora Health to work together to accelerate and expand their missions to improve healthcare for consumers, employers, payers, providers, and health networks.

The acquisition will create a premier national member-based, technology-powered platform to deliver better health, better care, and lower costs across commercial and Medicare populations, according to the press release. It will also extend One Medical’s platform to deliver both 24/7 national digital health and in-person care across 28 markets. READ MORE