Alex Kacik is the hospital operations reporter for Modern Healthcare in Chicago. Aside from hospital operations, he covers supply chain, legal and finance. Before joining Modern Healthcare in 2017, Kacik covered various business beats for seven years in the Santa Barbara, California region. He received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in Central California.
In 2017, brand-name prescription drugs made up only 17% of total prescriptions filled but represented 79% of total drug spending, according to an updated study from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
There has been a relatively steady decline in primary-care visits since 2009, although nurse practitioners and physician assistants are making up some ground, according to new research from the Health Care Cost Institute.
The Healthy State Alliance identified 10 objectives to improve care in Ohio, with opioids, transplant services and cancer care topping the list.
Express Scripts will add approved lower-cost generics to its National Preferred Flex Formulary and exclude the branded drug, and possibly other drugs in the therapy class, from its coverage.
Providers can breathe a sigh of relief as a split House and Senate likely means that most of the sweeping healthcare policy changes are off the table until 2020. Plus, they may join forces with lawmakers on a common enemy: pharma.
Massachusetts voters rejected a ballot measure to institute mandated nurse-to-patient staffing ratios next year. California is the only state to have a similar law.
