This summer’s heat wave is scorching Texas and much of the United States. It has also led to record temperatures in places like the United Kingdom where it reached 104 degrees in July. The UK is currently bracing up for another week of hot weather. Temperatures have been high across Europe. Paris is currently frying which is not uncommon in July and August.
Category: Authors
Thursday Links
- Social Security’s online Benefits Calculator – don’t rely on it.
- How the FDA makes decisions: ruling first, evidence later.
- Something parents might want to read before they get a Covid vaccine for their kids.
- Why does the new IRA bill create medical benefits for millionaires, while doing nothing for 2 million low-income adults in a “coverage gap”—too poor to claim credits on the Obamacare exchanges, but ineligible for Medicaid?
- Bats can prolong their lifespans by hibernating. Could that work for humans?
- Study finding we already knew: higher income people spend more on health care.
Who Benefits from Drug Rebates? Mostly Health Plans (Not Consumers)
Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) have been in the news lately. PBMs manage drug benefits for insurers, self-insured employer health plans, Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare Part D. Recently executives from the three largest PBMs were hauled before Congress to discuss their business models. One reason for scrutiny is that the three largest PBMs control about 80% of the market.
Wednesday Links
- Tyler Cowen: Given the incredibly good return we are getting on drugs, shouldn’t we be spending more on pharmaceutics, not less?
- Republicans need an alternative to drug price fixing. I’ve given them a good start.
- The very worst health care provisions in the IRA bill.
- Life is a bitch, if you have diabetes.
- Claims about Covid: It was CCP biological warfare.