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Why some people are worried about drug patent protections in the new NAFTA

Oct 2, 2018
The trade agreement reached over the weekend between the U.S., Canada and Mexico includes longer intellectual property protection periods for the expensive class of drugs known as biologics.
LARS HAGBERG/AFP/Getty Images

Novartis moves away from mass-market drugs

Sep 25, 2018
New chief executive plots a fresh course for the pharmaceutical giant.

Kickbacks or a helpful service? Here's why pharma is under fire

Sep 21, 2018
Drug companies can get creative with doctor incentives, and that can be problematic.
A pharmacy technician counts out a prescription of antibiotic pills.
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The rise in "interactive insurance" could make you healthier — and more scrutinized

Sep 20, 2018
John Hancock is the latest insurer to offer policies with discounted premiums if policyholders agree to be monitored.
Participants who wear monitoring devices like the ones above can get cheaper premiums or rewards from John Hancock.
Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for Fitbit

There's a new generic drugmaker in town, and it doesn't need to turn a profit

Sep 6, 2018
Across the country, hospitals and clinics are dealing with a really difficult problem: Sometimes they can’t get their hands on certain life-saving generic drugs. So one group of large hospital systems, including the Mayo Clinic and Intermountain Healthcare, has come up with a workaround. It’s created a nonprofit company called Civica RX that will make […]

What's a pharmacy benefit manager, anyway?

Aug 24, 2018
Pharmacy benefit managers, like Express Scripts, OptumRX and CVS Caremark, are taking a lot of heat for their role in drug prices. We explain the world of PBMs.
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Here's why there's a shortage of EpiPens

Aug 23, 2018
The Food and Drug Administration is trying to help mitigate the shortage of EpiPens, those auto-injecting devices used to treat allergic reactions to things like peanuts and bee stings. It’s extended by four months the expiration date for some EpiPen products. The FDA got data from EpiPen maker Mylan that convinced them some of the […]

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Immigrants use health services at a lower rate than people born in the U.S.

Aug 8, 2018
A report out today in the Journal of Health Services contradicts a common narrative.
Immigrants make up roughly 12 percent of the population in this country, but account for just 8.6 percent of heath care expenditures. 
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Arkansas phasing in work requirements for those on Medicaid

Aug 7, 2018
Arkansas is at the forefront of a national experiment to see whether requiring work for health care coverage helps lift people out of poverty. So far, the state’s plan has seen low compliance among beneficiaries who may soon see themselves fall off the Medicaid rolls. Out of the around 10,000 people who were supposed to […]
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"Skinny" short-term health insurance plans expand under Trump

Aug 1, 2018
Here are some pros and cons on the policies.
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