Policy and Legislation

The Prescription Drug Monitoring Program aims to combat drug abuse in the state.

Report describes steps states can take to address a number of drug-coverage issues in the commercial insurance market.

Physicians' concern is that the new payment system will put doctors in solo or small practices at high risk of incurring payment penalties and will push thousands into larger practices and alternative payment organizations.

State officials do not quibble about where Georgia ranks and note that the numbers have risen since 2010. And they vow to do something about it.

Any premium increases would be offset by comparative shopping and tax credits, says Department Health and Human Services.

Lawmakers are imploring Mylan Pharmaceutical, the manufacturer of EpiPens, to scale back price increases that have seen the cost of the life-saving emergency allergy treatment swell from $100 to $600 per package, according to published reports.

If the poorest areas utilized healthcare at the rate of the most affluent, overall utilization and spending could be as much as 30 percent less, according to a new book published by the late Richard Cooper, MD.

In a recent poll of healthcare professionals, Hillary Clinton is the preferred presidential candidate among physician practice professionals, with 48 percent of respondents saying she would "most benefit" their practices.

The "most important factor" that drives prescription drug prices higher in the United States than anywhere else in the world is the existence of government-protected "monopoly" rights for drug manufacturers, researchers at Harvard Medical School reported today.

In total, 2,022 hospitals shared in the government payout, which settled 346,000 claims for reimbursement for treating Medicare patients admitted on or before Oct. 1, 2013.