Opinion: Legislature should act on bill to limit out-of-pocket drug costs

S. 609, a bill that would limit out-of-pocket costs for patients paying for prescription drugs, is a clear step in the right direction. Massachusetts should join 16 other states that have passed similar bills to protect patients.

Opinion: Drug patents aren’t a ‘necessary evil.’ They save lives.

Drug patents are one of the most important public policy innovations in all of human history, and a boon to patients awaiting cures. Inventions only come when inventors are rewarded, not punished. Patents are not a “necessary evil.”

A Federal Drug Discount Program for the Wealthy

The combination of legal disputes, a growing data repository and investigative reports have necessarily put the 340B Drug Pricing Program under the microscope. Combined with the fact that the policy lacks transparency, 340B has spiraled out of control to the point that no policymaker can ignore the need to look closer.

Harvard research points to ending drug cost help

A common grievance about Harvard is that the university is out of touch with the concerns of everyday Americans. This perception is confirmed by recent research from Harvard Business School that contends patients should be denied assistance that helps them afford their prescription drugs. The Harvard study argues that in order to control drug prices, the government should deny patients’ access to copay assistance programs offered by drug manufacturers. It flies in the face of federal and state efforts to protect the value of such assistance programs for patients and ignores basic facts about how and when patients use copay assistance to access their medications.

A Modest Proposal to Raise Federal Revenue

As a way to tackle drug prices, President Joe Biden recently announced that he supports the so-called “inflation rebate,” which would require drug companies to give the federal government any revenue from Medicare drug prices above the general rate of inflation. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have also publicly endorsed the inflation rebate.

Why are health care costs rising every year in Massachusetts?

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The largest driver is the increase in prices by health systems that have the clout to command higher payments and work to recruit more patients to their high-cost facilities.

A Rush to Judgment on Alzheimer’s Drug

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The Boston-based Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) sells itself as an independent source of information on the value of pharmaceuticals. But earlier this month, their bias was again evident when they tried to kneecap a drug for a dreaded disease before there’s even enough data to determine how valuable the drug really is. ICER has adopted this same strategy in the past on innovative drugs for cancer, cystic fibrosis, and other devastating diseases. This time ICER’s target is aducanumab, Biogen’s drug for Alzheimer’s disease.

ICER Proves Its Lack of Business Acumen, Again

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A recent Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) “Report on Unsupported Price Increases,” concluded that: “Among the top drugs with price increases in 2019…ICER determined that seven of 10 lacked adequate new evidence to demonstrate a substantial clinical benefit that was not yet previously known.”  The impression left by the report is that drug companies arbitrarily raise prices without good reason.  As with so many ICER products, the study is misleading and demonstrates a profound lack of business acumen.

Combatting COVID-19: Life in the MGH Emergency Room

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Join host Joe Selvaggi and Pioneer Senior Fellow Josh Archambault as they talk with Dr. David King about the experience of being in emergent care during a pandemic and lockdown. They explore the challenges of coping with a poorly understood virus during a lockdown, all while continuing to serve the sick.

In The Era Of COVID-19, Mass. Needs To Get Long-Term Care Right

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This op-ed originally appeared in WGBH News. In much of the…

Baker needs to expand telehealth further

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This op-ed appeared in Commonwealth magazine on March 25th, 2020. Coronavirus…

Report: Rare Disease Patients Hurt by “One-Size-Fits-All” ICER Framework

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This op-ed appeared in ICERWatch on June 26, 2019. The Institute…

Putting a Price on Life: The Coming Fight Over Government Rationing of Medical Care

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This article appeared on The Mackinac Center for Public Policy…

Issue Brief: Problems With The Institute of Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) and the QALY Methodology

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This article by Chris Rochester appeared in The MacIver Institute…

Commentary: Proposed Drug Price Caps Would Stall Advances in Health Care

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This op-ed by William Smith and Adam Crepeau appeared in the…

HHS Secretary Alex Azar doesn’t want drug access to become an equation

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This op-ed by William Smith appeared in the Washington Examiner…

Action on health care pricing transparency needed to stem rising costs

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The Hill BY JIM STERGIOS AND CHARLES CHIEPPO, OPINION CONTRIBUTORS…

The U.S. shouldn’t use the ‘QALY’ in drug cost-effectiveness reviews

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This op-ed by William Smith appeared in STAT News on February…

Baker’s Orwellian drug pricing policy

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This op-ed by William Smith appeared in Commonwealth Magazine…

Op-ed: Getting to yes on MassHealth

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State leaders need to work together to tackle Medicaid challenge MASSACHUSETTS…

Op-ed: Health fee pinches taxpayers

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Read this op-ed in the Boston Herald (September 4, 2016). Sometimes…

Op-ed: Why Boston and Mass. need more walk-in clinics

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Published in The Boston Globe, JUNE 01, 2016 AFTER NEARLY…

Boston Herald: To-do List for New Governor to Fix Health Site

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By Josh Archambault and Eric Dahlberg. This op-ed originally…

Fall River Herald News: Guest Opinion: Mass. Health Care Connector’s failures show disconnect of ACA exchanges

By Josh Archambault Date: April 10, 2014 Read it here. Seven…

Boston Herald: Gov owes Obamacare diagnosi$

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Op-Ed by Mary Connaughton & Josh Archambault Wednesday,…

Worcester Telegram & Gazette op-ed: Put retiree health care to bid

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Put retiree health care to bid AS I SEE IT http://www.telegram.com/article/20130226/ NEWS/102269882/1020/opinion By…

USA Today op-ed: “How ObamaCare can improve for states”

Governors need to require greater flexibility in order to tailor…

MetroWest Daily News: State’s mixed record on health reforms

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Massachusetts has chosen to incubate health care solutions rather…