The Catalyst - A PhRMA Blog

Medicare Monday: Part B and biosimilars, part 2

By Kelsey Lang | November 30, 2015

Earlier this month, Medicare Monday covered the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule on reimbursement for biosimilars and the implications of using a single billing code to... Read More

5 ways your insurer may prevent you from getting your medicine

By Allyson Funk | November 30, 2015

We’ve talked about the 5 things to consider when choosing your health coverage and the 5 questions to ask about your prescription medicine coverage, but it is also important to know the barriers... Read More

ICYMI: Physicians want better information sharing with biopharmaceutical companies

By Mit Spears | November 23, 2015

The issue and debate around communications with health care professionals is at its very essence, a conversation about ensuring physicians have the best possible data to effectively treat patients.... Read More

Bringing innovation to light during Lung Cancer Awareness Month

By Hannah Mooney Mack | November 23, 2015

Lung Cancer Awareness Month is an opportunity to celebrate the stories of survivors, raise awareness about the leading cause of cancer death and continue the search for innovative new treatments and... Read More

Medicare Monday: The importance of shopping around for your Part D plan this Thanksgiving

By Ashley Flint | November 23, 2015

We’ve spent some time talking about the importance of shopping around during Part D open enrollment, which is currently underway until December 7th, 2015. Existing Part D plan coverage and individual... Read More

Week in Review: The Latest from PhRMA

By Priscilla VanderVeer | November 20, 2015

Value of Medicine: Insurers continue to attack medicines and make it difficult for patients to access the drugs prescribed by their doctors. One patient shares his story about the difficulties trying... Read More

“Drug of the week”: one patient’s story

By Pete Martinez | November 20, 2015

Insurers’ attacks on medicines often fail to account for the value of a medicine brings to society, the health care system and individual patients. This is exactly what the nation’s health insurers... Read More

340B Spotlight: New study raises questions about whether non-profit hospitals are meeting charity care requirements in Affordable Care Act

By Karyn Schwartz | November 19, 2015

New data published in The New England Journal of Medicine shows that many non-profit hospitals are not meeting charity care requirements in the Affordable Care Act. These requirements were intended... Read More

6 things to know before the HHS forum

By Robert Zirkelbach | November 19, 2015

Tomorrow, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will host a forum on pharmaceutical innovation, access, affordability and better health. We welcome the opportunity to discuss how we can... Read More

PhRMA Foundation celebrates 50 years launching scientific careers

By Eileen Cannon | November 18, 2015

This November, we are pleased to be celebrating the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Foundation’s 50th anniversary, commemorating five decades of jumpstarting the careers... Read More

New Video: Clinical trials serve as engine for local economic growth

By Priscilla VanderVeer | November 18, 2015

Without clinical trials, new medicines could not be approved and made available to the patients who need them. But beyond connecting patients to new treatments and potential cures for some of the... Read More

Impact of deductibles in health plans

By Rebecca Davison | November 18, 2015

We’ve seen reports on the use of high deductibles that include prescription drugs in health insurance exchange plans and the burden they put on patients. A recent IMS Health report, Emergence and... Read More

ICYMI – IMS Institute – Branded net medicine price increases “lowest in past five years”

By Holly Campbell | November 17, 2015

In case you missed it, a new IMS Institute health care brief found that net price increases in 2014 for branded medicines was the “lowest in the past five years” after accounting for discounts,... Read More

Despite rhetoric, new data shows medicines are not primary driver of premium increases

By Karyn Schwartz | November 17, 2015

Despite claims from insurers about the impact of medicine costs on premium increases, their own data indicates otherwise. In fact, just $3.29 of the average $25.26 increase in monthly premiums in... Read More

Medicare Monday: Medicare Part B and biosimilars

By Andrew Powaleny | November 16, 2015

With the first U.S. biosimilar approved in March of 2015, the pathway created by the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act to bring biosimilars to market for U.S. patients has become a... Read More

BMJ clinical trial report misleading

By Jocelyn Ulrich | November 16, 2015

Biopharmaceutical companies are committed to enhancing the transparency of their research in a responsible manner. To demonstrate their commitment, in July 2013 PhRMA joined with the European... Read More

Week in Review: The Latest from PhRMA

By Priscilla VanderVeer | November 13, 2015

Access Problems in Exchanges: The New York Times drew attention to complaints about health insurance exchange plans with limited access to doctors and hospitals. New requirements would require... Read More

The Pacira Case Study: Patients are better served when health care professionals have the most accurate and up-to-date medical information

By Mit Spears | November 13, 2015

Patients are better served when health care professionals have the most accurate and up-to-date medical information. This is true for data and information regarding FDA-approved uses and medically... Read More