As the legislative session begins, we invite you to let us know if there are any specific bills or topics you’d like to see us cover this year. Your input here is incredibly valuable. This newsletter features several health bills being advanced by the legislature, Will Humble from AzPHA’s thoughts on Omicron-fueled staffing shortages, and a breakdown … Read more
The question of increasing affordable access to care has risen to the forefront of health policy conversations in the wake of COVID-19—a shift from previously cost-focused models. In the world of pharmacy, health leaders are engaging in conversations about navigating cost pressures as Florida continues to navigate the pandemic. State of Reform looks forward to … Read more
With vaccination rates among Alaskans remaining lower than the national average, State of Reform hosted a discussion entitled 5 Slides We’re Discussing: Overcoming Vaccine Hesitancy with some of the state’s leading experts on the subject. The discussion included Dr. Anne Zink, chief medical officer for the State of Alaska, Elizabeth Ripley, CEO of the Mat-Su … Read more
Soon after vaccines became available last year, Alaska had one of the highest vaccination rates per capita in the country. However, the latest data from the CDC shows Alaska is in the bottom quarter of states in terms of vaccinations per 100,000. To figure out why, and how to address these low vaccination rates, State … Read more
The pandemic has shifted the politics and public opinion on health care. Where cost was a primary concern before COVID, now access to affordable innovations is top of consumers’ and policy makers’ minds. As a return to normalcy appears on the horizon, the intersection of cost pressures and innovation in pharmacy is becoming a primary … Read more
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday! This week’s newsletter includes a conversation with Rep. Mary Whiteford on her policy priorities, our recent “5 Slides We’re Watching ” video on the cost of new medicines, and an interview with a health care lobbyist about some of the main themes they’ve seen around health policy … Read more
Groundbreaking gene therapy treatments have tremendous potential to provide treatment to the around one in ten Americans living with rare diseases. But these game-changing therapies also bring with them new challenges, including how the individuals who need them most will get access to and be able to pay for these expensive treatments. To tackle this … Read more
Panelists discussed the importance of transparency and need for cost reductions on specialty drugs in State of Reform’s recent virtual conversation “5 Slides We’re Discussing: The policy implications of new medicines.” The experts called on pharmaceutical companies and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to be more transparent in their pricing and formulary curation. The … Read more
With the Thanksgiving holiday next week, I wanted to take a moment to say thank you on behalf of the entire State of Reform team for your continued support. Whether it’s through attending our conferences, reading our coverage of health care and health policy in Virginia, or sponsoring our events, we appreciate you! Thanks again … Read more
The pandemic has shifted the politics and public opinion on health care. Where cost was a primary concern before COVID, now access to affordable innovations is top of consumers and policy makers minds. So, as a return to normalcy appears on the horizon, the intersection of cost pressures and innovation in pharmacy is becoming a … Read more