Competition
Litigation and Enforcement Highlights – March 2019
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor March 15, 2019
It’s been an eventful month in healthcare litigation and enforcement, as we saw the final conclusions to the legal challenges to Maryland’s drug pricing law and the sale of nonprofit hospitals in California. In addition to reflecting on the Supreme Court’s latest action, or lack thereof, we also bring updates on increased action in pending state antitrust enforcement in Pennsylvania and Washington. Landmark Maryland Drug Pricing Law Officially Dead The breaking litigation development in pharma last month was none other than Supreme Court’s denial to review the constitutionality of …
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The Source Roundup: March 2019 Edition
Source Fellow March 1, 2019
By: Leah S. Gray, Student Fellow Happy March! This month we take a look at articles that examine 1) state health system reform efforts, 2) protections against surprise medical bills, 3) effects of market concentration on cost and quality, and 4) ways to control rising costs for health care and pharmaceuticals. States are taking the lead in health system reform While the federal health policy debate has remained rather stagnant, states have stepped up protect their citizens from rising health care costs. North Carolina is poised to make rapid, unprecedented …
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Litigation and Enforcement Highlights – February 2019
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor February 15, 2019
February has been a busy month for state attorneys general from coast to coast, as AGs from Pennsylvania and California assert their authorities to regulate transactions in the healthcare provider market. On the drug pricing front, we follow up on the latest action in the nationwide litigation against the now infamous generic drug price fixing scheme that, fueled by increased media attention, has rallied state, federal, and private forces across the country. Pennsylvania AG Sues Payer-Provider for Restrictive Network Access In an effort to regulate Pennsylvania’s provider and …
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The Source Roundup: February 2019 Edition
Source Fellow February 1, 2019
By: Erin Sclar, Student Fellow Happy February! As we eagerly await this year’s health policy valentines on Twitter, we review recent academic articles that examine a variety of issues related to health care costs, including 1) the effect of vertical integration in health care, 2) health reform and theories of cost control, 3) why the US spends so much on health care, 4) how ACOs use population segmentation to care for high-cost patients, 5) characteristics and spending patterns of high-cost Medicare patients, and 6) an evaluation of bundled payments for joint …
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Recapping the 2017-2018 California Legislative Session (Part 2): Incremental Steps Made in Scrutinizing Market Changes and High Health Care Costs
Sammy Chang, Health Policy Researcher January 29, 2019
As California begins its 2019-2020 legislative cycle, we look back at the 2017-2018 bills that will affect California health care costs and markets. Previously, we mentioned that last session’s health care bills coalesced around four themes: targeting high costs of prescription drugs, attempting to implement single payer, regulating competition, and limiting high health costs. In Part 1 of our review, we covered how the legislature banned pharmacy gag clauses and limited out of pocket expenses but failed to implement single payer. This time, we’ll look at 2017-2018 bills that sought …
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Litigation and Enforcement Highlights – January 2019
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor January 15, 2019
Happy 2019! In this New Years issue, we recap the final litigation and enforcement moments of 2018. In antitrust litigation, we look closer at a major developing lawsuit that brings anticompetitive generic drug pricing practices into the national spotlight. Also, two federal appeals courts weighed in on antitrust litigation in the commercial health insurance and pharmaceutical industries, respectively. In enforcement action, we discuss the final mega merger of 2018 and what its approval means for the healthcare market. Massive Antitrust Lawsuit Keeps Snowballing Toward Judgment Day for Generic Drugmakers …
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Healthcare Mergers and Acquisitions and What They Mean for the Patient
Guest Author January 14, 2019
Recent trends: In the early 2000s, it appeared that the only healthcare establishments looking to merge were those with no other alternative; it was a case of merge or go out of business. Well, the situation has changed. Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) activity has been gradually increasing over the past decade or so, and a spike was seen in 2017, with the number of transactions (115 in 2017 compared to 2016’s 102) being the highest since the financial firm, Kaufman Hall, began monitoring it in the year 2000. Even more …
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The Source Roundup: January 2019 Edition
Source Fellow January 2, 2019
By: Megan O’Leary, Student Fellow Happy New Year! We hope this year is filled with good health (policy) and much happiness! In this roundup, we look at (1) proposals to address healthcare costs and competition, (2) changes to section 1332 waivers, (3) rising healthcare costs, premiums, and deductibles, and three articles specifically about telehealth from a special Health Affairs issue. Proposals to Address Rising Healthcare Costs and Lack of Competition On December 3, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the Departments of the …
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Litigation and Enforcement Highlights – December 2018
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor December 17, 2018
November brought both good and bad news to the realm of healthcare competition. In one of the biggest developments of the year in antitrust enforcement, the Justice Department successfully settled with Atrium Health to prohibit its anti-steering practice in North Carolina. Later in the month, despite anticompetitive concerns and the potential resulting impact on healthcare prices, key states approved three mega mergers, albeit with conditions. Major North Carolina Hospital System Settles Anti-Steering Suit with DOJ, Encourages Antitrust Enforcement Efforts In an ongoing anti-steering case in North Carolina,[1] the state’s …
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Source Short: CVS Aetna Merger Not a Done Deal
Katie Gudiksen, Senior Health Policy Researcher December 13, 2018
In November 2018, The Source reported that CVS was finalizing its merger with Aetna after getting approval from the Justice Department. In the past two weeks, however, statements by Judge Richard Leon, a judge from the US District Court for the District of Columbia, have made that merger less certain. The approval from the Justice Department is conditional until approved by the courts. As a result, Judge Leon could rule to prevent the merger, but because the transaction already closed,[1] some legal experts have called untangling the companies akin to …
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