Happy August! Even as the summer winds down, there is no waning of health policy literature. In this month’s Source Roundup, we take a look at academic articles and studies that analyze 1) potential prescription drug savings from generics and biosimilars, 2) the need for price transparency, and 4) a multitude of efforts in health system reform.   Potential Prescription Drug Savings from Generics and Biosimilars As prescription drug pricing continue to capture the nation’s attention, Stacie B. Dusetzina et al. take a dive into cost discrepancies between brand name …

The Lower Health Care Costs Act, released in May 2019 by Senators Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray, addresses many inefficiencies in healthcare markets and has the potential to both increase competition and lower costs for healthcare services. The 195-page draft federal bill, also known as the Alexander-Murray Bill (S 1895), contains more than three dozen provisions designed to address health care costs. The bill is divided into five titles: 1) Ending Surprise Medical Bills, 2) Reducing the Prices of Prescription Drugs, 3) Improving Transparency in Health Care, 4) Improving Public …

As public outcry against healthcare costs, in particular prescription drug prices, continues to dominate the national spotlight, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is stepping up its efforts to regulate anticompetitive conduct in various markets of the healthcare supply chain. In this month’s Litigation and Enforcement Highlights, we take a look at FTC enforcement actions that target 1) the e-prescription market, 2) reverse-payment agreements between drug manufacturers, and 3) pharmacy benefit managers.   FTC Targets Monopoly in Electronic Prescription Market in Antitrust Action Against Surescripts As the country faces building pressure …

By: Megan O’Leary, Student Fellow and Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor On Thursday, April 4, The Source attended the “Antitrust in the New Millennium Symposium” hosted by UC Hastings College of the Law.  This blog focuses on the session “New Antitrust and Healthcare”, moderated by The Source Board member and UC Hastings Professor Thomas Greaney, and featuring the panel of, notably all women, UC Hastings Professor Robin Feldman, California Senior Assistant Attorney General Kathleen Foote, and American Antitrust Institute (AAI) President Diana L. Moss.   What drives rising healthcare prices?  Perhaps it stems …

*Last Updated: February 4, 2019. In 2018, states showed an increasing eagerness to further regulate the pharmaceutical market with the goal of decreasing prices and increasing access to prescription drugs for their residents. This year, forty-four states considered 227 bills to address rising drug costs, of which 55 became laws in thirty-two states. Only two states with active legislative sessions, North Carolina and Alabama, did not consider legislation with the aim of reducing prescription drug costs or ensuring access to prescription.[1] In the first six parts of the “Spotlight on …

This month we highlight new developments in several high profile antitrust enforcement cases and pharmaceutical legal actions, including 1) new challenges to the proposed Beth Israel-Lahey merger, 2) expanded probe into generic drugs price-fixing scheme, 3) conclusion to Allergan’s patent saga, and 4) the future of Maryland’s price gouging law.    Massachusetts Health System Merger Hits Roadblock, with Rocky Road Ahead We have our eye on the proposed merger of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Lahey Health, which has been under regulatory review since December 2017. As we covered …

*Update: This post was written before the end of the 2018 legislative session. For the most recent count of states that passed these legislation, see the Spotlight on 2018 State Drug Legislation Summary: The Year in Review or download our Summary Chart. In the most recent legislative sessions, states have demonstrated they are increasingly willing to use their power to target prescription drug prices. In 2018, only two states with active legislative sessions, North Carolina and Alabama, did not consider legislation with the aim of reducing prescription drug costs. Of …

June has been a busy month in terms of healthcare litigation and enforcement action. In this issue, we highlight 1) implications of the AT&T-Time Warner merger for vertical mergers in healthcare, 2) FTC’s big win in a pharmaceutical pay-for-delay case, and 3) constitutional challenges against state drug pricing laws.   AT&T-Time Warner Merger Encourages Healthcare Vertical Mergers but May Mean Little Last month, a federal court approved AT&T and Time Warner’s $85 billion merger without condition, setting off a wave of speculation on how the decision could impact pending healthcare …

Happy July! In this edition of the Source Roundup, we cover six academic articles and reports from May and June. The topics this month include: (1) the drug rebate system, (2) provider-payer integration as model for healthcare reform, (3) anticompetitive behaviors that delay generic drug competition, (4) short-term insurance plan expansion increases 2019 ACA marketplace premiums, and (5) competition concerns of healthcare consolidation.   The Drug Rebate System is Not the Villain in Rising Health Care Costs There are plenty of reasons health care price inflation continues to affect the …

Pharmaceutical litigation and enforcement actions took the spotlight in the news last month. In this edition, we highlight two high profile enforcement cases and continue to follow the Allergan patent saga. In enforcement, we saw developments in the FTC’s antitrust enforcement against generic drugmaker Impax and the DOJ’s anti-kickback enforcement against brand manufacturer Pfizer. These actions could set important precedents for similar cases and significantly impact price and competition in the pharmaceutical industry. Meanwhile, Allergan continues to defend against attacks of its tribal immunity maneuver in a seemingly losing battle. …