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STAT+: UnitedHealth was top insurer collecting billions in questionable Medicare payments, federal watchdog finds

STAT

A federal watchdog found that Medicare Advantage insurers collected billions of dollars in dubious payments from Medicare in a single year by using home visits and medical chart reviews to diagnose patients with conditions for which they received no follow-up care.   

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How to get insurance to cover Ozempic for weight loss

The Checkup by Singlecare

Although some healthcare providers prescribe Ozempic off-label for weight loss, insurance often won’t cover Ozempic for these uses unless it’s medically justified and no alternative treatments exist. We’ll explain when insurance covers Ozempic and how to advocate for coverage. When does insurance cover Ozempic for weight loss?

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Opinion: Charging patients to message their doctors mostly benefits major hospital systems

STAT

Some hospital systems have started charging patients for digital messages to their doctors via the electronic medical record, either a flat rate (like a copay) or on sliding scale depending on the time or complexity of the physician’s response. Costs have ranged between less than $10 and $100 for a message.

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STAT+: How experts think we can put health data back ‘in the hands of the patient’

STAT

Two decades ago, the Bush administration threw a wrench in health data privacy, making it possible for many health care organizations to share medical information without patients’ consent so long as it was being used to improve treatment or streamline business operations. Today, the health data marketplace looks vastly different.

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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Bavarian Nordic’s mpox shot, a crackdown on Ozempic prescribing and more

STAT

insurer is taking an unusually hard line on doctors who it says improperly prescribed the diabetes treatment Ozempic, escalating the ongoing war over drugs that have become wildly popular for weight loss , Bloomberg News reports. Or maybe this is a chance to catch up with someone special. Well, whatever you do, have a grand time.

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Is Fasenra covered by Medicare?

The Checkup by Singlecare

The exact amount you pay for Fasenra depends on factors such as where you purchase it and what your insurance covers. Insurance can significantly reduce Fasenra’s out-of-pocket expenses, but for people paying entirely out of pocket, it can cost about $7,715 for one 30 mg/mL injection. “It How much does Fasenra cost?

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Pfizer is first big pharma to tap Truveta’s real-world data platform

pharmaphorum

Truveta’s platform is based on electronic medical record data – updated daily – for more than 50 million people in the US, harvesting anonymised patient care information from tens of thousands of clinical care sites across 42 states. “The world needs answers to medical questions faster and together, we can help.”