Data Stream
Paying for the Label?
Drug-switching (substituting chemically different compounds within the same class for one
another) could potentially save health-care systems billions of dollars, according to a study
published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Analyzing data from more than 100,000 participants in the Medical Expenditure Panel
Survey (2010-2012), researchers observed that, between 2010 and 2012:
The total spending for brand-name drugs was
$147 billion vs $62.7 billion for generic drugs.
Switching to generic drugs could have saved health-care
systems $73 billion in total spending, and could have
saved patients $24.6 billion in out-of-pocket costs.
It’s not without its controversies, though. “Most physician organizations are opposed to
therapeutic substitution and see it as an attack on physician autonomy,” the authors noted.
“There are concerns regarding efficacy, adverse effects, drug interactions, and different
indications for drugs within a class.”
Source: Johansen ME, Richardson C. Estimation of potential savings through therapeutic substitution. JAMA Intern
Med. 2016 May 9. [Epub ahead of print]
CHIP-ping Away at Uninsured Numbers
Nearly 1 million children gained coverage during the first full year of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to an analysis of data from the American
Community Survey – an ongoing U.S. Census Bureau survey of more than
700,000 children.
Looking at eligibility for and participation in Medicaid/Children’s Health
Insurance Program (CHIP) – which provides coverage for children whose
families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid – the researchers found that:
Let’s Get Physical
In a study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) involving 1.44 million people in the
United States and Europe, investigators found that increasing physical activity levels could
lower the risk of developing 13 types of cancer, including myeloid leukemia and myeloma.
Participants tracked their leisure-time physical activity (walking, running, swimming, or other
exercise) over 11 years.
91%
up from
88.7 %
of eligible children
were enrolled in
these programs
in 2014
in 2013
Compared with moderate-intensity activity (3-6 metabolic equivalent of task [METs]/hour),
vigorous activity (>6 METs/hour) lowered the risks of
MYELOID LEUKEMIA BY
MYELOMA BY
17
20
%
%
“Health-care professionals counseling inactive adults should promote physical activity as a
component of a healthy lifestyle and cancer prevention,” Steven C. Moore, PhD, lead author
of the study, said in a press release.
Source: Moore SC, Lee I, Welderpass E, et al. Leisure-time physical activity and risk of 26 types of cancer in 1.44 million
adults. JAMA Intern Med. 2016 May 16. [Epub ahead of print]
24
ASH Clinical News
3.5
3.5 million
3.0
2.8 million
2.5
2.0
The numbers of uninsured
children dropped from
3.5 million in 2013 to
2.8 million in 2014.
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
2013
2014
There were coverage gains for all types of children between 2013 and 2014,
including those of different ethnic groups, ages, and family incomes.
Source: Urban Institute, “Children’s Coverage Climb Continues: Uninsurance and Medicaid/CHIP
Eligibility and Participation Under the ACA,” May 2016.
July 2016