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Rx News | April 11, 2014
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National CooperativeRx

 

WAHU Conference
April 15, 2014
Waupaca, WI


 

 

National CooperativeRx is a not-for-profit coalition founded and owned by plan sponsors to achieve higher value prescription benefits through volume purchasing, clinical solutions, actionable data and unparalleled customer service. For your sales and marketing needs, please contact us at 866-679-9479, extension 223

Coalition News
 
April is National Donate Life Month

  • Each day, an average of 79 people receive organ transplants
  • People of every age give and receive organ donations
  • In 2012, 28,051 people received organ transplants
  • 122,243 people are waiting for an organ
  • 18 people will die each day waiting for an organ
  • 1 organ donor can save up to 8 lives 

For more information, click here.

 

 
News You Can Use
HealthDay.   A new study that took place in Europe over the past 11 years has shed some light on breast cancer and its relationship to saturated fats.  Women who ate the largest amount of saturated fat (around 48g/day) were 30% more likely to develop breast cancer than the women who ate the least (around 10g/day).  The study only showed an association, not cause and effect.  (Doheny, 4/9)  Full Story  
 
Fox News.  The University of Alaska Fairbanks has placed a professor on paid investigatory leave.  The professor had students in 2 separate classes practice injecting one another with a solution that wasn't approved for human use.  The 30 students each had around 10 injections.  (4/10)  Full Story

Industry News
HealthDay.  In the first half of 2011, 21.7% of families were having trouble paying medical bills.  In the first half of 2013, that number dropped to 19.8%.  That means 5M fewer people are experiencing problems, but it also leaves 52.8M people still struggling.  The relief is likely a combination of the Affordable Care Act and the improved economy.  (Pallarito, 4/9)  Full Story    
 
CNN Money.  4K doctors are millionaires, thanks to Medicare.  The government has made public data the services and procedures that individual doctors provided to Medicare patients in 2012.  "The top 2% of physicians collected nearly a quarter of Medicare payments."  The data doesn't reveal the money that the doctor may have had to pay back for pharmaceutical drugs or to other providers for services, so they likely didn't pocket the entire amount.  Click into the article for details.  (Luhby, 4/9)  Full Story

Health Policy Matters
Reuters.  Last week it was announced that 7.1M people had signed up for insurance through the new online exchange.  A US health official announced on Thursday that the number would likely surpass 7.5M.  The enrollment period was extended for people unable to sign up by March 31, and so far 400K people have taken advantage of it. (Morgan, 4/10)   Full Story 

Kaiser Health News.   The state of Nevada has decided to allow its citizens to sign up for health care outside of the health exchange at any time of the year, instead of limiting the enrollment period.  To prevent people from signing up after they become sick, they are allowing insurance agencies to have a 90 day waiting period for coverage to kick in.  (Andrews, 4/8)  Full Story