MDRP Podcast: Bill Baxter, Retired after 38 years, Johnson & Johnson

MDRP has teamed up with several of the speakers at this year's Medicaid Drug Rebate Program to share some of their insights on the current healthcare reform and how it will effect the industry leading up to the conference.

Bill Baxter, Retired after 38 years, Johnson & Johnson, and MDRP Conference Track Chair shared his insights on these questions with us:

• Bill has been attending MDRP since it's inception in 1990, and he shares the biggest changes he has seen in your career with the MDRP.
• The number one mistake people make in staying compliant with the MDRP.
• He tells us about the impact of HCR on manufacturers.
• He tells us why this conference is important to him.

To download the podcast, visit the MDRP Podcast webpage.
For a transcript of the podcast, click here.

Goals of Medicare Part D met according to Reuters

In a recent article at Reuters, they note that in a study of 7,000 senior Americans, after 2006, when heart failure medication was covered through their insurance, the number of prescriptions filled was increased. They also found that in 2008, the out of pocket expenses for seniors decreased 16% while prescriptions filled increased by 7%. All of this shows that the goals of Medicare Part D, helping seniors, especially those with low incomes, afford needed medications, are being met.

Electronic Medical Records open doors for investment

In a recent article at The International Business Times, they look at how the road has been paved for full integration of electronic medical records. Not long ago, the Americans didn't know about the internet, and now today, it's fully integrated into our lives. The Times is paralleling the adoption of electronic medical records to this. With the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, $20 billion has been promised to medical professionals who step up and begin using these records. This article points out that while few have still doctors and hospitals have done so, it is the future. But there are few companies that offer services to do this for the offices.

They state: The list of companies offering services to capitalize on the wave of practitioners switching to electronic health records is small with only a limited number of companies having the infrastructure and products completed for marketing.

What do you think? Will we see this market emerge? What companies do you see on the forefront of medical records conversion?

Teva settles Medicare Fraud Charges

According to Pharmalot, Teva will pay $169 million due to charges from several states and the US Government. They inflated medicine prices to receive larger reimbursements from Medicaid Programs. Read the full article here.

The "Doc Fix"

A recent editorial at The Chicago Tribune looks at the the Medicare situation many doctors refer to as the "Doc Fix." Many doctors have left Medicare as a result of the diminishing pay from the government. If doctors reach the maximum payment they can receive, a fee cut kicks in and they are paid less for their work. This is even after the standard rate for Medicare per visit is lower than private insurers and those who visit uninsured. Congress has suspended these pay cuts many times over the past few years, but The Chicago Tribune suggests that with the current changes in Medicare, Congress finally fixes this problem. The government should find a balanced answer and pay rate that can promote quality and efficient care. They also look to Dr. Donald Berwick, new head of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to solve this problem. Read the full editorial here.

Live from the Regional Fraud Prevention Summit

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services begins the first of a few Regional Fraud Prevention Summit today in Miami. You can watch the Summit live via streaming video here until 12:30PM EST.

According to the webpage:
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder join together in kicking-off the first in a series of Regional Health Care Fraud Prevention Summits in Miami, Florida as part of the Obama Administration's unprecedented effort to crack down on health care fraud.

Broadband for rural health care providers

The Washignton Post highlights that the Federal Communications Commission has started a $400 million program to extend broadband to rural healthcare providers. This is an effort to provide a platform that can easily transfer information between healthcare providers, patients and hospitals. Read the full article here.

Attend MDRP 2010 on us!

That’s right, we’re offering a few exclusive all-access complimentary passes to The Medicaid Drug Rebate Program 2010 – September 15-17, 2010 in Chicago, and you could attend the conference – on us ($3,000+ value). We’re looking for experienced bloggers who are well-versed in the safe and efficient completion of Healthcare Reform Bill on pharma Medicaid Drug Rebate Processes, Medicare Program, & 340B Program Compliance to begin blogging now and also at this year’s event. In return for your posts, you’ll be able to attend educational sessions and training seminars delivered by industry thought-leaders.

To apply to be a guest blogger, simply send your name, title, company and a few writing samples (a link to your blog is recommended) to Jennifer Pereira at jpereira@iirusa.com no later than Wednesday, August 18, 2010. We will review the submissions and contact all winners directly with more details. This opportunity doesn’t come often and we encourage you to apply and join us in Chicago.

For more on the MDRP 2010 event, visit the website:
http://bit.ly/65Qx2G

Value Driven Pharma - 2010 Brochure Ready for Download

IIR’s 2nd Annual Value-Driven Pharma is not just another managed market event – it delves deeper than ever before to give you the tools to reconcile government, payer and patient perspectives on drug valuation to bring you closer to the patients you serve.
Explore risk-sharing contracts like CIGNA & Merck and Health Alliance & P&G, to evaluate the demand for more outcomes data from payers and the requirements around Comparative Effectiveness Research to pave the way for formulary placement from the earliest point possible in the development cycle.

Download the brochure to find out more about the speakers and presentations at this year's event:

Key Takeaways for 2010:
• Benefit from over 20 hours of face-to-face working groups, networking breaks, and roundtable luncheons.
• Tackle challenges that come with payers increased focus on innovation that supports better health and financial outcomes for patients
• Improve the relationship and communication between manufacturers and payers to align all the incentives behind improving patient value.
• Learn how to break free from organizational silos, to leverage CER data to craft a successful value proposition, and use risk-sharing contracting to ensure market access.

Don't miss the early bird pricing at MDRP 2010!

As the longest running and most respected gathering of professionals working in the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, we wanted to make sure you book your hotel and registration before it's too late.

Register now as early bird pricing ends this Friday, July 9th! Use priority code MDRPBlog.


Join these industry leaders at the largest Medicaid Drug Rebate Program summit in the nation:
3 Rivers Pharmaceuticals * 340B Prime Vendor Program * Abbott Laboratories * Actavis * Alabama Medicaid Agency * Alcon Laboratories * Alexion Pharmaceuticals * Allergan * American Pharmaceutical Association * Amgen Inc * Apotex Corporation * APP Pharmaceuticals LLC a Fresenius * Kabi Company * Astellas Pharma US * AstraZeneca * Aurobindo Pharma USA * Auxilium Pharmaceuticals * Axiom Resource Management & Tricare * B Braun Medical Inc * Becton Dickinson Medical - Diabetes Care * Biogen Idec * Boehringer Ingelheim * Brookings Institution * Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services * Centocor Ortho Biotech * Cephalon Inc * Compliance Implementation Services LLC * Covidien * Daiichi Sankyo Inc * Data Niche Associates * DDN Propelling Life Science * Department of Health & Human Services * Department of Veterans Affairs * Dr Reddys Laboratories Inc * EDS North Carolina Medicaid * Elan Pharmaceuticals * Eli Lilly & Company * EMD Serono * Epstein Becker & Green * Faulkner Mackie & Cochran PC * Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc * Forest Laboratories Inc * Galderma Laboratories * Genzyme Corporation * Georgia Department of Community Health * Gilead Sciences * Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc USA * Gold Standard Inc * Graceway Pharmaceuticals * Health Resources & Services Administration * Hear With Us LLC * Hogan Lovells LLP * I-many Inc * IMS Health * Ipsen * JHP Pharmaceuticals LLC * Johnson & Johnson * Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems * KPMG LLP * McKesson Packaging Services * Meda Pharmaceuticals * MedImmune Inc * Medimpact * Merck & Company Inc * Midlothian Laboratories * Millenium Pharmaceuticals * Millennium The Takeda Oncology Company * MLEE Consulting * Morton Grove Pharmaceuticals Inc * National Association of Chain Drug Stores * Navigant Consulting * Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation * Neurogesx Inc * New Jersey Divison of Medical Assistance & Health Services * Novartis Consumer Health * Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation * Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals Inc * Octapharma * Oklahoma Health Care Authority * Ortho McNeil Neurologics * Paddock Laboratories Inc * Pamlab LLC * Par Pharmaceuticals Inc * Pedinol Pharmaceutical Inc * Perrigo Pharmaceuticals * PhRMA * Plasma Protein Therapeutics Associates * Prasco * Price Waterhouse Coopers * Qualitest Pharmaceuticals * Rhodes Pharmaceuticals * Safety Net Hospitals for Pharaceutical Access * Sandoz Inc * Sanofi Aventis * Sepracor Inc * Southeastern Consultants Inc * State of Illinois * Stiefel Laboratories Inc * SXC Health Solutions Inc * UCB Pharma Inc * Upsher Smith Laboratories Inc * US Attorney's Office Eastern District of Pennsylvania * Vaal Pamela * Value Options Inc * Ventiv Commercial Services * Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc * Veterans Affairs * Office of Inspector General * Victory Pharma * Vistex Inc * Wockhardt MGP * Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals Inc

Obama appoints new Medicaid-Medicare Chief

President Obama has nominated Dr. Donald Berwick to be the new Administrator for Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services. There has been no permanent administrator since 2006.

White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer stated via blog post, "Many Republicans in Congress have made it clear in recent weeks that they were going to stall the nomination as long as they could, solely to score political points. But with the agency facing new responsibilities to protect seniors' care under the Affordable Care Act, there's no time to waste with Washington game-playing."

What do you think of this new nomination? Read the full article here.

An interview with Jim Mitchell

Healthcare Reform Magazine has an interview with soon-to-be-retired Jim Mitchell. Mitchell, Director of Pharmacy Affairs for the Public Health Service, announcing retirement in January 2010 has agreed to say on board and function as senior advisor to the new director for a few months. Read his interview with Healthcare Reform Magazine here.