Huge news: Georgia’s MCOs agree to abandon “spread” pricing

After working with GPhA, Georgia’s four Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) have announced that they will be switching to a pass-through pricing model in their PBM contracts.

The agreement between GPhA and the Georgia Quality Healthcare Association (which represents those four MCOs) will take effect as each organization renews its PBM contracts.

Click here to read the details of this huge step toward fairer pricing.

Three measles cases in Atlanta

The headline says it all, other than reminding people of the fact that we were this close to eradicating the disease entirely. (sigh)

Don’t be afraid

Pharma companies were wary of putting drug prices in their ads, thinking consumers will be scared off by the full list prices. But not to worry: A study finds that adding info about co-pay assistance (“You could pay $0!”) makes everything copacetic.

Anthem PBM to launch soon

“Hey, what’s up with that Anthem PBM — IngenioRx?” you ask. The answer: Expect a launch in the next few months. The company decided not to wait till 2020.

Zinc deficiency linked to hypertension

But researchers aren’t sure which is the cause and which is the effect. They do know that sodium processing plays a role, and the latest experiment shows…

[M]ice that ate a diet with lower levels of zinc developed hypertension. […] They fed half of the animals on a diet that contained adequate levels of zinc. As expected, their blood pressure soon returned to normal.

A good reason not to read the news

According to an NIH study, even mild head injuries — like, say, from banging your head against a wall — can lead to mental health disorders.

Testing tick spit

The title: “Dissecting Flavivirus Biology in Salivary Gland Cultures from Fed and Unfed Ixodes scapularis (Black-Legged Tick)”

The translation: Researchers are looking at tick saliva to learn how viruses spread … and why some spread so quickly.

The first rule* of SCUBA diving

Scientists at an Israeli company say they’ll have a cure for cancer within a year.

“Our cancer cure will be effective from day one, will last a duration of a few weeks and will have no or minimal side-effects at a much lower cost than most other treatments on the market,” [company chair Dan] Aridor said. “Our solution will be both generic and personal.”

* Don’t hold your breath.

The long read: CBD

“Cannabidiol: Rising star or popular fad?”