Tag: vertical integration
FTC scrutinizes PBMs in new report
July 9, 2024HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – The Federal Trade Commission has published an interim report that underscores the impact pharmacy benefit managers have on accessibility and affordability of prescription drugs.
The FTC’s report, which is part of an ongoing inquiry launched in 2022, details how increasing vertical integration and concentration has enabled the six largest PBMs to manage nearly 95% of all prescriptions filled in the United States. This market structure has allowed PBMs to profit at...
DOJ targets health care monopolies, collusion
May 14, 2024HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Justice has formed a Task Force on Health Care Monopolies and Collusion (HCMC) within its Antitrust Division to guide its enforcement strategy and policy approach, including by facilitating advocacy, investigations and, where warranted, civil and criminal enforcement in health care markets.
“Every year, Americans spend trillions of dollars on health care, money that is increasingly being gobbled up by a small number of payers, providers and...
Elevance Health integrates infusion services
January 8, 2024HME News Staff
INDIANAPOLIS – Elevance Health, which, through its affiliates, offers a comprehensive suite of commercial, Medicare and Medicaid plans, has entered into an agreement to buy Paragon Healthcare, a Plano, Texas-based provider with a network of ambulatory infusion centers, home infusion pharmacies and specialty pharmacies.
Elevance Health’s affiliates include Anthem and Wellpoint, as well as Carelon. Paragon Healthcare will operate as part of CarelonRx, the pharmacy services segment...
Focus on post-acute care circles HME
June 19, 2023Liz Beaulieu, Editor
Recently, I wrote about the news that Humana has contracted with AdaptHealth and Rotech Healthcare to provide HME products and services to its Medicare Advantage HME members.
Now, another giant health care company is making waves in the HME industry: Optum, which has been a subsidiary of UnitedHealthcare since 2011 and which earlier this year bought LHC Group for a reported $5.4 billion.
LHC Group has 30,000 employees delivering home health, hospice, home- and community-based services,...