John A. Romley

Aug 2, 2024 | jamanetwork.com | Christopher A. Scannell |John A. Romley |Rebecca Myerson |Dana P. Goldman

Introduction Semaglutide was first approved under the brand name Ozempic (Novo Nordisk) as a weekly injection by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017 and is a first-line treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk.1 Alongside evidence of semaglutide’s cardiovascular and weight loss benefits,2 the FDA approved Rybelsus (Novo Nordisk), an oral formulation for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, in 2019, and Wegovy (Novo Nordisk), another injectable...

May 23, 2024 | jamanetwork.com | John A. Romley |Rebecca Myerson |Dana P. Goldman |A. Mark Fendrick

Shingles Vaccination in Medicare Part D After Inflation Reduction Act Elimination of Cost Sharing Although vaccinations prevent morbidity and mortality among Medicare beneficiaries, uptake of vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices covered by Medicare Part D (ie, shingles, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, and hepatitis A and B) is suboptimal.1 Unlike commercially insured individuals who have no cost sharing for recommended vaccinations, in 2021, Medicare...

Jul 24, 2023 | jamanetwork.com | Rebecca Myerson |Dana P. Goldman |John A. Romley

Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket costs for insulin exceeded $1 billion in 2020 vs $236 million in 2007.1 High costs lead some patients with diabetes to reduce adherence to insulin, increasing the risk of adverse health outcomes.2-4 Although efforts to cap patients’ cost sharing for insulin have existed in some states since 2020, and in certain Medicare Part D plans since 2021, in January 2023 the Inflation Reduction Act5 capped cost sharing for insulin at $35 for a 1-month supply for all...