Are hospitals complying with the new price transparency rule?
Hospitals now have to disclose on their website the prices they negotiate with insurers. But many hospitals are lagging when it comes to revealing their "real" prices... More
Video Teaser for Lown Presents: Hospital Cooperation
Watch and share this video sneak peek of what Shannon, Vikas, and our guests will be talking about at Lown Presents: The Promise of Hospital Cooperation on January 27th. More
The Shkreli Awards for health care dysfunction and greed
Each year the Lown Institute calls for nominations from health care experts, journalists and others. This year an outstanding panel of judges selected 10 egregious examples of profiteering. More
Shkreli Awards: “Dishonorable Mentions”
In case you missed it, the 2020 Shkreli Award winners, the top ten examples of profiteering and dysfunction in health care, were released earlier this month. But what about nominations that didn't make the top ten? More
Problematic Promotion of Medications by Nurse Ambassadors—Legal and Ethical Issues
In August 2020, the pharmaceutical company AbbVie agreed to pay California $24 million to settle a whistleblower case that involved its nurse ambassador program for adalimumab (Humira), while not admitting any wrongdoing. More
Unsupported Price Increases (UPI) of prescription drugs in the United States
Out of 10 identified drugs that had substantial 2019 price increases on top of already high current spending, seven were not supported by new clinical evidence; the net price increases on these seven drugs alone cost Americans an additional $1.2 billion in annual drug spend. More
One Ambulance Ride Leads to Another When Packed Hospitals Cannot Handle Non-Covid Patients
A Kansas woman thought she’d find help at her local emergency room. What she found instead was a packed hospital and an ambulance ride to someplace else. More
And the Shkreli Awards go to …
Should pharma charity contributions be publicly disclosed, just like doctor payments? Senators say yes
Pharma companies have inked a series of federal settlements over payments to charity organizations, which the federal government argues are a “conduit” to boosting drug sales. Now, after an opioid investigation, two Senators want all those charity payments disclosed publicly. More
Northwell’s 2,500 lawsuits against patients made headlines; hours later, they were rescinded
New York City-based Northwell Health will rescind thousands of lawsuits filed against patients for unpaid medical bills amid the pandemic, the system told Becker's Hospital Review. More