Large insurers drop barriers to prescribing medications for opioid use disorder Three of the nation's largest insurers—Aetna, Cigna, and Anthem Blue Cross—have in recent months announced that they will no longer require physicians to seek prior approval before prescribing medication to treat opioid use disorder. These policy changes come as more than 2.2 million people meet the diagnostic criteria for an opioid use disorder. Treatment of opioid use disorder with opioid maintenance therapies has been shown to be cost-effective, safe and successful when used appropriately. Increasing access to treatment is crucial to addressing opioid misuse and overdose, and the California Medical Association ... March 2, 2017 General Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Cigna, Opioids, Preauthorization 0 0 Comment Read More »
ACIP publishes new vaccination schedules for children, adolescents and adults On February 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) published updated immunization schedules for children, adolescents and adults. The 2017 child and adolescent immunization schedule includes several updates including influenza, human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), pneumococcal, meningococcal and diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccines (DTap). Changes to the 2017 adult immunization schedule include new or revised recommendations for influenza, human papillomavirus, hepatitis B, and meningococcal vaccines. The new schedule was published online, in the Annals of ... March 2, 2017 General Public Health, Vaccination, Immunization 0 0 Comment Read More »
