PBGH in the News
PBGH issues statement on Xavier Becerra HHS nomination
On December 7, 2020, the Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH) issued this statement regarding the announcement that President-elect Biden will nominate California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
New Trump administration rule directs insurers to reveal what they pay for prescriptions
“There’s a limit to what transparency can do,” said Shawn Gremminger, health policy director at the Pacific Business Group on Health, which represents large self-insured employers. “That’s why we’re increasingly comfortable with policies that get at the underlying prices of drugs.” As an example, he cited the Trump administration’s proposal to tie what Medicare pays for drugs to lower prices in other countries.
US needs price controls for COVID-19 drugs, employer advocacy group says
The Employers’ Prescription for Affordable Drugs said Medicare should determine fair prices for COVID-19 drugs and vaccines and pointed to Gilead’s remdesivir as an example of an overpriced drug. The FDA approved remdesivir as a COVID-19 treatment in October. The drug costs private health plans more than $3,00 per treatment course, Bloomberg reported.
Private employers show new interest in expanded Medicare and regulated drug prices
“There is a significant difference in what employers are prepared to support,” said Elizabeth Mitchell, president of the Pacific Business Group on Health, a consortium of large companies including Boeing, Safeway, Walmart and Wells Fargo.
How Employers Think About Addressing Rising Prices of Health Insurance
To address rising prices of private health insurance, employers are discussing several strategies, including narrow networks and a decreased reliance on intermediaries, said Elizabeth Mitchell, president and CEO of the Pacific Business Group on Health.
Sutter and Calif. AG revamp their search for antitrust monitor
“It just underscores that without antitrust action, these behaviors aren’t changing,” said Elizabeth Mitchell, CEO of the Pacific Business Group […]
Vice Presidential Debate: The Healthcare Issues That Took Center Stage
“COVID has exposed the serious problems with our current healthcare system,” Elizabeth Mitchell, chief executive officer of the Pacific Business […]
The Care Delivery Reckoning: ‘Employers Simply Cannot Afford to Maintain the Status Quo’
“If you come away with anything today, it’s that there is a collective readiness on the part of employers to […]
How Are Employers Adjusting Health Benefit Strategies Amid the Pandemic?
“Rising health care costs continue to burden our businesses and employees, and they are crowding out jobs, wages, and in […]
U.S. Employers Eye Cutting Wasteful Drugs Worth $6 Billion
Lauren Vela, senior director of member value at the coalition, said it all comes down to who gains in the […]
