Policy & Sector Insights

By Alicia Lasek McKnight’s Long-Term Care News A March survey shows a major shift in eldercare workers’ willingness to receive a coronavirus vaccination, with a 94% increase in respondents who said they would consider getting a shot and a 41% decrease in intention to decline. The survey is the second of two conducted by industry […]

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR WASHINGTON (AP) — With the memory of the pandemic’s toll in nursing homes still raw, the COVID-19 relief law is offering states a generous funding boost for home- and community-based care as an alternative to institutionalizing disabled people. Advocates hope the estimated $12.7 billion will accelerate what has been a steady shift […]

By Alex Spanko Skilled Nursing News Families of nursing home residents have spent the past year appealing to policymakers that COVID-19 lockdowns were having a significantly negative effect on their loved ones’ health — and a new study put some sobering numbers on the physical impact of loneliness. The proportion of residents experiencing unexpected weight […]

McKnight’s Long-Term Care News  By Danielle Brown – September 16, 2020 Long-term care pharmacies could soon be facing “significant ramifications in the long run” following an executive order signed by President Trump on Sunday. That directive states that the Medicare program should not pay more for Part D prescription drugs than the lowest price. More […]

McKnight’s Long-Term Care News | May 4, 2020 By James M. Berklan As long-term care providers continue to struggle with the deadly implications of COVID-19, hesitation could be their biggest threat, says one of the profession’s top leaders. With clinical, regulatory and financial conditions shifting almost day-to-day, providers must be confident enough to devise a well-educated […]

As you may know, many Part D Plans/PBMs and other government payers (Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE) recently began seeking audit recoupments from pharmacies that do not dispense insulin pens in multi-dose packaging as provided by manufacturers.  SCPC understands that this payment policy change is causing confusion in the marketplace and could be disruptive to effective […]

Washington, DC – In previously noting that capping Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket costs as low as possible is a primary long-term care (LTC) pharmacy advocacy priority as Congress debates drug pricing reform legislation, the Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC) also recommended two pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) transparency provisions be included in the pending Prescription Drug Pricing […]

Morning Consult | February 28, 2020 By Alan G. Rosenbloom  When it comes to the “alphabet soup” of three- and four-letter federal agencies, one’s eyes can glaze over in confusion about what they do, why they do it and how average citizens benefit from their federally funded oversight. In the realm of health policy and our […]

Washington, DC – With media attention increasingly focused upon the “inflationary rebate” facet of the Senate Finance Committee’s Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2019 (S. 2543), the Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC) today said capping Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket costs as low as possible remains a top long-term care (LTC) pharmacy advocacy priority. “Capping Medicare […]