In 590,282 California heart attack hospitalizations, a new PCI-capable facility within a 30-minute drive lowered 30-day mortality 20% in communities without prior access but did not change survival where the procedure was already available.
CMS' proposed cuts to physician fees focus on the operating room. For the primary care physicians managing recovery after surgery, the real gap is much larger.
Prior authorization, step therapy and shifting coverage rules keep patients from obesity drugs with proven benefits, an endocrinologist argues — and the long-term savings make the case for broader access.