Trending News Today: Pfizer Settles Kickback Case Related to Co-pay Assistance

Pfizer has settled a kickback case related to co-pay assistance for nearly $24 million, according to Kaiser Health News. The settlement alleges that from 2012 through 2016, Pfizer made donations to the Patient Access Network Foundation, a co-pay assistance nonprofit organization, and then used a specialty pharmacy to steer Medicare patients taking its drugs toward the foundation to cover their co-pays, the article reported. As part of its agreement with the Department of Justice, Pfizer is not admitting wrongdoing or liability.

The World Health Organization (WHO) assumes 100 to 300 cases of Ebola in Congo over a 3-month period, between May and July, under a revised response plan published on Tuesday, Reuters reported. According to the article, an earlier version of the plan had previously assumed 80 to 100 cases. The WHO says the new figure is not a prediction but part of its modeling plan and budget for response, the article reported. On Monday, Congo’s Health Ministry reported that there had been 54 cases of Ebola in the outbreak with 25 deaths.

A proposed bill to create government price controls for surgeries, hospital stays, doctor visits, and other health services was voted down on Friday, the Associated Press reported. According to the article, hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers had lobbied intensely against the bill, which they said would lead to longer waits for medical care. The proposal would have affected private health plans, including those offered by employers and purchased by individuals, the article reported.