Dr Joe Thompson

ACHI’s Dr. Joe Thompson on COVID, drug prescription negotiations

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

Dr. Joe Thompson with the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI) expects federal Medicare drug negotiations to expand in coming years as a more capitalistic and competitive approach to healthcare emerges.

This past week, the Biden administration announced 10 drugs that will be negotiated for price discounts in Medicare, a first for the program.

“This is a very significant change for the federal Medicare program. Medicare is what we care for elderly in our nation. Since 1965 when Medicare was first put in place, it did not cover prescription drugs. The Part D program that went in place after the turn of the century did cover prescription drugs, but it did not allow the federal government to negotiate price on prescription drugs. So this is the first time Medicare, our federal insurance program for the elderly, has been able to negotiate price with pharmaceutical companies for now 10 drugs that are some of the most expensive drugs for people to pay,” Thompson said.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/09/achis-dr-joe-thompson-on-covid-drug-prescription-negotiations/

Health Leader Warns New Coronavirus Variant Could be Resistant to Vaccine

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

Dr. Joe Thompson, former state surgeon general and CEO of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, says we are nearing the point of declaring another pandemic emergency and his biggest worry is a new coronavirus variant resistant to current vaccines.

Appearing on this week’s edition of Talk Business & Politics, Thompson was asked if it is time to declare a new COVID-19 emergency.

“We are approaching that point,” he said. “If we don’t get control of the spread of this Delta variant, one of my biggest fears is that with the spread we’re going to have a new variant that is either more infectious or escapes the control of our vaccines and then we will be back at square one as we were in the original pandemic.”

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/07/health-leader-warns-new-coronavirus-variant-could-be-resistant-to-vaccine/