News From Around the Web
> The Office of the Inspector General plans to conduct a new review of generic drug price increases between 2005 and 2014 on the Medicaid drug rebate program to determine which prices exceed the inflation rate, according to a letter the agency sent to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) Letter (.pdf)
> UnitedHealthcare and Connecticut-based Hartford Healthcare reached an agreement on a multi-year contract earlier this week and avoided interrupting service to thousands of customers, according to WFSB.com. Article
> In its Annual Health Benefits Report, the ADP Research Institute found that the overall participation rate among employer-sponsored health plans remains stable at 69.3 percent. Report
Health Provider News
> While providers and industry groups hailed Tuesday's long-awaited repeal of the controversial Sustainable Growth Rate formula, some doctors who treat Medicare patients will still see the 21 percent reimbursement cuts that the Senate's last-minute vote was intended to avoid, The Hill reports. Article
> In their first year, Medicare's Pioneer Accountable Care Organizations generated moderate spending reductions, with greater savings for ACOs that started out spending more, but the model may hurt future efforts to save money, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Article
And finally … Eyeing the Oval Office? Stop by Chipotle. Article