Articles by Michael Erman

Drugmakers Begin New Year by Raising Prices

Drugmakers including Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Gilead Sciences Inc., and Biogen Inc. hiked U.S. list prices on more than 50 drugs on Wednesday, bringing total New Year’s Day drug price increases to more than 250, according to data analyzed by healthcare …

Industry Balks at Trump Rule to Let States Import Drugs from Canada

The Trump administration on Wednesday said it is proposing a rule to allow states to import prescription drugs from Canada, advancing a plan announced in July that the president has said will bring cheaper prescription drugs to Americans. Importation of …

Key Finance Committee Senators Unveil Bipartisan Drug Price Bill

The top Republican and Democrat on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee announced a proposal to lower prescription drug prices on Tuesday that could save $100 billion in costs to government healthcare programs, and said the committee would vote on the …

U.S. to Require Drug Companies to Disclose List Prices in TV Ads

The Trump administration on Wednesday said it will require drug makers to disclose the list price of prescription drugs in direct-to-consumer television advertisements, part of the government’s efforts to lower costs for U.S. consumers. The list price would be included …

Big Pharma Resuming U.S. Price Hikes in January After Pause: Reuters Report

Novartis AG and Bayer AG are among nearly 30 drugmakers that have taken steps to raise the U.S. prices of their medicines in January, ending a self-declared halt to increases made by a pharma industry under pressure from the Trump …

Co-Pay Tactic by Benefit Managers Credited with Cutting Prescription Drug Prices

A recently adopted tactic by U.S. health plans to limit the financial assistance drugmakers provide directly to consumers for prescription medicines is taking a toll on drug prices, according to a new analysis released on Tuesday. Real U.S. drug prices, …

Insurers, Hospitals Worry Republican Plan Makes Insurance Less Affordable

The House Republican health insurance plan suggests coverage after Obamacare will be less affordable, insurers and industry experts said on Tuesday, raising questions about whether Americans will enroll and insurance companies will enter the market. The draft legislation rolls back …

Anthem Not Giving Up on Merger with Cigna Even If Cigna Is

Anthem Inc. on Wednesday won a temporary restraining order that blocks smaller rival Cigna Corp. from officially terminating their proposed $54 billion merger, a transaction already rejected by U.S. antitrust regulators. Judge Travis Laster of Delaware’s Court of Chancery granted …

NYC Credit Unions Face Risks From Taxi Industry Woes

New York credit unions that have run up large exposures to the city’s iconic yellow cabs are facing a sharp increase in loan losses after a judge threw out a legal challenge to ride-hailing service Uber Technologies Inc. Four credit …

Hurricane Sandy Forces Evacuations, Shutdowns on East Coast

Tens of millions of East Coast residents scrambled on Sunday to prepare for Hurricane Sandy, which could make landfall as the largest storm to hit the United States, bringing battering winds, flooding and even heavy snow. The massive storm, which …