Nation in Brief
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* Mark Barna

## CMS negotiating prices of 10 drugs

Medicare will begin negotiating prices on 10 prescription drugs this year that account for $50.5 billion in annual spending.

![Figure1](http://www.thenationshealth.org/http://www.thenationshealth.org/content/nathealth/53/9/5.2/F1.medium.gif)

[Figure1](http://www.thenationshealth.org/content/53/9/5.2/F1)

Price negotiations between Medicare and pharmaceutical companies on prescription medicines could result in consumers saving significant money in out-of-pocket expenses.

Photo by Michele Late

Medicare enrollees paid a total of $3.4 billion in out-of-pocket expenses for the 10 drugs in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Prescription drug costs have caused a financial burden for millions of people, including those with chronic illnesses.

Drug price negotiations are possible because of the Inflation Reduction Act, which became law in August 2022. Beginning this year, the U.S. government will negotiate with drug companies for lower prices. Among the drugs under price negotiation are Imbruvica, a leukemia drug; Jardiance and Januvia, diabetes medications; and Eliquis and Xarelto, blood thinners.

The negotiated prices will be announced in September by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The new prices will be effective in 2026.

The negotiations mark “a significant and historic moment for the Medicare program,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure in a news release.

“Our goal with these negotiations is to improve access to some of the costliest drugs for millions of people with Medicare while driving competition and innovation,” she said.

## Misinformation still harming health

Americans remain confused by public health misinformation, a recent KFF survey reveals.

![Figure2](http://www.thenationshealth.org/http://www.thenationshealth.org/content/nathealth/53/9/5.2/F2.medium.gif)

[Figure2](http://www.thenationshealth.org/content/53/9/5.2/F2)

Health misinformation continues to confuse the public, a KFF survey shows.

Photo courtesy Liubomyr Vorona, iStockphoto

KFF surveyed over 2,000 adults this summer on their knowledge of and susceptibility to public health misinformation. The survey found that one-third of respondents erroneously believed it is probably true or definitely true that COVID-19 vaccines have caused thousands of deaths. A quarter of respondents also incorrectly believed ivermectin is probably an effective treatment for COVID-19 and that COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility.

Forty-two percent of the survey participants also believed the myth that people with guns in the home are safer than people who do not own guns.

Despite the misbeliefs, most of the respondents thought highly of federal health agencies: Two-thirds said they had a fair amount of trust in health recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration.

For more information, visit [www.kff.org](http://www.kff.org).

## USPSTF recommends PrEP treatment

Pre-exposure prophylaxis is beneficial for preventing HIV in people at increased risk of infection and clinicians should prescribe it, according to final recommendations from federal health leaders.

PrEP is a safe, highly effective way to help prevent HIV in people who do not have HIV but are at increased risk of getting it, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said in August. Health care professionals are encouraged to tell their patients about its availability.

Black and Hispanic people are at greater risk than white people of being diagnosed with HIV, yet they use PrEP less often, the task force said. Education and support in vulnerable communities are needed to increase PrEP use.

For more information, visit [www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org](https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/).

## RSV vaccines urged for seniors, infants

People at high risk for serious illness from respiratory syncytial virus should be vaccinated against the disease this fall, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending.

![Figure3](http://www.thenationshealth.org/http://www.thenationshealth.org/content/nathealth/53/9/5.2/F3.medium.gif)

[Figure3](http://www.thenationshealth.org/content/53/9/5.2/F3)

CDC recommends that babies under 8 months, as well as pregnant people and seniors, get vaccinated for RSV this fall.

Photo by SDI Productions, courtesy iStockphoto

Seniors, babies under 8 months of age and pregnant people should be vaccinated against RSV, a common viral infection that causes thousands of hospitalizations annually. While RSV usually causes flu-like symptoms that clear up in several days, for those at high risk, conditions can worsen.

A vaccine against RSV was approved this year for use in the U.S. for the first time.

To help protect newborns, CDC recommended that pregnant people receive the vaccine during their eighth or ninth month of pregnancy. The vaccine has been shown to reduce the risk of RSV hospitalization for babies by 57% in the first six months after birth, CDC said.

RSV causes up to 80,000 hospitalizations and 300 deaths each year among children under age 5, with infants under 8 months most at risk, CDC said. It also causes up to 160,000 hospitalizations and 10,000 deaths annually to people 65 years and older. Older adults with heart or lung disease or immunocompromised conditions are most at risk.

With school starting in August, increased activity of RSV was reported in the Southeast, especially Florida and Georgia.

## Workplaces can aid substance recovery

Substance use can impact the workplace, making on-site support an important ingredient to recovery. A new federal report released in August examines what tactics are successful.

![Figure4](http://www.thenationshealth.org/http://www.thenationshealth.org/content/nathealth/53/9/5.2/F4.medium.gif)

[Figure4](http://www.thenationshealth.org/content/53/9/5.2/F4)

Workplaces with substance-use programs can help people in recovery, but program challenges still remain, a new report says.

Photo by Meeko Media, courtesy iStockphoto

In 2022, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, in collaboration with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, surveyed employers in 31 states that have adopted recovery-friendly workplaces. The program, supported by NIOSH, addresses workplace stress, opioid education, access to treatment and benefits, and stigma.

A third of respondents said they provided peer support for recovery and developed recovery toolkits. Nearly two-thirds reported diversity, equity and inclusion in their programs, and half reported inclusion of people in key positions with personal experience with recovery.

Researchers said challenges were stigma, lack of funding and lack of buy-in from the company or organization. The report recommends increased investments in the programs through federal, state and private means.

For more information on “Recovery-Friendly Workplace Landscape Analysis,” visit [https://tools.niehs.nih.gov](https://www.niehs.nih.gov/).

*   Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association