Sibel Dikmen

In love with the finer things in life: coffee, the perfect pain of jeans, travel, food & wine (she/her)

[Tyler Olson, EA @olsonplanner]

The new wave of med students will either be coming from wealthy families or else they’ll be weighed down with private loans to make up the gap between these caps and the cost of attendance.

[Anthony DiGiorgio, DO, MHA @DrDiGiorgio]

This isn’t going to doctors or nurses or even big pharma.

This is going to hospital administrators and various layers of bureaucracy that actually come between patients and their healthcare.

It’s funding 7 figure C suite salaries, Disneyland-like campuses for companies that make billing software, and hordes of consulting firms.

And before you say “single payer will solve this,” realize that nearly all these extraneous middlemen are the direct result of Medicare, Medicaid and its policies.

CPT, RVU, MIPS, MACRA, stark law, bans on physician ownership, claim scrubbers, NCCI edits, DRG, MCC, bans on high deductible plans, MLR, 340B, MDRP….

All of this came from central planning, not from the market.

[Ted Okon @TedOkonCOA]

Congress is totally inept in getting #PBM legislation across the goal line. Been in the red zone for well over a year but nothing. Shows how a truly bipartisan issue can’t even advance. Congress broken! Americans suffering as big 3 #PBMs inflict pain and cost.

[Pete Buttigieg @PeteButtigieg]

It shouldn't get lost that just today, Senate Republicans have voted to close nursing homes, close rural hospitals, and cut food stamp benefits for children and veterans.

[American Pharmacies @APRxNews]

𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐁𝐌 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Last night, the Senate released its Reconciliation package with no PBM reform included.

❌ Deleted provisions requiring fair reimbursement in Medicaid managed care plans
❌ Deleted provisions banning spread pricing in Medicaid managed care
❌ Deleted provisions requiring pharmacies to respond to NADAC surveys

The pharmacy community stands united to press for a stand-alone PBM reform package this year.

[Tina Smith @SenTinaSmith]

Lots going on in the world right now but please don’t forget they’re going to try and jam one of the largest transfers of wealth from working families to the richest corporations through the Senate this week.

[Alvaro Bedoya @BedoyaUSA]

There’s schools in New Mexico open 4 days a week bc they can’t afford Friday. Schools in Baltimore close when it’s too hot bc they cant afford AC. In whole counties in South Dakota people die a decade before everyone else. But there’s always money for bombs. Alway money for bombs

[Real Doc Speaks @realdocspeaks]

This is how the physicians in Congress have failed us!

Greg has become a congressman who happens to be a physician instead of a physician who happens to be a congressman.

We have to live with terrible health policies, laws, and regulations; we don't need your insults as well! @noahkaufmanmd @BrentAWilliams2 @txsportsdoc @notaproviderMD @DrDiGiorgio @DrJMarine @mass_marion

[vo @vanillaopinions]

the reconciliation bill eliminates grad plus loans which allow grad students to cover the full cost of their attendance. probably will destroy law school, medical schools, and most graduate programs everywhere in the country

[salaryDr @SalaryDr]

We need to pay primate care physicians at least 20% more very soon, or we’re going to continue seeing far fewer physicians going into these specialties.

[Leah Houston MD @LeahHoustonMD]

I love that more and more people understand what a pharmacy benefit manager is, and how they incentivize crony capitalism in our healthcare system, however, all you need to do is repeal the HHS safe harbor provisions implemented in 1991 in order to eliminate PBM protections, allowing them immunity from the very antikickback and antitrust protections that are meant too PROTECT the 🇺🇸American people from the very abuse that they’re currently experiencing from PBM government sanctioned crony kickback practices. #EndPBM #RepealSafeHarbor.

[Mark Cuban @mcuban]

And the insurance companies own the PBMs. Take out the big PBMs and our drug prices could be lower than the rest of the world, just like we are for generics

[Alex Shteynshlyuger MD @DrAlexUrology]

I want to congratulate the AMA Leadership for proposing to award themselves a "Telephonic Per Diem" of $775 for 2 hours.

At the same time, the AMA Board of Trustees OPPOSES that physicians get paid for prior authorization, as it looks 'bad" according to the AMA Leadership.

[Ted Okon @TedOkonCOA]

BREAKING: Why should this surprise anyone, especially in the pharmacy world & on the provider side. Time to break up these big near monopolies that are fueling health care costs beyond limits. And no #PBM should own or be owned by a pharmacy. #PBMs #PBMob

https://t.co/aaHggXpTGN

[Gavin Preston, M.D. @GavinPrestonMD]

Doctors are sick and tired of having our practice of medicine dictated to us by a bunch of greedy bean counters!

[Leah Houston MD @LeahHoustonMD]

The only job insurance company has is to pay the bill for services rendered not to “manage” Care. The only people who should be making decisions about their healthcare are the patients with a careful guidance of their doctor. PERIOD.

[Tina Smith @SenTinaSmith]

These guys should have to look their constituents in the eye and say: You don’t deserve health care as much as Elon Musk deserves a tax break.

Instead they’ll run and hide from their pissed off constituents like cowards while millions are kicked off of their health insurance.

[Rep. Lauren Underwood @RepUnderwood]

My committee just received a last-minute addition to the Coast Guard’s spend plan: $50 million for a new Gulfstream 5 jet for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s personal use. She already has a Gulfstream 5, by the way, but she wants a new one paid for with your taxpayer dollars.

We should be investing in our national security and improving the lives of our Coasties – not wasting taxpayer dollars on luxury travel and political stunts.

I'm demanding answers. LIVE now: https://t.co/6Mkj8YaROz

[InsuranceOligopoly @InsOligopoly]

This is so unserious. 4 PBMs control 80% of market with take or leave contracts and steer to their own mail order.

[Dr. Glaucomflecken @DGlaucomflecken]

Anytime somebody talks about lowering drug prices without discussing pharmacy benefit managers, you know they’re not serious about lowering drug prices