Novo’s Wegovy, J&J’s Tremfya step up TV ad spending amid March Madness tournament

By Andrea Park - Last year, AbbVie’s Skyrizi and Rinvoq were practically unshakeable atop the monthly TV drug ad spending rankings, ultimately leading the pair of immunology meds to take the full-year title for the third year in a row. 2025, however, is already off to a very different start. So far this year, Skyrizi and Rinvoq have only cracked the top two of the monthly rankings once, in February—in stark contrast to the first three months of 2024, when they consistently nabbed first and second place in varying orders. Read Full Article… 

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1. Wegovy and Tremfya Take the Lead: Novo Nordisk’s obesity treatment Wegovy and J&J’s immunology drug Tremfya jumped to the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in March, thanks to aggressive ad spending—$40.4 million and $32.6 million, respectively. Both brands capitalized on March Madness, making men’s college basketball their top ad venue and showcasing the power of timing in pharma marketing.

2. AbbVie Sees Mixed Results: Former front-runners Rinvoq and Skyrizi, both from AbbVie, slipped to third and fourth place. Rinvoq saw a $5 million drop in TV ad spend, signaling a possible shift in marketing focus, while Skyrizi had a slight boost in spending, reflecting continued investment across multiple indications, including psoriasis and Crohn’s disease.

3. Newcomers and Climbers Reshape the List: Drugs like Rexulti, Ozempic, and Vraylar climbed higher in the rankings with increased advertising budgets, while Eli Lilly’s Zepbound made a strong debut. Overall, the top 10 pharma brands spent $248 million on TV ads in March—marking a rebound from February’s dip and highlighting renewed momentum in direct-to-consumer marketing.

Major deal wipes out $30 billion in medical debt. Even backers say it's not enough

By Noam Levey  - Underscoring the massive scale of America's medical debt problem, a nonprofit has struck a deal to pay off old medical bills for an estimated 20 million people. New York-based Undue Medical Debt, which buys patient debt, is paying off $30 billion worth of unpaid bills in a single transaction with Pendrick Capital Partners, a Virginia-based debt trading company. The average patient debt being retired is $1,100, according to Undue Medical Debt, with some reaching the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Read Full Article… 

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1. A Major Debt Relief Effort, Especially for Texas and Florida: Undue Medical Debt is spending $36 million to eliminate medical debts held by Pendrick, protecting about 20 million people — half of whom are in Texas and Florida. This prevents the debt from being sold and shields affected individuals from future collections.

2. A Temporary Fix for a National Crisis: While impactful, this debt relief effort addresses only a fraction of the broader issue — nearly 100 million Americans struggle with medical debt. Advocates argue that systemic reforms, like expanding Medicaid and improving hospital financial aid, are needed to prevent debt in the first place.

3. Calls for National Policy Solutions: Though some state governments are taking action, such as removing medical debt from credit reports, Undue Medical Debt and others stress that comprehensive federal reforms are crucial. Current efforts face political hurdles, with recent rollbacks of proposed national credit protections for medical debt.

'It will reverberate': Medicaid cuts will hurt employer health plans

By Deanna Cuadra - President Donald Trump's proposed $2 trillion cut to mandatory federal spending will likely place Medicaid in the line of fire. But what would this mean for employers who provide health plans through private insurers? The House of Representatives passed a budget resolution that includes an $880 billion cut over a decade to the healthcare and energy sectors. Read Full Article… ^{_{(Subscription required)}}

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1. Medicaid Cuts Will Trigger Cost Shifts Across the System: Deep federal budget cuts — like the proposed $880 billion reduction — would force states to scale back Medicaid coverage, leaving millions uninsured. This would trigger cost shifting throughout the healthcare system, with providers compensating for lost Medicaid revenue by charging employer-sponsored insurance plans more.

2. Employers Will Bear the Financial Brunt: As Medicaid eligibility tightens, some employees currently on Medicaid will turn to employer-sponsored plans, potentially increasing premiums, especially for workers with chronic conditions. Employers could also face higher costs as providers raise rates to cover growing uncompensated care burdens.

3. Undermining Medicaid Threatens the ACA's Gains: The ACA's Medicaid expansion significantly reduced the uninsured rate, but proposed Medicaid rollbacks threaten to undo that progress. Without a viable replacement plan, millions may lose coverage — a shift that could destabilize the healthcare system and increase financial pressure on both patients and employers.

How the Pending Supreme Court Decision on Preventive Care Could Affect the Healthcare Industry

By Marissa Plescia - Since 2010, when the Affordable Care Act was enacted, most private insurance plans have been required to cover preventive care services recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force without making consumers pay a share of the cost. This includes cancer screenings, pregnancy care and testing for sexually transmitted diseases. It’s estimated that in 2020 alone, nearly 152 million people have benefited from this law. Read Full Article… ^{_{(Subscription required)}}

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1. The Supreme Court case Braidwood Management v. Becerra could dismantle key ACA preventive care protections: The plaintiffs claim that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) was unconstitutionally appointed and that mandated coverage of services like HIV prevention medication (PrEP) infringes on religious freedom. If the Court upholds the lower court’s ruling, it could strip the government’s authority to require insurers to cover a wide range of preventive services without out-of-pocket costs.

2. A ruling in favor of the plaintiffs could drastically reduce access to essential preventive services: Without the ACA’s mandate, screenings and treatments for conditions like cancer, heart disease, and infectious diseases may no longer be fully covered. Religious exemptions or the invalidation of the task force’s authority could shift preventive care decisions to individual insurers and employers, creating gaps in access and coverage.

3. Healthcare experts warn of serious public health and financial fallout: Eliminating mandated preventive care coverage would likely lead to reduced use of essential services, particularly among low-income populations. This could result in more severe health issues down the line, higher healthcare costs, and increased strain on the healthcare system. Employers and insurers may still offer preventive care voluntarily, but coverage would likely be inconsistent and less comprehensive.

Change the Benefits Game with Comprehensive Data Analytics

Sponsored By Claritev - According to PwC’s Health Research Institute, employers’ medical costs are projected to rise nearly 8% in 2025 – a growth rate the industry hasn’t seen in more than a decade. Along with ongoing inflationary pressure, PwC said factors such as increased utilization of inpatient care, behavioral health services, and weight-loss drugs will drive additional spending. Read Full Article…

HVBA Article Summary

1. Optimize Benefits for Better Outcomes: Self-insured employers need to take proactive steps to manage rising healthcare costs, starting with optimizing benefits offerings. By focusing on programs that support preventive care and long-term wellness—even when ROI isn't immediately clear—employers can improve both employee health and financial performance.

2. Leverage Data to Drive Decisions: BenInsights brings together fragmented data from medical claims, pharmacy, enrollment, and point solutions to create a unified, deidentified view. Using proprietary analytics and predictive modeling, it delivers tailored insights that help employers design smarter, more effective benefits plans.

3. Target Preventive Care for Impactful Results: With a focus on high-cost, high-impact areas like musculoskeletal conditions, cancer screenings, and weight management, BenInsights enables employers to identify at-risk populations early. This allows for timely, data-driven interventions that enhance care delivery, reduce unnecessary costs, and support healthier employee outcomes.

Healthcare Associations Speak Out Against Trump Tariffs

By Mark Hagland - National healthcare associations have begun to speak out against the program of tariffs announced on April 2 by President Trump in an event in the Rose Garden at the White House. On Wednesday, the Charlotte-based Premier Inc. released a statement attributed to Soumi Saha, senior vice president of government affairs. Saha stated that “Targeted and thoughtful tariffs on healthcare products could offer a chance to bolster supply resilience and ensure access to critical medical supplies. Read Full Article…

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1. Premier advocates for strategic use of tariffs: Premier argues that tariffs should not exist in isolation, but instead be channeled into long-term investments that strengthen the U.S. healthcare supply chain. This includes funding domestic and nearshore manufacturing of essential medical products, creating incentives for providers and government entities to buy American, and prioritizing FDA approvals for U.S.-made goods—ultimately fostering a more resilient and sustainable system.

2. Medical practices face financial strain from new tariffs: The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) highlights that physician practices operate under fixed reimbursement models, leaving them with little flexibility to absorb new costs from tariffs. With practices already struggling from Medicare cuts and post-COVID inflation, any added financial burden could force reductions in services or even closures, directly impacting patient access and quality of care.

3. Medtech industry concerned about innovation and cost impact: While the medtech industry supports reshoring production, AvMed warns that the proposed broad tariffs could significantly harm innovation, drive up costs, and lead to job losses. They argue that such tariffs would function similarly to an excise tax on a sector known for its humanitarian contributions and global leadership—potentially undermining the very goals they aim to achieve.

South Dakota tops list of states with highest cancer risk, study finds

By Kristen Smithberg - A combination of lifestyle and environmental factors puts residents of some states at higher risk of developing cancer than residents of other states, according to a study by Masumi Headware, which makes chemo hats for cancer patients. Read Full Article… ^{_{(Subscription required)}}

HVBA Article Summary

1. South Dakota faces highest cancer risk nationwide: South Dakota tops the list with a composite cancer risk score of 99.9, driven by excessive alcohol use, high radon exposure, and an obesity rate of 38.4%. Elevated stress levels also contribute to the state’s heightened vulnerability, placing its residents at the greatest overall cancer risk in the country.

2. Overlapping environmental and behavioral factors drive cancer burden in key states: States like West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio follow closely behind, each ranking high due to a mix of smoking, obesity, air pollution, and aging populations. These overlapping risk factors, compounded by regional environmental issues such as radon and water quality, create complex cancer risk profiles that are difficult to address in isolation.

3. Experts call for integrated approach to cancer prevention: The study highlights that lifestyle choices alone don’t explain cancer risk. Environmental exposures—like radon, UV radiation, and water hardness—interact with psychosocial stressors and personal behaviors to elevate cancer risk. Experts stress the need for comprehensive public health strategies that consider these interrelated factors in tandem.