The Mental Health Crisis: Why Immediate and Affordable Care Needs to Become the Norm

By Tamir Aldad - The United States is suffering from a mental health crisis. Millions of Americans have disorders such as depression, anxiety, and trauma, yet timely and affordable treatment continues to be frustratingly out of reach. Long wait times, high costs, and a faulty system are creating a dangerous reality in which individuals who need assistance most urgently can’t get it when they need it. Read Full Article…

HVBA Article Summary

1. The Current Mental Health System Fails People in Crisis: Individuals facing mental health emergencies are too often met with a system riddled with delays, strict hospitalization criteria, and emergency rooms unequipped for psychiatric care. As seen in Lauren’s heartbreaking case, people in crisis can fall through the cracks simply because they don’t meet arbitrary thresholds for treatment—leaving them vulnerable, untreated, and at risk of devastating consequences.

2. We Need a New, Rapid-Response Model for Psychiatric Care: Mental health crises should be treated with the same urgency as physical emergencies. A reimagined system must provide same-day access to psychiatric evaluations and therapy, minimizing dangerous wait times. Incorporating a hybrid model—where digital tools complement in-person care—ensures that support is both fast and comprehensive, particularly for underserved populations who lack access to traditional care.

3. Mental Health Care Must Be Accessible and Affordable for All: Even when care is available, cost remains a major barrier that deters many from seeking help. Counseling and psychiatric services are often financially out of reach, leading to worsening conditions and, in many cases, tragic outcomes. To address this crisis, we must expand insurance coverage, increase provider availability, and implement payment structures that make high-quality mental health care affordable and equitable for everyone.

Healthcare-nomics: The Business Case for Value-Based Care Employers have a role to play in lowering the cost of healthcare and improving quality.

By David B. Snow, Jr. - In healthcare you hear a lot about the benefits of moving from a fee-for-service (FFS) model—which has been the norm for more than 70 years—to a value-based care (VBC) model. Healthcare experts often discuss how a value-based care approach improves patient care quality and focuses on reducing costs by incentivizing things that keep patients healthy and lead to better outcomes. Read Full Article…

HVBA Article Summary

1. Value-Based Care (VBC) vs. Fee-For-Service (FFS): The traditional FFS model incentivizes high care volume rather than health outcomes, contributing to the U.S. having the highest per capita healthcare spending and some of the worst outcomes among developed nations. VBC shifts the focus to quality, efficiency, and prevention—leading to better patient health and reduced costs.

2. Employer Impact and Opportunity: With employers covering a large share of healthcare costs through commercial insurance, they are uniquely positioned to benefit from and drive the shift to VBC. By adopting VBC strategies, companies can manage chronic conditions, optimize benefits design, and reduce healthcare spending while improving employee health and productivity.

3. Economic and Competitive Advantages: Poor employee health contributes to absenteeism, presenteeism, and early workforce exits, hurting business performance. VBC provides tools and data to proactively manage workforce health, offering a measurable return on investment and boosting business competitiveness in a global economy.

Novo Nordisk offers cheaper Wegovy for all cash-paying patients at retail pharmacy

By Angus Liu - Novo Nordisk has quickly expanded its discounted Wegovy program, now offering all eligible cash-paying customers its popular weight-loss med at $499 per month. Novo had only launched the cheaper Wegovy option earlier this month originally through its own NovoCare Pharmacy and at that time indicated an expansion to traditional retail channels “in the near future.” Read Full Article…

HVBA Article Summary

1. Novo Cuts Wegovy Self-Pay Price to $499 at Pharmacies: Novo Nordisk has reduced the monthly out-of-pocket cost for cash-paying patients to $499 for all Wegovy injection doses, down from $650, making the drug more accessible through regular retail pharmacies. Government-funded program enrollees remain ineligible, while many insured patients may still pay as little as $0–$25 per month.

2. Novo and Lilly Intensify Rivalry in Obesity Drug Market: The price cut positions Novo ahead of Eli Lilly in the self-pay market for GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, following both companies' responses to copycat compounded versions and high demand amid shortages. Lilly’s Zepbound is also offered at $499 via its self-pay platform, though some doses are available for less.

3. FDA Cracks Down on Compounded Versions Amid Safety Concerns: With semaglutide and tirzepatide removed from the drug shortage list, the FDA reiterated warnings about unapproved compounded versions of Wegovy and Zepbound, citing safety risks and over 775 adverse events. The agency emphasized that experimental drugs like retratrutide cannot legally be compounded, tightening restrictions on unauthorized formulations.

23andMe files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, CEO steps down

By Julia Gomez - 23andMe, one of the "leading human genetics and biotechnology companies," announced that it has filed for bankruptcy. On Sunday, March 23, 23andMe Holding Co. announced it started voluntarily filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, according to a press release. Read Full Article…

HVBA Article Summary

1. 23andMe Files for Bankruptcy and Plans Major Asset Sale: Following a comprehensive review of strategic options, 23andMe has decided to pursue a court-supervised sale of nearly all its assets in an effort to maximize business value. The announcement triggered a steep 46% decline in the company’s stock price, reflecting investor concern over the company's future.

2. Leadership Shakeup Follows Failed Takeover Attempts: On the same day the bankruptcy was announced, longtime CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki resigned from her role after multiple unsuccessful takeover bids. She has been replaced on an interim basis by CFO Joe Selsavage, marking a significant leadership transition during a turbulent period for the company.

3. Ongoing Legal and Data Privacy Concerns Add Pressure: In September 2024, 23andMe agreed to a $30 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit stemming from a 2023 data breach that affected 6.9 million users. The breach exposed sensitive personal and genetic information. As the company seeks a buyer, it has committed to maintaining transparency and prioritizing data privacy in any future transaction.

Value-based care leaders share tips for greater progress

By Jacqueline LaPointe - Value-based care leaders believe bolstering primary care participation in alternative payment models and consolidating efforts within the Medicare Shared Savings Program are among the top ways to accelerate the shift away from fee-for-service. Read Full Article…

HVBA Article Summary

1. Focus on Primary Care and Define the Real Competition: Mostashari and Moore emphasize that CMS should prioritize engaging primary care providers, who face growing financial pressure and are best positioned to benefit from value-based care. At the same time, CMS must clearly identify fee-for-service as the true competitor—a model that is inefficient and harmful to both patients and the Medicare system—and work to actively disincentivize its continued use.

2. Make Value-Based Care More Practical and Standardized: Instead of launching new, complex models aimed at early adopters, CMS should concentrate on refining existing programs like the Medicare Shared Savings Program. Enhancing these programs through practical, incremental changes—such as fixing benchmarking methodologies and improving cash flow—will make them more appealing to the larger group of pragmatic providers who want reliability over novelty.

3. Expand Beyond Medicare and Leverage Physician Enablers: To accelerate value-based care adoption across the broader healthcare system, CMS should extend its goals to include Medicare Advantage and engage private payers in aligned, standardized contract models. Additionally, physician enablers like Aledade can play a key role by offering scalable infrastructure, leadership, and shared savings models that help bring more providers into value-based arrangements efficiently.

How benefit leaders can combat digital eye strain in the workplace

By Deanna Cuadra - Staring at a screen all day is an unavoidable hazard of a desk job. But that doesn't mean employers shouldn't address it. According to VSP Vision Care, employees are clocking 97 hours of screen time each week. Unsurprisingly, 68% of employees experience symptoms of digital eye strain, including blurred vision, headaches, light sensitivity, and dry and itchy eyes. Read Full Article…  ^{_{(Subscription required)}}

HVBA Article Summary

1. Digital eye strain significantly impacts employee well-being and productivity: With 59% of employees reporting that eye strain reduces their productivity and over half saying it negatively affects their quality of life, the issue goes beyond temporary discomfort. In fact, 27% have taken time off work due to eye pain, highlighting the urgent need for effective solutions in the workplace.

2. Preventive vision care is essential and should be part of overall health strategies: Regular eye exams, high-quality eyewear with features like blue light protection, and improved screen ergonomics help reduce strain and support eye health. Since more than 270 systemic health conditions can be detected through the eyes, integrating vision care into wellness programs is critical for early diagnosis and long-term employee health.

3. Employers must take proactive steps to support eye health: While nearly 90% of HR leaders agree that more should be done to combat digital eye strain, fewer than 60% have taken actionable steps like promoting screen breaks or offering anti-glare tools. Encouraging habits such as the 20-20-20 rule and providing comprehensive vision benefits can greatly improve employee comfort, focus, and overall performance.

New allergy drug uses $25 copay coupons to drive early sales

By Allison Bell - The maker of a new prescription drug product for people with life-threatening allergies is using copayment coupons to build early sales. ARS Pharmaceuticals recently introduced the Neffy nasal spray delivery device. The product that can free patients facing anaphylactic shock, or allergy-related problems with breathing, from having to use EpiPens to inject themselves with epinephrine. Read Full Article…  ^{_{(Subscription required)}}

HVBA Article Summary

1. Formulary Access Is Key to Adoption: ARS is aggressively working to get Neffy added to the unrestricted formularies of major pharmacy benefit managers like Express Scripts, Optum Rx, and Caremark, aiming for 80% coverage of health plan enrollees by July. This step is crucial because many physicians—especially general practitioners—are reluctant to deal with prior authorization hurdles.

2. Affordability Strategy Drives Early Uptake: To counteract Neffy's $750 list price, ARS is using co-pay assistance to lower patient costs to $25 per prescription—less than the average $40 co-pay for generic auto-injectors. This seamless pricing strategy is designed to boost early adoption while coverage is still being negotiated.

3. Transparency Puts Pressure on Insurers: ARS is publicly posting a coverage scorecard to inform both patients and physicians which insurance plans cover Neffy. This move is intended not only to support informed decision-making but also to create competitive pressure on insurers who haven’t yet added the drug to their formularies.