CER Daily Newsfeed

Value Viewpoint: May 22, 2026

(5/22, Kimberly Westrich, LinkedIn) comments “New research published in Health Affairs Scholar estimates the socioeconomic value of U.S. adult vaccination programs for pneumococcal disease, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza, and COVID-19. The study found that these programs provide significant societal returns, and further increasing coverage could yield additional benefits. Why this matters: the study frames adult vaccination as a strategic investment, which is hampered by suboptimal coverage. The authors estimate: The value of these programs is 5 to 12 times greater than their cost; Restricting eligibility or allowing coverage to fall could drive more than 1 million additional vaccine-preventable hospitalizations; Expanding eligibility and raising coverage could avert more than 100,000 additional deaths.” Full

Prior Authorization Headaches Persist Despite Insurers’ Pledge

(5/26, Caroline Hudson, Modern Healthcare) reports “...Almost 50 health insurance companies pledged last June to reduce prior authorization requirements, standardize processes and expedite response times as part of a coalition led by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and insurance trade group AHIP...Nearly a year after the initial pledge, prior authorization requirements are still at a record high, creating unnecessary administrative burdens on physicians and delaying access to care, providers say. They also are raising questions about transparency of the data tracking insurers’ progress.” Subscription Required

How Proof of Use Boosts Patient and Commercial Outcomes

(5/22, Kieran Daly, Stephen Appezzato, Pharmaceutical Commerce) reports “...Speaking with Pharmaceutical Commerce at the Asembia AXS26 Summit in Las Vegas, [Kieran Daly, cofounder and general manager of HealthBeacon,] discussed how proof of use connects patient outcomes to commercial performance, why the home setting is where adherence programs most often fall short, and what real-world evidence of medication administration means for manufacturers navigating outcomes-based models.” Full

Taxpayer Group Urges Senate To Reject MFN Legislation As TrumpRx Talks Continue

(5/26, James Jarvis, Inside Health Policy) reports “...[Taxpayers Protection Alliance] President David Williams argued lawmakers should ‘stand firm’ against most favored nation (MFN) mandates and instead focus on policies that expand supply and lower costs without tying U.S. prices to those paid in other countries. ‘Price controls implemented through an MFN model — which would tie U.S. drug prices to those imposed by foreign socialist healthcare systems — would mean fewer treatments for millions of patients,’ Williams wrote. ‘Drug manufacturers will only spend this time and money developing new products if they are able to recoup these investments via flexible pricing strategies.’” Subscription Required

UK: MR Metformin and SGLT2i Now First-Line in Type 2 Diabetes

(5/26, Sara Freeman, Medscape) reports “Modified-release (MR) metformin and an SGLT2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) should be the first line of treatment for most people with type 2 diabetes according to revised guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence...[S]enior medicines optimisation pharmacist Helen O’Neil, who works for the NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, said that using the MR rather than the standard-release formulation could potentially improve patient adherence while having similar clinical effectiveness at a similar or lower cost.” Full