New 'generic' insulin is no cure for what ails the drug market
By Kenneth E. Thorpe
Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly is about to face some fierce competition -- from itself. The company recently announced plans to offer a generic version of its own insulin drug, Humalog, at half price.
What gives?
For drug companies, price reductions aren't as simple as they are for, say, car dealers looking to clear out last year's stock.
Most health insurers hire "pharmacy benefit managers" to manage their drug plans. Because PBMs decide which medicines are covered, drug companies offer huge discounts -- typically via "rebates" -- in exchange for formulary access and tier placement. In 2017, drug companies extended $150 billion in rebates to PBMs.
About 90 percent of these rebates make it back to insurers, who generally use the savings to keep premiums low and cover administrative costs. The other 10 percent is where PBMs make a sizeable profit.
So when list prices are high, insurers and PBMs benefit.
Consider that on many formularies, branded drugs have preferred treatment over their cheaper, generic counterparts. Researchers found when looking at 2018 drug coverage in Medicare, "almost every plan has at least one branded drug on the formulary that's in a better place than the generic."
This doesn't help with overall healthcare spending. But it does benefit insurers and PBMs.
Making matters worse, insurers typically peg a patient's copay to the original, "list" price of a drug.
Consider, Humalog. The list price is $275. With insulin products like this one, rebates of 70 percent are common. So an insurer might acquire the drug for a net price of $82.50.
If that insurer requires a 25-percent copay, a patient should pay $20. But most insurers would expect that patient to shell out nearly $70, thus covering 85 percent of the drug's true cost.
It's no wonder why Americans fret about high out-of-pocket costs at the pharmacy. Today's system leaves the sickest patients with the largest bills -- and motivates many to simply skip their prescriptions. Non-adherence causes 10 percent of hospitalizations and costs the healthcare system upwards of $289 billion annually.
Secret kickbacks shouldn't be legal. Earlier this year, the Trump administration proposed a change to federal anti-kickback statutes that would prohibit drug makers from offering rebates on drugs covered by Medicaid and Medicare Part D -- unless those rebates are shared directly with patients at the pharmacy counter.
That's a good first step. But it needs to be expanded to the entire market. A new study from my organization, the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, found that making manufacturer rebates for diabetes medicines available at the point of sale would save patients $3 billion annually. That's an extra $791, each year, for the 30 million Americans living with diabetes.
For Americans who rely on prescription drugs to stay healthy, every penny counts. Authorized generics will offer some relief. But real change will only come when the whole system of drug rebates changes.
Kenneth E. Thorpe is a professor of health policy at Emory University and chairman of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease.
======================
HOMESAFE
Release New Single
"Without Warning"
Watch the Video Now:
Touring this Summer with
Like Pacific, Sleep On It, & Never Loved
Homesafe has shared a brand new single and music video, "Without Warning." Fans can watch it now, here, or stream the track here.
On "Without Warning," they share: "We watched a lot of videos from the early 2000s and wanted to capture how those felt- simple, imperfect and fun. We filmed longer shots for this one which was a first for us. We wanted the video to feel like it was in real-time as opposed to being manipulated by a ton of cuts. It's my favorite video of ours yet."
Homesafe will be hitting the road next month with Like Pacific, Sleep On It, and Never Loved. The tour kicks off on July 18th in Detroit, with stops in Chicago, Brooklyn, Boston, and more. For a full list of upcoming shows, please see below, or visit: www.homesafeil.com/tour.
For Homesafe, progression begins with a nod to the past. On One, their debut LP for Pure Noise Records, the band dug deep into their '90s rock influences, marrying high-octane guitar riffs with buoyant choruses and threadbare attitude that demands listeners' attention.
The result is an album that stands up squarely to the sound of right now but shines with an aura of timelessness, one that effortlessly pays tribute to bands like Foo Fighters and Third Eye Blind without appearing regressive.
It's a musical style the Chicagoland band-vocalist/guitarist Ryan Rumchaks, vocalist/bassist Tyler Albertson, drummer Emanuel Duran, and guitarist Joe Colesby-have forged through years of relentless touring alongside acts like State Champs and Knuckle Puck and past releases, but it's never been as calibrated as it is on One.
One is out now, and can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music. Fans can purchase it online at www.homesafe.merchnow.com.
Follow Homesafe:
Website: www.homesafeil.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HomesafeIL
Twitter: www.twitter.com/homesafeil
Instagram: www.instagram.com/homesafeil
For hi-res press photo, please click here
Upcoming Tour Dates:
7/18 - Detroit, MI - Pike Room
7/19 - Cleveland, OH - Mahall's
7/20 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
7/21 - Indianapolis, IN - Hoosier Dome
7/23 - Pittsburgh, PA - Smiling Moose
7/25 - Brooklyn, NY - Kingsland
7/26 - Asbury Park, NJ - Asbury Brew
7/27 - Philadelphia, PA - Foundry at The Fillmore
7/29 - Boston, MA - Middle East Upstairs
7/30 - Montreal, QC - Le Ministere
7/31 - Ottawa, ON - 27 Club
8/2 - Toronto, ON - Hard Luck Bar
8/3 - London, ON - Call The Office
8/9 - Bay City, MI - Excellency Music Festival (Homesafe only)
========================
won't you ARTicipate? And, Mark Your Calendars!!
View this newsletter in your browser
June 2019 Volume 3
As an arts organization with a social mission, O1ARTS believes in Freedom of Expression (i.e., Speech), and is committed to bringing the Ogden community #ArtsWithPurpose.
For July and August, O1ARTS has partnered with For Freedoms, a national arts organization, to bring Four|For Freedoms, a tightly-curated subset of their 50 State Billboard Initiative, to our PLATFORMS art site, at 25th & Adams Ave. The exhibition will open Friday July 5 and continue through August 31.
The exhibition is rooted in a 1941 speech by Franklin Roosevelt, in which he declared that four essential human freedoms - Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Freedom From Want and Freedom From Fear - should extend to any person, anywhere in the world.
For Freedoms is a platform for creative civic engagement and discourse, inspired by Norman Rockwell’s paintings depicting Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms. The exhibition contains contemporary revisitations of that historic series of works, more accurately reflecting the diversity of today’s America.
FINAL DAYS!!
If you haven't stopped by to add YOUR token of where your family came from to "Immigrants' Ladder", please do so NOW. We'll be taking pics on Monday the 1st, and deinstalling right after. Please #ARTicipate!
Getting there, anyway.
Our thanks to Indie Ogden for a beautiful spread in their new glossy print magazine!
Click the pic to go to our site and read the article, or to IndieOgden.com to see the whole issue!
Do you like Music?
Specifically, Americana?
Talented singer/songwriters?
Then you should totally go to this.
O1PRESENTS will feature 2 local talents at the Acoustic Cafe on Friday the 12th (after our Twilight pre-party)...SO much going on. AND, if you click through and purchase a whole-festival VIP ticket, a portion will come to O1ARTS, as Troubeliever's 2019 Nonprofit Partner.
NINE RAILS ARTS / CREATIVE CALENDAR
TONIGHT
June 26: El Doce Release Party
June 26: Music on the Plaza
SOON:
June 27: Art + Action Season-End Party
June 27: Ghostface Killah @Amphitheatre
June 29: TEDx Ogden
June 29: Hot House West @ Lighthouse
July 2: WEBINAR- Taxes for Creatives
July 5: Four/For Freedoms @ PLATFORMS
July 5: Poetry Open Mic
July 10: Jazz at the Station
July 12: Twilight Preparty @ Monarch
July 12
| Troubeliever Festival
July 13
July 18: Twilight Preparty @ Monarch
Want YOUR arts/culture event listed here? Write us before the 20th of each month....
Ogden First is a non-profit (501c3) corporation established to create and deliver arts programming, in all forms, in the context of adaptive reuse of historic or iconic spaces, organizing venues where artists can create, learn, perform and exhibit, amplified by our city’s architectural legacy.
SUB-RADIO
RELEASES EFFERVESCENT
LOVE SONG
UPCOMING EP DOG YEARS
DUE OUT JULY 19
JUNE 28, 2019 - Washington, D.C. - D.C. - based indie pop group Sub-Radio have released their latest single, "Dreamcatcher" today. The effervescent and bright-eyed track is a story of true appreciation and love. "We've almost never written a straightforward 'love song,' and almost looked at it like a challenge. Big primary-color emotions are tricky to convey. 'Dreamcatcher' started as a demo, a gift for one of our girlfriends, and transformed into something we all love" shares Adam Bradley (Vocals) on the track. Fans can stream "Dreamcatcher" today at spoti.fi/2RFzQDe.
"Dreamcatcher" joins previously released single "Room For You" from the band's forthcoming EP, Dog Years, due out July 19th. Produced by Dylan Bauld (Flor, Halsey, LIGHTS) and mixed by Andrew Maury (Shawn Mendes, COIN, Post Malone), Dog Years shows Sub-Radio fully embracing different styles, textures and energies throughout 5 cohesive tracks.
Dog Years Track Listing
1. Better Than That
2. Room For You
3. Dreamcatcher
4. Million And One
5. Instincts
Sub-Radio is on the road for the "Know You Better" US Tour. The band is traveling across the US before wrapping up on July 26th for a special show in the band's hometown of Washington, D.C. A full list of tour dates are below, but please stay tuned to Sub-Radio's social media accounts for more details and ticket information.
Upcoming US Tour Dates
June 28 - Portland, OR - Twilight
June 29 - Olympia, WA - Oly Underground
June 30 - Seattle, WA - The Funhouse
July 2 - Spokane, WA - The Pin
July 3 - Boise, ID - Vista Bar
July 5 - Provo, UT - ABGs
July 6 - Denver, CO - Moe's
July 7 - Iowa City, IA - Blue Moose
July 8 - Des Moines, IA - Leftys
July 12 - Nashville, TN - Back Corner
July 13 - Louisville, KY - Third Street Dive
July 14 - Cincinnati, OH - Northside Tavern
July 15 - PJ's Lager House - Detroit
July 16 - Syracuse, NY - Lost Horizon
July 18 - New York, NY - Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2
July 26 - Washington, D.C.
Sub-Radio is Adam Bradley (vocals), Matt Prodanovich (guitar, vocals), Michael Pereira (drums), John Fengya (keys, guitar, vocals), Barry Siford (bass) and Kyle Cochran (guitar, keys).
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Follow Sub-Radio:
https://www.instagram.com/subradioband/
https://www.facebook.com/subradioband/
https://twitter.com/subradioband
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp8top1sIsvcBeTFzWR-VOA/featured
================
RELEASE NEW SINGLE
Stream Music Video at
http://smarturl.it/shesagodvideo
Kicking Off US Arena Tour Supporting
Blink-182 and Lil Wayne This Weekend
Tickets On Sale Now
June 27, 2019 - Neck Deep surprised fans today with the release of a brand new single and music video. "She's A God" is an effervescent and charming song that basks in the warm glow of knowing you don't need to travel to find peace and strength - it's in the person beside you. The dynamic and layered new sound further cements the band's place in the forefront of today's Alternative Rock scene.
"She's A God is a song that is, pretty much, about worshipping your other half, but for the little things like waking up in the morning and seeing them get ready for the day. Those moments where you're just in awe of how glorious a person can be. It's pretty simple, no deeper meaning here, just a love song comparing a relationship to theology." shares front man Ben Barlow on the honest and captivating track.
"She's A God" was produced by Matt Squire and was recorded in Wales at the legendary Monnow Valley Studio, which has been a recording home for artists like Oasis, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Joss Stone and more. Fans can stream the single today at http://smarturl.it/shesagodvideo.
This is the first new piece of music since the band's monumental 2017 release, The Peace And The Panic, which catapulted the band into mainstream success with a #2 charting position on the US Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart.
The band also released an accompanying music video, which can be streamed at LINK. Barlow continues sharing; "Being able to be pretty close to home, without the distractions of a major city gave us a totally new perspective and creative space to explore. We decided to shoot the music video while we were down in the studio, just taking advantage of our surroundings, and wanting to give people a little insight into what we experienced that week. We shot the whole thing totally analog, which was exciting. Not knowing what footage you got until the film is developed was like waiting for a mini Christmas, and again, we're stoked with what we got."
Neck Deep will be touring across the United States for the three months as direct support for genre-legends Blink-182 and the iconic Lil Wayne. Kicking off this weekend on June 29th in Hartford, CT, Neck Deep will be delivering their high-energy stage presence and larger than life performance of hits from their entire career to fans across the United States. Special stops at the 25th Anniversary VANS Warped Tour celebration in Atlantic City and the 15th Annual Riot Fest will round out the packed arena and amphitheater tour. Tickets are on sale now.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
June 29 - Hartford, CT - XFINITY Theatre
June 30 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Vans Warped Tour
July 1 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
July 3 - Indianapolis, IN - Ruoff Home Mortgage Center
July 5 - Hershey, PA - Hersheypark Stadium
July 6 - Burgettstown, PA - KeyBank Pavilion
July 7 - Toronto, ON* - Budweiser Stage
July 9 - Holmdel, NJ* - PNC Bank Arts Center
July 10 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center
July 11 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live
July 13 - Bangor, ME - Darlings Waterfront Pavilion
July 16 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center
July 17 - Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake Amphitheater
July 20 - Virginia Beach, VA - Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
July 21 - Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion
July 23 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
July 25 - West Palm Beach, FL - Coral Sky Amphitheatre
July 26 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
July 27 - Atlanta, GA - Lakewood Amphitheatre
July 28 - Jacksonville, FL - Daily's Place
July 31 - Houston, TX - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
August 1 - Austin, TX - Austin360 Amphitheater
August 2 - Dallas, TX - Dos Equis Pavilion
August 4 - El Paso, TX* - UTEP Don Haskins Center
August 5 - Phoenix, AZ - Ak-Chin Pavilion
August 6 - San Diego, CA - North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
August 8 - Los Angeles, CA - The Forum
August 27 - Irvine, CA - Five Point Amphitheatre
August 30 - Portland, OR - Sunlight Supply Amphitheatre
August 31 - Seattle, WA - White River Amphitheatre
September 2 - Salt Lake City, UT - USANA Amphitheatre
September 4 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
September 6 - Wichita, KS* - Hartman Arena
September 7 - Council Bluffs, IA* - Stir Cove
September 8 - Kansas City, MO - Providence Amphitheater
September 10 - Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
September 12 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
September 13 - Chicago, IL - Riot Fest
September 14 - St. Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
September 16 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
September 18 - Camden, NJ - BB&T Pavilion
September 20 - Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center
* - No Lil Wayne
Even by Neck Deep's now astronomical standards, their third album The Peace And The Panic has been a success of unprecedented proportions, cementing their position as one of rock's hottest young properties and the zeitgeist-capturing band of their generation and scene.
The band have graced the covers of Kerrang!, Rock Sound and Alternative Press across the album cycle, performed at Radio 1s prestigious Rock Week and made their live TV debut on Last Call With Carson Daly. The trophy cabinet keeps growing too, with the quartet picking up Best British Band at Rock Sound's 2017 awards, while stand out single "In Bloom", which has over 26 Million streams on Spotify and 13.5 Million views on YouTube, snagged the Best Song gong at 2018s Kerrang! Awards.
An incredibly exciting future is ahead for the band who have found both their voice and the ears of a truly global fan base. While it might look from the outside like Neck Deep already have the world in the palm of their collective hand - the truth is they're only just getting started.
###
Neck Deep is Ben Barlow (Vocals), Matt West (Guitar), Sam Bowden (Guitar) and Dani Washington (Drums).
All Press Assets Available To Download Here
Follow Neck Deep
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/neckdeepuk
Instagram / Twitter: @NeckDeepUK
=====================
Oh, Sleeper
Exclusively Premieres Single
"The Island"
via Alternative Press
Listen HERE
New Album Bloodied/Unbowed
Due Out July 19, 2019
Available For Pre-Order at
https://ohsleeper.merchnow.com/
Ft. Worth, TX - June 27, 2019 - American metalcore band, Oh, Sleeper, is excited to be exclusively premiering the third single "The Island," coming off of their forthcoming record, Bloodied/Unbowed, today, via Alternative Press. Give it a listen here.
Bloodied/Unbowed is slated to be released July 19, 2019, via Tooth & Nail Records. This will be the band's first full-length record in almost a decade. The album follows the concept of their previous release, The Titan, and is laid out like a book - every song a chapter in the story from start to finish. It follows two characters as they suffer cataclysmic changes, forcing them apart and through their own personal crucibles before finding their way back to each other bloodied, but unbowed, determined to grow to be what they were born to be.
On the single, lead vocalist Micah Kinard shares, "'The Island'" follows one of the main characters as they seize control of their path and ignore all callings and passions placed on their heart in an effort to become exactly what they believe the outside world has described to them as a 'success.' They shut out everything that once made them burn with passion and experience - a world without inner fire."
In support of the upcoming record, the band will be hitting the road for a headlining tour with support from Famous Last Words, Convictions and Empty, running from July 16th to August 13th. Following that, Oh, Sleeper will be supporting Hawthorne Heights on their upcoming 15th anniversary tour, from August 15th to August 28th. For a full list of dates, please see below or here.
Oh, Sleeper is an American metalcore band that forged themselves in 2006, creating a dark tech-metal sound that would define the genre for years to come with pioneering guitar work, captivating lyrics, soaring vocals, and devastating breakdowns. In over a decade's span, Oh, Sleeper has released three full-length albums (Solid State Records), 2 EPs, and toured world-wide alongside genre giants Bring Me The Horizon, Underoath, August Burns Red, Every Time I Die, The Devil Wears Prada and many many more. After independently releasing their EP The Titan and being featured on the full Vans Warped Tour in 2013, Oh, Sleeper took a step back to allow clean vocalist and lead guitarist Shane Blay to form California based rock/metal band Wovenwar with members of fellow American metalcore act, As I Lay Dying.
Now, Oh, Sleeper is back and more powerful than ever. With long-standing drummer Zac Mayfield and founders Micah Kinard and Shane Blay, Oh, Sleeper is gearing up for their fourth full-length album release and most mature effort. Bloodied/Unbowed is a sonic testament encapsulating the turbulence of their last 6 years and near break-up of the band. Kinard shares, "We've never spent more time writing, scrapping, rewriting, and perfecting an album in our history as a band and we couldn't be more proud of it. Bloodied/Unbowed is proof that we can and will continue, not just as we were, but better than we've ever been."
Bloodied/Unbowed is set to release July 19, 2019. For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/ohsleeper.
Bloodied/Unbowed Tracklisting:
01. Let It Wave
02. Decimation & Burial
03. Fissure
04. Of Bane & Disease
05. Two Ships
06. The Island
07. Mutinous
08. Pulse Over Throne
09. Oxygen
10. The Summit
Upcoming Tour Dates:
*supporting Hawthorne Heights
###
Oh Sleeper is Micah Kinard (vocals), Shane Bay (guitar/vocals), and Zac Mayfield (drums).
For more information on Oh, Sleeper:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ohsleeper
Twitter: https://twitter.com/weareohsleeper
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohsleepertx/
