INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — As Walgreens pays tribute to its store brand via hard-hitting ads that position its health-and-wellness products as the ones that its pharmacists recommend, CVS/pharmacy officially has unveiled its new Just the Basics private-label line — both developments that should serve as warning signs to vendors.

(THE NEWS: CVS/pharmacy's Just the Basics line makes debut. For the full story, click here)

WASHINGTON — More than 400 drugs are in late-stage clinical development or awaiting Food and Drug Administration approval as treatments for rare diseases, according to a report by the drug industry lobby.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT — Give a man a doctor’s co-pay, and he is healthy for a day. Give him a health savings account, and that man becomes so much more vested in ensuring positive health outcomes that he may be healthy for a lifetime. Because in the long run, it’s cheaper.

(THE NEWS: HSAs saw dramatic growth in 2010, study finds. For the full story, click here)

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Nearly 39 million people, or 12.5% of the U.S. population, are feeling the effects of cold and flu as high illness levels continued across the nation, Boiron stated Friday, citing SDI Health data.

Some of the most prevalent indications are fever and influenza-like symptoms, such as chills, body aches and headache.

NEW YORK — Over the years, a fatty liver has become an indicator of obesity and insulin resistance among humans, but researchers have found that people with fatty livers are five times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than their healthier counterparts.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Walmart is convinced its sales woes can be solved by a renewed emphasis on everyday low prices and breadth of assortment. As Walmart looks to execute those strategies, the health-and-wellness category will continue to be impacted as it is a key area where favorable trends exist and it is easier to demonstrate price separation.

(THE NEWS: Walmart to refocus on U.S. unit as sales decline. For the full story, click here)

WASHINGTON — In his 2011-2012 budget, New York governor Andrew Cuomo included a proposal to update New York’s Medicaid program. The announcement comes at the heels of New Jersey governor Chris Christie's motion to modernize the state's Medicaid plan.

Similarly to New Jersey's plan, Cuomo said New York's “Proposal to Redesign Medicaid” could save state taxpayers $350 million though 2015 by managing prescription drug benefits similarly to those in Medicare and private-sector programs.

MINNEAPOLIS — Health savings accounts surpassed $10 billion at year-end 2010, according to a survey and the resulting research report conducted by Devenir, an investment firm that specializes in providing investment options for HSAs.