• District of Columbia: According to a new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Medicare's trust fund will remain solvent until 2052 — 17 years longer than CBO analysts' 2024 estimates. "It's unprecedented," said Tricia Neuman, executive director of KFF's Program on Medicare Policy. "It's not unusual for CBO to make these types of adjustments and updates. It's just highly unusual to see a jump of this magnitude." Some reasons for CBO's extension include Medicare enrollees going to the hospital less than expected, which has led the trust fund to lose less money. CBO analysts also predicted that more revenue will be coming into the trust fund through higher collections of Medicare's payroll tax. According to STAT, an official "gut check" on CBO's estimates will come later this spring when Medicare's trustees release their own updated estimates on the program. (Herman, STAT+ [subscription required], 4/5)
• New Jersey: Novo Nordisk has expanded the savings program for its GLP-1 weight-loss drug Wegovy to allow eligible cash-paying patients to purchase the drug at retail pharmacies for $499 per month. Previously, the cost of Wegovy for cash-paying patients was $650 per month. Although the lower price option was also available, patients could only access it through the company's newly launched NovoCare Pharmacy. The new reduced-price option applies to all dose strengths of Wegovy. Patients with commercial insurance that covers Wegovy may pay as little as $0 a month, with a maximum savings of $225 per 28-day supply of the drug. However, patients who are enrolled in government-funded healthcare programs are not eligible for the reduced cost. (Murphy, Becker's Hospital Review, 3/25)
• Rhode Island: CVS Health has appointed two new leaders to its executive team. Brian Newman has been named as EVP and CFO of the company, effective April 21. He replaces previous CFO Tom Cowhey, who will transition to a strategic advisory role, effective May 12. Most recently, Newman served as EVP and CFO of United Parcel Service, and before that he held several finance leadership roles at PepsiCo. In addition to Newman, CVS also named Amy Compton-Phillips as an EVP and CMO of the company, effective May 19. Previously, Compton-Phillips was the chief physician executive at Press Ganey, as well as president and chief clinical officer at Providence Health & Services. "As I continue to build out my leadership team, I am confident that Brian and Amy will help us continue the momentum we have built over the past several months as we execute on our strategy to deliver better health care to the 185 million Americans we are privileged to serve," said CVS CEO David Joyner. "Their collective and individual experience and expertise are well suited to CVS Health and we welcome them both to our leadership team." (Marchese, Wall Street Journal, 4/8; PR Newswire, 4/8)

As executive turnover continues to increase in healthcare organizations, interim leaders become more critical. In this Q&A, Sue Schade, principal at StarBridge Advisors, shares how to effectively utilize interim leaders to navigate transitions and achieve long-term improvements.