South-Carolina
What to know about January's annual drug price hikes
Drug companies often increase prices at the start of the new year, and 2024 seems to be no exception.There have been about 600 price hikes so far in January, according to the drug price nonprofit 46Brooklyn Research.
But the increases haven’t been as steep as they were in some previous years. In the 2010s, drug price hikes were typically much bigger — up to 10% on average
“Since 2016, the pedal to the metal has been kind of pulled back a little bit, where we typically see the weighted average impact of a price increase and the median price increase hovering at around 5%,” says 46Brooklyn’s CEO, Anthony Ciaccia.
That’s roughly what he’s seeing this year.
Ciaccia expects another couple hundred more drug price increases before the end of the month — and that will account for most brand name price hikes this year.
Net prices are different
Even if a drug’s sticker price is going up, that doesn’t mean the drugmaker is taking all that money home. That’s because there’s another kind of price to think about called a net price. That’s what the drugmaker takes home after rebates it has to pay back to third parties and other discounts.
And on the whole, those rebates have been going up, so the net prices have been going down for about six years now.
Richard Evans, a pharmaceutical industry veteran who runs SSR Health, a drug pricing data and analytics firm, says net prices went down a little faster in 2023 than in previous years.
“As of September 30 last year, the average discount in the marketplace was about 52%,” he said. That means drugmakers take home a lot less than list price. “Some manufacturers are getting about $0.48 on the dollar.”
Record decreases driven by penalties
For the first time, there were also huge list price decreases this January, according to 46Brooklyn. These were for insulins and inhalers, and they were 70% or 80% reductions.
Drugmaker GSK says it plans to cut Advair’s list price by up to 70%, for example. Advair is an inhaler for asthma and asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The cuts are so significant that when you look at the prices of drugs overall, they actually cancel out the increases. That’s if you’re doing weighted averages of price changes based on how much a drug is used, Ciaccia of 46Brooklyn says.
The big factor is legislation passed in 2021 under President Biden called the American Rescue Plan Act. It was mostly a COVID-era stimulus bill, but it also included a part that affects Medicaid.
Prior to that law, drugmakers had to pay penalties for increasing prices faster than inflation, but there was a cap on those penalties.The American Rescue Plan lifted the cap in 2024. Now, drugmakers would have to pay such huge penalties for raising prices faster than inflation that they’d owe the government more than the value of the drugs.
Put another way, they would make negative money for selling their products!
“The end result is drug manufacturers crushing the prices of many of these old products or pulling those products from the marketplace altogether to avoid having to pay the steep penalties to Medicaid programs,” Ciaccia says.
What it means for consumers
Usually what someone pays at the pharmacy counter is related to the list price– the ones the drug companies set rather than the net prices they ultimately take home.
That means that if a list price goes up, the copay will probably be more.
But a price cut doesn’t necessarily mean savings at the pharmacy counter. The copay could wind up being more because it causes the drug to move to a different tier of your insurer’s drug formulary — that’s the menu of drugs your insurance provides. This has a lot to do with the behind-the-scenes payments that happen between the drugmaker and your insurance’s middleman called a pharmacy benefit manager.
Copay changes will vary depending on the drug and your insurance plan.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
South-Carolina
South Carolina Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for March 4, 2026
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 4, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from March 4 drawing
07-14-42-47-56, Powerball: 06, Power Play: 4
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from March 4 drawing
Midday: 4-6-9, FB: 3
Evening: 1-2-4, FB: 3
Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from March 4 drawing
Midday: 1-3-2-3, FB: 3
Evening: 4-6-4-8, FB: 3
Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 4 drawing
Midday: 09
Evening: 12
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from March 4 drawing
03-29-30-35-38
Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 4 drawing
05-10-26-53-59, Powerball: 06
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
The South Carolina Education Lottery provides multiple ways to claim prizes, depending on the amount won:
For prizes up to $500, you can redeem your winnings directly at any authorized South Carolina Education Lottery retailer. Simply present your signed winning ticket at the retailer for an immediate payout.
Winnings $501 to $100,000, may be redeemed by mailing your signed winning ticket along with a completed claim form and a copy of a government-issued photo ID to the South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center. For security, keep copies of your documents and use registered mail to ensure the safe arrival of your ticket.
SC Education Lottery
P.O. Box 11039
Columbia, SC 29211-1039
For large winnings above $100,000, claims must be made in person at the South Carolina Education Lottery Headquarters in Columbia. To claim, bring your signed winning ticket, a completed claim form, a government-issued photo ID, and your Social Security card for identity verification. Winners of large prizes may also set up an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for convenient direct deposit of winnings.
Columbia Claims Center
1303 Assembly Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Claim Deadline: All prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date for draw games.
For more details and to access the claim form, visit the South Carolina Lottery claim page.
When are the South Carolina Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
- Pick 4: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
- Cash Pop: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
- Palmetto Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Carolina editor. You can send feedback using this form.
South-Carolina
House ethics committee investigating SC Republican for alleged overbilling
HUNT VALLEY, Md. (TNND) — The House ethics committee announced Monday it is investigating Representative Nancy Mace, the South Carolina Republican, for potentially improper reimbursement.
Mace may have sought and received reimbursements for Washington property expenses that were greater than the costs she actually incurred. The congresswoman has taken issue with the reliability of the committee’s evidence, however.
The committee began its investigation following a December referral from the House Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC), an independent body that reviews allegations of misconduct. The OCC recommended that the committee investigate Mace’s reimbursement activity since there is “substantial” reason to believe she acted unethically – potentially in violation of House rules, standards of conduct and federal law.
Bills and statements from early 2023 to mid-2024 show that Mace overbilled the House for over $9,000 during that period, the OCC said. She allegedly requested the maximum reimbursement each month, at times receiving over a thousand dollars more than what she was entitled to, although the details of her finances are murky. Mace owned the property with her fiancé, who may have helped pay for it, according to the OCC.
“Based on the information available to the OCC, it appears Rep. Mace was reimbursed amounts exceeding the actual costs incurred for the DC Property during several months in 2023 and 2024,” the office said in its report.
“Further, if Rep. Mace did not pay for 100% of expenses related to the DC property – a determination the OCC could neither reach nor reject due to the Congresswoman’s lack of cooperation – this would increase the disparity between the amounts Rep. Mace was reimbursed and her actual expenses incurred.”
Mace’s lawyer, William Sullivan, Jr., wrote in response to the report in December that the OCC’s conclusions were “fundamentally flawed.” The report appeared to include unverified assertions and materials from the congresswoman’s former fiancé, who has a history of abusive and retaliatory behavior toward her, Sullivan said. The couple’s relationship ended in late 2023 to protect Mace’s “safety and wellbeing,” he noted.
“The Referral Report’s reliance on material and information originating from [the former fiancé] is therefore deeply problematic,” Sullivan wrote. “[The fiancé’s] personal motives, documented misuse of legal process, and demonstrated willingness to advance distorted or incomplete narratives about the Congresswoman raise substantial concerns about the accuracy and fairness of any claims premised upon or aligned with his accounts.”
The ethics committee is in the initial stage of its investigation and is gathering more information before advancing.
Have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.
South-Carolina
How to watch Tennessee Volunteers: Live stream info, TV channel, game time | March 3
The college basketball slate on Tuesday will include Mike Sharavjamts and the South Carolina Gamecocks (12-17, 3-13 SEC) hosting Nate Ament and the No. 25 Tennessee Volunteers (20-9, 10-6 SEC) at Colonial Life Arena, with the matchup tipping at 6 p.m. ET.
See more details below, including how to watch this game on SEC Network.
Here’s everything you need to prepare for Tuesday’s college hoops action.
South Carolina vs. Tennessee: How to watch on TV or live stream
- Game day: Tuesday, March 3, 2026
- Game time: 6 p.m. ET
- Location: Columbia, South Carolina
- Arena: Colonial Life Arena
- TV Channel: SEC Network
- Live stream: Fubo – Watch NOW (Regional restrictions may apply)
Check out: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
Watch college basketball on Fubo!
Tennessee vs. South Carolina stats and trends
- Tennessee is averaging 80.1 points per game (87th-ranked in college basketball) this year, while ceding 69.2 points per contest (62nd-ranked).
- The Volunteers are dominating when it comes to rebounding, as they rank third-best in college basketball in boards (40.1 per game) and second-best in boards allowed (25.8 per contest).
- Tennessee ranks 32nd in the country with 17.0 assists per game.
- The Volunteers are committing 11.6 turnovers per game (240th-ranked in college basketball). They are forcing 10.6 turnovers per contest (231st-ranked).
- Tennessee is making 6.8 threes per game (279th-ranked in college basketball). It has a 34.3% shooting percentage (167th-ranked) from three-point land.
- With 7.9 threes conceded per game, the Volunteers rank 196th in the country. They are giving up a 30.5% shooting percentage from three-point land, which ranks 29th in college basketball.
- Tennessee is attempting 41.3 two-pointers per game this year, which account for 67.7% of the shots it has taken (and 76.2% of the team’s baskets). Meanwhile, it is attempting 19.7 three-pointers per contest, which are 32.3% of its shots (and 23.8% of the team’s buckets).
Tennessee vs. South Carolina Odds and Spread
- Spread Favorite: Volunteers (-8.5)
- Moneyline: Tennessee (-437), South Carolina (+328)
- Total: 143.5 points
NCAA Basketball odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Tuesday at 1:12 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.
Watch college basketball on Fubo!
Follow the latest college sports coverage at College Sports Wire.
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