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Hawaii
‘Big Three’ PBMs to Face House Oversight Accountability as Hawaii Court Delivers Legal Victory
![‘Big Three’ PBMs to Face House Oversight Accountability as Hawaii Court Delivers Legal Victory](https://static.biospace.com/dims4/default/f3ace82/2147483647/strip/true/crop/622x350+3+0/resize/1440x810!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-biospace.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Flegacy%2FBioSpace-Assets%2F2F7B18B8-C374-4F44-8CAE-277317033C0C.jpg)
The three biggest pharmacy benefit managers will come before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability to explain their role in the increasing medication prices in the U.S., according to an announcement on Tuesday by committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.).
The hearing, set for July 23, will include Adam Kautzner, president of Evernorth Care Management and Express Scripts, David Joyner, executive vice president of CVS Health and president of CVS Caremark, and Patrick Conway, CEO of OptumRx. According to Comer’s announcement, the session will probe how these pharmacy middlemen reinforce anticompetitive practices in the industry, in turn increasing prescription drug prices and compromising patient care.
Comer added in the statement that lawmakers across the aisle have “sounded the alarm” on the role of pharmacy benefit managers (PBM)—and their “anticompetitive tactics”—in increasing drug prices.
“Spread pricing and rebates benefit PBMs and have helped the three largest PBMs monopolize the pharmaceutical market,” Comer continued. “It’s clear these self-benefitting practices only serve to help their bottom line rather than patients.”
Also on Tuesday, the Federal District Court of Hawaii tossed the state’s lawsuit alleging that the three biggest PBMs were artificially and unlawfully hiking drug prices. Hawaii’s state attorney general has 45 days to file an amended complaint.
The state of Hawaii sued the top three PBMs—CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and OptumRx—in October 2023, claiming that they employed unlawful business practices, which in turn “have driven skyrocketing prices for brand-name prescription medications.” Among the practices that the lawsuit named was charging pharma companies rebates in exchange for favorable formulary placements for their drugs.
PBMs also charged drugmakers several other fees, none of which helped lower drug prices for patients at the point of sale, the lawsuit alleged. “Pay-to-play practices directly harm consumers both by artificially inflating the price of medications and by restricting consumers’ access to medications that could save or greatly increase the quality of their lives,” deputy attorney general Ciara Kahahane said at the time.
These double developments on Tuesday come amid mounting scrutiny of PBMs. Earlier this month, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published an interim report showing that the top three PBMs handled nearly 80% of all prescriptions dispensed by pharmacies across the country. The antitrust watchdog also found that these middlemen “can hike the cost of drugs” and overcharge patients for cancer therapies, according to FTC Chair Lina Khan.
A few days later, The Wall Street Journal reported that the FTC was gearing up to sue CVS Caremark, OptumRx and Express Scripts over alleged anticompetitive practices.
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Hawaii
47th Annual Prince Lot Hula Festival celebrates Hawaiian tradition in Honolulu
![47th Annual Prince Lot Hula Festival celebrates Hawaiian tradition in Honolulu](https://www.khon2.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/07/392868343_666736062106040_1166029693701135480_n.jpg?w=1280)
HONOLULU (KHON2) — The 47th Annual Prince Lot Hula Festival will take place on Saturday, July 20 at the Frank F. Fasi Civic Ground Park from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The annual event celebrates Prince Lot Kapuāiwa, who ruled the Kingdom of Hawai‘i as Kamehameha V from 1863 to 1872. He was a strong advocate of traditional Hawaiian practices.
“Our mission is to honor and perpetuate the rich cultural heritage of Hawai‘i,” Executive Director Michael Pili Pang, of the Moanalua Gardens Foundation said. The Moanalua Gardens Foundation is the presenter of this year’s festival. “The Prince Lot Hula Festival is a vibrant testament to Prince Lot Kapuāiwa’s legacy and his unwavering dedication to preserving our traditions. We are excited to welcome the community to this year’s festival and to continue sharing the beauty of hula with the world.”
Founded in 1978, Prince Lot Hula Festival attracts over 10,000 attendees annually. It is the largest non-competitive hula festival in Hawai‘i.
Participating hālau in this year’s Prince Lot Hula Festival:
Hālau I Ka Wēkiu, Nā Pualei O Likolehua, Hālau Nā Kamalei O Līlīlehua, Hālau Hula ‘O Kaleipuaimilia, Hālau Hula Kamamolikolehua, Pua Aliʻi ʻIlima, Ka Pā Nani ‘O Lilinoe, Hālau Kilipohe Nā Lei Lehua, Hālau Hula o Kukunaokalā, Hālau Hula Ka Noʻeau, Hālau Hula Maunalei, and Ka Hale I o Kahala Hālau Hula.
For more information, visit their website.
Hawaii
What Happens After Hawaii Kids' Historic Climate Deal – Law360 UK
![What Happens After Hawaii Kids' Historic Climate Deal – Law360 UK](https://www.law360.co.uk/images/law360-stacked.png)
By J. Michael Showalter and Robert Middleton (July 16, 2024, 6:10 PM EDT) — Governments are increasingly discussing climate change, including resilience to climate impacts and how to promote the energy transition. Less common are governmental commitments to take concrete steps to address climate change issues, such as the one the state of Hawaii reached June 20 as part of a settlement in the Navahine F. v. Hawaii Department of Transportation constitutional climate case….
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Hawaii
Six of the best Hawaii holidays to book for 2024
![Six of the best Hawaii holidays to book for 2024](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/11/16/newFile-12.jpg?quality=75&width=1200&auto=webp)
The tropical gem of America’s west coast, Hawaii offers holidaymakers a chance to experience the laid-back lifestyle, diverse landscapes and dynamic environment of isolated islands. Dubbed the ‘Aloha State’, its active volcanoes, sapphire seas and towering cliffs allow for a whole host of bucket-list adventures.
Worlds away from a beach holiday in Florida’s Miami or Fort Lauderdale on the mainland, the US’s 50th state invites visitors to don a Hawaiian shirt and head to a luau. The traditional Hawaiian parties with music, lei flower garlands and lessons in hula dancing are a must-try, whether travellers stay in a five-star hotel or a seafront hostel.
The archipelago of six main paradise islands in the Pacific Ocean has ancient, rugged landscapes and black and white sandy swathes. Each presents its own version of a Hawaiian holiday, from expeditions to waterfalls to relaxing beach hotspots.
Choose one to explore in-depth, or island hop around our top holiday picks for the full Hawaii experience.
Read more on US travel:
Kauai
![Lush green vegetation blankets the ‘Garden Island’](https://static.independent.co.uk/2023/05/24/17/wpc-coast-cottage-one-bedroom-oceanfront-1900_standard.png)
Kauai, the oldest of Hawaii’s islands, has an undeniable allure. Nicknamed the “Garden Island” thanks to the thriving jungle vegetation that blankets its surface, it’s no surprise Kauai is one of the wettest places on earth. The landscape is home to rainforests packed with rapid rivers and cascading waterfalls to rappel down or take to the sky to see the sights of Waimea Canyon on a helicopter tour.
Where to stay
The serenity of Kauai Island is best enjoyed during secluded stays on its tropical coastline. Waimea Plantation Cottages feature plantation-period furniture, tropical artwork and floral accents. The homes were built in the late 1880s but are now fully equipped with self-catering kitchens and a breezy lanai patio.
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Maui
![Take the Hana Highway to explore Maui](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/11/16/iStock-139379685.jpg)
Hawaii’s “Valley Island”, Maui is aptly named for its deep rock formations and dense gardens in ‘Iao Valley State Park. Home to Haleakala, an active volcano, 30 miles of golden coast and the waters of Ohe’o Gulch’s Seven Sacred Pools, the famous Hana Highway is the ultimate road through Maui’s tropics. Avid surfers can savour the taste of a Hawaiian poke bowl before riding the huge swells of Honolua Bay – some of the best waves in the world.
Where to stay
On the popular gold sands of Napili Bay, The Mauian is a slice of paradise with ocean views, poolside barbeques and shuffleboard courts. Spacious studios with floral accents, private lanais and full kitchens are designed in 1950s-style tropical architecture for laidback dining at your leisure.
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Hawaii Island
![Big Island was once the home of Hawaiian royalty](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/11/16/iStock-1222627817.jpg)
Get a taste of small-scale Hawaiian city life on Hawaii Island, otherwise known as Big Island. The seaside town of Kailua-Kona, once home to Hawaiian royalty, is the primary western city of the Aloha State’s largest island, offering restaurants, nightlife and souvenir shops, while Hawaii Island’s Volcano National Park is known for hiking trails, dramatic vistas and two active volcanoes: Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.
Where to stay
In the thick of the Big Island’s rainforest 4,000ft above sea level, Volcano Village Lodges feature creature comforts, a fireplace and a hot tub within beamed walls. Garden waterfalls and koi ponds garnish the property, and in contrast to the active lava flow of Kīlauea just 15 minutes away, hotel itineraries promote relaxation on massage beds, lei making and hula classes.
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Oahu
![Honolulu is home to the majority of Hawaii’s cosmopolitan population](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/11/16/newFile-9.jpg)
“The Gathering Place”, Oahu is home to the state capital of Honolulu and the majority of Hawaii’s cosmopolitan population. Here, visitors will find a fusion of cultures and indigenous traditions, a dynamic food scene with culinary hotspots in Chinatown, and historical landmarks such as Pearl Harbour and the Punchbowl Crater – a cemetery for American veterans on the site of an extinct volcano. Relax and decompress on the iconic Waikiki beach with a surf lesson or embrace the nightlife in the high-rises behind the sand.
Where to stay
Embassy Suites by Hilton in Kapolei offers spacious rooms with Hawaiian-inspired décor and a palm-lined rock pool. On the menu – free daily breakfasts and a sushi restaurant fuel laid-back adventures to the North Shore and Paradise Cove Luaus, both within an hour’s drive of the hotel.
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Lanai
![Watch the sun rise over Maui from the cliffs by Sweetheart Rock](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/11/16/iStock-1135649227.jpg)
If utter seclusion, lava cliffs, pristine dive sites and pineapples are what draw you to Hawaii, Lanai’s mountain peaks and lively underwater scenery – complete with green turtles and a WWII shipwreck – is likely to fit the bill. From the Garden of the Gods’ red desertscape to the low-rise Lanai City, peace is practically promised to holidaymakers on Hawaii’s smallest inhabited island.
Where to stay
One of the island’s only hotels, direct beach access, dolphin sightings and jungle-themed interiors make this clifftop Four Seasons a special one. Add snorkelling coves, lagoon-style pools, koi ponds and a rooftop Nobu restaurant bursting with fresh seafood, and you have a glamorous slice of Hawaiian paradise.
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Molokai
![For a slow tempo Hawaii holiday visit Molokai](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/11/16/iStock-1142014156.jpg)
Hawaii’s fifth largest island, Molokai, is a landscape of cattle ranches, seacliffs and fine white sands like those on Papohaku Beach. Deemed the “Friendly Island”, this is where authentic Hawaiian culture and laidback living thrive – Molokai is known as the birthplace of hula after all. Hike the island’s Kalaupapa Peninsula for must-see views of the Kalaupapa National Historical Park, the isolated former leper colony on Molokai’s northern cliffside.
Where to stay
To escape to serenity, Hotel Moloka’i on Kamiloloa Beach is a Polynesian-style village of breezy bungalows and sea view pools on Hawaii’s only barrier reef.
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