News

Much of the drug pricing debate in the United States in recent months has centered around the soaring prices of hepatitis C medications such as Harvoni and Sovaldi (Gilead Sciences), along with Technivie and Viekira Pak (AbbVie). However, the newly approved hepatitis C drug, Zepatier (elbasvir and grazoprevir, Merck) ups the pricing competition.

PBMs, insurers use cautious approach when managing these cholesterol-lowering drugs.

FDA has approved amphetamine extended-release orally disintegrating tablet (Adzenys XR-ODT, Neos Therapeutics, Inc.) for the treatment of ADHD in patients 6 years and older.

FDA has approved Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Opdivo (nivolumab) in combination with Yervoy (ipilimumab) for the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma.

Drug price increases can prove challenging for payers. Here’s six strategies to keep in your arsenal.

Humana is using past evidence to reach patients at risk for diabetes.

How at-risk negotiations with pharmaceutical manufacturers and medication adherence programs improve both sides of the healthcare value equation: patient outcomes and costs.

Over the past year, there has been some legislative movement at the federal and state levels. The following is a short list of key bills and what they might mean for healthcare providers.

As 2016 gets underway, improvements in diabetes health management are expected to progress. Here are some of the noteworthy trends to watch.

How did the ICD-10 transition impact health systems and health plans? Here, those in the field, weigh in.

Johnson & Johnson faces $800 million racketeering lawsuit over its antibiotic, Levaquin.

Tresiba, the long-acting insulin that just came on the market in January, stands to net Novo Nordisk billions of dollars.

FDA recently approved (Halaven, Eisai), the first chemotherapy drug to demonstrate survival benefit for liposarcoma that cannot be removed by surgery or is advanced.

Rule would expand standards health plans must meet to be certified as qualified health plans

Prime Therapeutics has studied the costs and clinical events relationship among their members using a controlled substances (CS) score algorithm that identifies potential overuse/abuse of opioids/controlled substances.

Population health initiatives are driving rapid adoption of mobile remote patient monitoring solutions, according to a new report.

We want to know what you think about the top policy issues facing the industry. Please take our quick survey. You’ll be entered to win a $200 Visa gift card.

One month into 2016, it’s clear that this will be a year of massive change for the managed care industry. Here are seven predictions for some of the key issues that will emerge, intensify, or be resolved by the end of this year.

Nearly 60% of new MA plans are sponsored by providers, according to new Avalere analysis.

As technology advances, it is transforming healthcare in ways never thought possible

N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposes a budget provision that would call for capping prices on some drugs and requiring drug companies to provide information about their costs.

New technology is changing how payers, providers, and patients interact. Stay ahead of the curve by monitoring these technology changes.

When the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform met on January 26, legislators took a closer look at price hikes from companies such as Valeant Pharmaceuticals and Turing Pharmaceuticals.

A common question facing healthcare executives is how to get started with population health management. Here are steps and strategies critical to success.

Another health insurer is facing a major healthcare data breach. Here’s how cybersecurity experts are reacting.

Eli Lilly & Company finally releases a high-dose insulin pen, which will help cut down on medication errors associated with the U-100 Humulin insulin pens.

To help ensure you are doing all you can to prevent a security breach, we asked the experts to weigh in. Here they identify four of the biggest mistakes health plans are making.

In this commentary, an industry insider shares his 2016 predictions for healthcare. Do you agree?

A new study of a pediatric ACO serving approximately 300,000 Medicaid-eligible children in Ohio evaluated whether financial incentives influence physician behavior.

For decades, administrative costs for health plans have stalled. Today’s healthcare market is full of opportunities to trim the fat.