News

Enrollees in health insurance plans that don’t comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have begun receiving notices of cancellation, one year after getting a reprieve.

Patients who saw a physician assistant (PA) in the past year give high marks to the interaction, according to a new Harris Poll.

A surge in ER visits and hospitalization rates on the part of newly-insured Medicaid patients is a mostly temporary phenomenon created by pent-up demand, according to a report by UCLA’s Center for Health Policy Research.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the world, and the most common cancer in women. In 2013, approximately 261,000 women were diagnosed with this disease in the United States alone.1 When diagnosed in the earliest stages, such as ductal carcinoma in situ and stage 1, the 5-year survival rate is almost 100%. If diagnosed later, or if the disease progresses to advanced breast cancer, survival rapidly decreases. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer represents about 20% of cases, and before the introduction of HER2-targeting therapies, had the worst prognosis of all breast cancer subtypes.

The number of antibiotic-resistant strains continues to rise rapidly. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) point to alarming trends that are exacerbated by fewer new antibiotics coming into the market and high costs.

It is with great excitement that we unveil our network-wide redesign. Please read further to learn more about a few of our new features, and browse around to explore the new site!

It is with great excitement that we unveil our network-wide redesign. Please read further to learn more about a few of our new features, and browse around to explore the new site!

The 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) not only prevents pneumococcal illness and death, but also dramatically decreases antibiotic-resistant infections in children by as much as 62%, according to a new study presented at IDWeek 2014

The spread of the Ebola virus (EVD) continues to capture world headlines. It has also become of great concern in the United States where 3 cases have now been confirmed.

The economic impact of an Ebola pandemic could reach $32 billion by 2015, according to the World Bank, while costs to the healthcare insurance industry will depend on how quickly the disease is controlled in countries with high insurance penetration, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III).

The biosimilar candidate ABP 501 (Amgen) has proved to be successful in treating patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, according to results from an initial phase 3 study. ABP 501 met its primary end point for efficacy.

Narrow network plans will play an increasingly significant role in healthcare, but there are still some wildcards that could impact their success.

FDA has approved netupitant/palonosetron (Akynzeo, Eisai Inc.) to treat chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV).

FDA approved bortezomib (Velcade, Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company) for injection for use in previously untreated patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), making it the first treatment in the United States to be approved for previously untreated patients with MCL.

In recent months, the incidence of enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) infection has markedly increased across the United States, notably affecting young pediatric patients. Hospitalizations of children with severe respiratory illness associated with this non-polio enterovirus have concurrently risen.1,2

The lack of competition for health insurance in U.S. metropolitan markets is a cause for concern for the American Medical Association (AMA).

Some companies still trying to find their footing in the post-ACA era and are hesitant to dive into the world of private exchanges.

FDA’s approval of ledipasvir 90 mg/sofosbuvir 400 mg (Harvoni, Gilead Sciences), the first once-daily single tablet regimen for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 infection in adults, may signal that industry is at the forefront of a cure for hepatitis C, according to one industry expert.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that everybody aged 6 months and older receive an annual flu vaccine.

FDA has designated new ALS stem cell therapy from BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics as a “fast-track” product.

FDA actions in brief, fast-track designations, priority review.

FDA approved the Lutonix 035 Drug Coated Balloon (DCB) Catheter (Bard) for percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), after pre-dilatation, for the treatment of de novo or restenotic lesions up to 150 mm in length in native vascular disease of the superficial femoral or popliteal arteries with reference vessel diameters of 4 mm to 6 mm.

Industry updates in business and health management.

The rate of hospital readmissions has been declining following the the launch of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) in 2012

Confronted with the escalating costs of specialty drugs, payers and PBMs have been employing a variety of strategies in an attempt to limit their financial exposure and improve patient outcomes.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc, the national for Health Information Technology (HIT), explains that healthcare is a decade away from a national, interoperable health information technology platform.

More states, including some initial hold-out Republican states, are joining the ranks of those that have already expanded Medicaid under the ACA.

The Affordable Care Act has migrated risk for the discharge process from payers to providers, making effective discharge planning essential.

With outcomes increasingly tied to reimbursement rates, hospitals and physicians have to work together to achieve goals.

As of January 1, 2015, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid will only be awarding payments to MA plans that receive 4 stars or higher.