Laura is the vice president of content for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) and all its brands, including The American Journal of Accountable Care®, Evidence-Based Oncology™, and The Center for Biosimilars®. She has been working on AJMC® since 2014 and has been with AJMC®’s parent company, MJH Life Sciences®, since 2011.
She has an MA in business and economic reporting from New York University. You can connect with Laura on LinkedIn or Twitter.
The Future of the ACA and US Healthcare Under President Donald Trump
As the Republicans retained control of both the House and the Senate and Donald J. Trump was declared the next president of the United States, it became abundantly clear that President Barack Obama’s landmark healthcare reform legislation was in grave danger.
Cost of Smoking Cessation Policies in Medicaid Worth the Investment
Medicaid programs throughout the country cover tobacco cessation therapies, but utilization of these benefits tends to be low and varies among states, according to a study published in the CDC’s Preventing Chronic Disease.
Sanders, Cummings Request Investigation of Insulin Prices for Collusion
Prices rising for the same drug across multiple pharmaceutical companies might be the result of collusion, according to a letter sent to the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission from Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, and Representative Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland.
VBID Summit: Defining and Paying for Value in Healthcare
Various stakeholders in the healthcare industry are trying to determine value in healthcare, and speakers representing the pharmaceutical industry, research, and the patient perspective discussed the topic during the VBID Summit.
VBID Summit: Addressing Underinsurance With a More Clinically Nuanced Approach
Underinsurance is a byproduct of the many changes being brought to the healthcare system, said Robert W. Dubois, MD, PhD, chief science officer and executive vice president of the National Pharmaceutical Council, during a session at the VBID Summit.
Politics and Health Policy After the Presidential Election
Working under the assumption that the outcome of the presidential race is pretty set, Avik S. A. Roy and John E. McDonough, DrPH, MPA, pondered the potential health policy changes during a Hillary Clinton presidency with a Republican-controlled Congress.
A Part of the Community: Caring for Underserved Individuals in New York City
Healthfirst's Medicare Advantage members are largely low income, and actually poorer than its Medicaid members. In order to reach these members and foster trust, Healthfirst makes itself a part of the fabric of the community.
MA Enjoyed Great Success, but Faces Greater Challenges, CMS' Cavanaugh Says
The Affordable Care Act’s changes in payment and reduction in benchmarks in Medicare Advantage raised questions about the future of the program that ended up being unfounded, said Sean Cavanaugh, deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicare at CMS, during the opening keynote at America’s Health Insurance Plans’ National Conference on Medicare, held October 24-25 in Washington, DC.
Medicare Payment Reform, ACO Participation Discussed During ACO Coalition Keynote
In the keynote speech at the ACO & Emerging Healthcare Delivery Coalition, Mark McClellan, MD, PhD, director of the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, started out by providing a broad picture of Medicare reform before narrowing it down to what is happening on the ground.
Hotspotting: Care Intervention for the Most Complex, Costly Patients
The Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers utilizes hotspotting to identify the most complex and costly patients and enrolls them in a care management program to empower them to take control of their own healthcare.
Using Medicaid to Cover Supportive Housing, Improve Health
Supportive housing targets individuals who have experienced homelessness with chronic disease, disabilities, mental health issues, or substance use disorders. And with the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, the program can help address supportive housing needs.
Hospitals Feel the Strain of Increasing Drug Prices
As the public grows increasingly outraged over the rising cost of prescription drugs, the cost of hospital inpatient drugs has been overlooked. According to a new report, inpatient drug spending increased 23.4% annually between 2013 and 2015.
Global Life Expectancy Rises, but 70% of Deaths Due to Noncommunicable Diseases
Health is improving around the world, but 7 out of 10 deaths are now due to noncommunicable diseases, like stroke, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and drug use disorders, according to a special issue of The Lancet.
Nudging People Into Healthy Behaviors
During the second day of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2016 Nexus meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, 2 speakers from Humana outlined how merging economics with psychology and sociology has helped them improve medication adherence and nudge their members into making healthier choices.
Using Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine to Improve Treatment Options
Even when following clinical guidelines, some patients will respond far better to treatment than others, and some will have worse side effects than expected. During a session at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2016 Nexus meeting, Nicole Scovis, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, and Sandra Leal, PharmD, MPH, both of SinfoniaRx in Tucson, Arizona, explained how precision medicine can be integrated into primary care practice to improve care.
Conway: Medicare Payment Has Changed Tremendously in Just a Few Years
With 6 years under his belt, Patrick Conway, MD, is the longest serving chief medical officer in CMS history. During those 6 years, he has seen alignment with private payers increasing, Conway said during a plenary session at the fall meeting of the National Association of Accountable Care Organizations.
Time to Update Legislation Regarding Distribution of Healthcare Economic Information
Legislation regarding the promotion of healthcare economic information is outdated and does not reflect the changes that have occurred since the FDA Modernization Act (FDAMA) was passed in 1997, contended speakers at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy’s 2016 Nexus, held in National Harbor, Maryland, October 3-6.
Specialty Pharmaceutical Pipeline: Increased Competition, Biosimilar Uncertainty
Perennial favorite, Aimee Tharaldson, PharmD, senior clinical consultant of emerging therapeutics at Express Scripts, opened the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2016 Nexus, October 3, 2016, in National Harbor, Maryland, with a discussion of specialty pharmaceutical drugs in the pipeline.
Best, Worst Cities for People With Disabilities Based on Health, Cost, and Lifestyle
Having a disability is not only a physical burden that can impair a person’s ability to run errands, such as going to the doctor’s office, but it is a cause of financial difficulty due to issues including unemployment and the cost of care.
5 Takeaways From the NAACOS Fall 2016 Conference
During the fall meeting of the National Association of Accountable Care Organizations (NAACOS) in Washington, DC, speakers from the government and from various ACOs across the country shared their insights into the success and opportunities of these delivery models. Here are 5 takeaways from the NAACOS fall conference.
NAACOS Plenary: Cavanaugh Calls ACO Program Results Heartening
During the plenary session on the first day of the fall meeting of the National Association of Accountable Care Organizations, CMS' Sean Cavanaugh discussed the outcomes of the Medicare ACO programs and members of 2 successful ACOs joined him on stage to provide their input.