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.
Insured and Uninsured Alike Report Difficulty Paying Medical Bills
While the prevalence of problems paying medical bills may be greater in certain groups compared with others, almost anyone can experience difficulty paying medical bills, according to the results of a survey from Kaiser Family Foundation/New York Times.
Dr Joshua Cohen Considers the Cons of Bundled Payments
Bundled payments may be part of the future in healthcare’s move to value-based care, but this payment scheme runs into the challenge of penalizing providers for factors that are beyond their control, explained Joshua T. Cohen, PhD, research associate professor of medicine at Tufts Medical Center.
Rivaroxaban Safe and Effective in Cancer Patients With Thrombosis
Although rivaroxaban was approved by the FDA in 2012, there has remained a knowledge gap about how it works with cancer patients. A recent study found that the therapy is safe and effective when used among patients with cancer.
Most-Read AJMC Studies and Commentaries of 2015
During 2015, the most popular papers published by The American Journal of Managed Care included studies on predicting adherence, engaging members and providers in chronic care management programs, care fragmentation among chronically ill patients, and using behavioral health interventions to improve outcomes and reduce costs.
Xarelto Reduced Risk of Fatal Bleeding for Patients With Renal Disease
Patients with atrial fibrillation and renal disease who were treated with rivaroxaban (Xarelto) had less of a risk of fatal bleeding, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Session.
Treatment Patterns of Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism
Physicians are sticking with what they know when it comes to prescribing treatment for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Researchers found that the most common treatment remains parenteral anticoagulant with warfarin despite the arrival of a the new treatment option rivaroxaban.
Less Than Half of Hospitals Require Providers Receive the Flu Vaccine
Despite recommendations that all healthcare workers are vaccinated against the flu, a study from the University of Michigan found that more than half of hospitals do not require healthcare providers get the influenza vaccine.
Ben Carson's Plans to Repeal Obamacare, Enact Major Changes to Medicare, Medicaid
GOP presidential hopeful Ben Carson has presented his plan to overhaul the Affordable Care Act and replace it with a healthcare system that uses tax-sheltered personal savings accounts and reforms Medicare and Medicaid.
VBID Center Examines Choosing the Right Health Plan
As Americans continue to struggle to afford their medical bills, and some newly insured under the Affordable Care Act find they can’t afford to use the coverage they purchased, finding the “right” health insurance plan is important.