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.
Study Analyzes Truth of IDN Claims of High-Quality, Low-Cost Care
Despite large claims that integrated delivery networks (IDNs) delivery higher quality care more efficiently and cost-effectively, a study of the nation's 15 largest IDNs provided scant evidence to back them up, according to a new report.
Proposed Medicare Advantage Cuts Will Disrupt Care for Beneficiaries
Proposed payment cuts to Medicare Advantage (MA) could cause many beneficiaries to lose access to MA plans and cause great disruption to the market, according to a new report by Oliver Wyman for America's Health Insurance Plans.
Increased Health Coverage Will Not Overly Burden US Healthcare Delivery System
Despite concerns that increasing healthcare coverage for Americans through the Affordable Care Act would lead to substantial strain on the US healthcare delivery system, The Commonwealth Fund found that increases will only modestly increase the demand for healthcare services.
California Makes Strides in Mental Health, Slams Kaiser for Failures
While California has made great strides to improve mental health prevention and early intervention, the state's Department of Managed Health Care found causes for concern regarding Kaiser Permanente's behavioral health services.
UCLA Health System President Stepping Down for Geisinger Position
The president of the UCLA Health System, which is still contending with the outbreak of a superbug that infected 7 patients and killed 2, is stepping down from his position for a new appointment as president and chief executive officer of Geisinger Health System.
EHR Use Sharply Increased in Emergency Departments
With the availability of government incentives, electronic health record use among hospital emergency departments and outpatient departments increased sharply from 2006 to 2011, according to a new analysis from the National Center on Health Statistics.
Physicians May Be Underestimating Patients' Nonadherence
While physicians recognize medication adherence is an extremely important factor in clinical outcomes for patients with chronic conditions, respondents in a new survey seemed to overestimate the medication adherence and persistence of their own patients.
Super Utilizers Cost Pennsylvania Medicare, Medicaid $761 Million
Hospital super utilizers in Pennsylvania account for $761 million of the state's Medicare and Medicaid expenditures for inpatient stays, according to a new report from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council.
FDA Expands Indication for Revlimid in Multiple Myeloma
The combination of Revlimid with dexamethasone, previously approved for treatment in patients with multiple myeloma who received at least 1 prior treatment, has received FDA approval for use in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients.
Cancer Patients Rarely Request Inappropriate Tests, Treatments
A new study debunks the common assumption that high medical costs are a result of patients demanding more tests and treatments. Researchers analyzed more than 5000 patient-clinician visits and found that cancer patients rarely push for medical interventions.
Marketplaces Can Improve on Aiding Informed Decision Making
Although this year's enrollment period has gone far smoother compared to the first year, there is much room for improvement particularly when it comes to helping consumers make informed decisions, according to a report commissioned by the National Partnership for Women & Families.
Study Reveals Higher Cost Emergency Care Yields Better Outcomes
Despite studies suggesting higher spending levels do not necessarily produce better health outcomes, a new paper to be published in the Journal of Political Economy found the opposite to be true with regard to emergency care.