Mary Caffrey

Nearly 3 years after UnitedHealthcare set off a firestorm among the type 1 diabetes (T1D) community by naming Medtronic its preferred supplier of insulin pumps for adults, a fresh wave of protest has erupted after the payer extended the pact to youth, starting at age 7. The change was announced in a UnitedHealthcare bulletin February 1, 2019.

Three years after results from a study in Diabetes Care revealed how flaws in CMS’ Competitive Bidding Program endangered Medicare patients who rely on supplies to test their blood glucose, the federal government has allowed contracts to expire for the dwindling number of suppliers, raising fears that the program for seniors with diabetes has reached the point of collapse.

A US District Court judge in Washington, DC, agreed with plaintiffs who argued that the HHS Secretary did not act reasonably in allowing states to create work requirements for beneficiaries to receive healthcare. Orders sending both state waivers back to HHS are expected today.

A presentation Saturday at the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, outlined several key updates for treatment in ovarian cancer based on new studies and approvals for poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors and bevacizumab.

On the last day of the 2019 National Comprehensive Cancer Network Annual Conference, a thoracic oncologist and palliative care physician shared strategies and specific phrases for guiding end-of-life discussions that have been developed, tested, and studied at the University of Wisconsin.

As more cancer survivors live longer, the challenges increase for those responsible for coordinating care among primary care providers, specialists, and oncologists. The concept of survivorship continues to evolve to include life long after cancer treatment, according to updated guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

Germline testing at diagnosis, along with tumor testing, have the potential to identify candidates for investigational poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, and updated guidelines call for their expanded use.

For SGLT2 inhibitors and a fish oil capsule, there was plenty of good news; for aspirin, not so much. A recap of the American College of Cardiology's 68th Annual Scientific Session, held March 16-18, 2019, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Guideline updates discussed Thursday at the 2019 National Comprehensive Cancer Network Annual Conference reflect recent practice-changing clinical trials involving pembrolizumab and chemotherapy.

A panel during the opening day of the 2019 National Comprehensive Cancer Network Annual Conference examined the recent process for National Coverage Determination for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and what it means for the future of innovative treatments.

If approved the oral form of semaglutide would be the first pill in the GLP-1 receptor agonist class.

The findings show that patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma who had continuous systemic treatment had average monthly emergency department costs that were $100 lower than those with interrupted treatment.

The INFINITY trial, presented at the 68th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology, tracked hypertension, brain lesions, and gait in groups of older seniors who had their systolic blood pressure managed to either 130 mm Hg or 145 mm Hg. Results showed significant differences in brain lesions between the 2 groups after 3 years.

New results presented at the American College of Cardiology's 68th Annual Scientific Session find a high-dose fish oil pill reduced the risk for first and future cardiovascular events among patients taking statins by 30%. The early results grabbed headlines last fall in part because researchers aren't entirely sure how the capsule works.

New findings show reduced hospitalizations for a wide group of patients with heart failure. For high-risk patients with reduced ejection fraction, the drug appears to cut deaths, but more studies will answer these questions.

More than a decade after an FDA mandate for cardiovascular outcomes trials, cardiologists say insights gained on how 2 new drug classes affect heart failure in diabetes should be used to prevent complications. Several sessions at the 68th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology addressed this topic.

The AUGUSTUS trial was designed to guide clinicians in treating patients with complex heart problems who are typically left out of other clinical trials. Results were presented Sunday at the 68th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology, held in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The joint guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association call on clinicians to pay more attention to social determinants of health. They were announced Sunday at the 68th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology in New Orleans, Louisiana.

A session at the 68th American College of Cardiology Scientific Session continues the ongoing debate whether a CMS reimbursement model has contributed to rising mortality in patients with heart failure.

The 68th American College of Cardiology Scientific Session and Exposition opens with a study that suggests the Apple Watch can detect atrial fibrillation with a reasonable degree of accuracy, giving people an opportunity to get in touch with their doctor before a serious event like a stroke.

In recent years, the big news on the first day of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Session and Exposition has involved a therapy—usually an expensive cholesterol drug with a name almost no one could pronounce: proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors. This year, it's tech, and an easy-to-pronounce name: Apple.

Finding a less invasive way of determing if pancreatic cysts are likely to become cancerous would be good for patients and less taxing on the healthcare system.

There is concern among stakeholder groups that references to “hospital” could mean that community practices would be unable to be reimbursed by Medicare under a proposed National Coverage Determination.

A report from the Health Care Cost Institute examined 4 years' worth of data covering 1.8 billion claims in 112 markets.

Not having enough tissue is often a problem in precision medicine. The senior author of a new study said a liquid biopsy could become a new standard.

The results come after the American Diabetes Association and the American College of Cardiology have recently issued guidelines calling for the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists for patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk.

The change comes on the heels of hearings in Congress where insulin costs were held up for scrutiny.

AstraZeneca and Merck will present full results at a future meeting; Myriad Genetics will file a supplemental application for its companion diagnostic.

Areas such as physical health showed improvement, but career and social well-being continue to weaken for Americans.

Therapeutic updates from Patient-Centered Oncology Care® 2018.