Mary K. Caffrey

The report found that Medicare Part B spending per beneficiary in 340B hospitals was more than twice that of hospitals outside the program. Groups such as the Community Oncology Alliance have long warned that the 340B program, while essential, has grown beyond its original intent.

Aetna's purchase of Humana would create a managed care company with $115 billion in revenues, of which 56% would be from government business. In addition, the combined company would have the largest enrollment of members on public exchanges, with 1.7 million members.

The deal combines Humana's 3.2 million Medicare enrollees with Aetna's 1.26 million Medicare enrollees, giving the new combined company a strong position as the baby boomer population ages.

This session was sponsored by Regeneron.

Concern from Congress about the potential cost of widespread use has kept telehealth from expanding in traditional Medicare. But things are starting to change as ACOs gain the ability to use telehealth, and rule changes allow its use for mental health and other services.

The authors analyzed data from 2007 to 2012 to report their findings. They say that population health efforts must go beyond screenings for chronic conditions associated with overweight and obesity and identify those at normal weight in danger of weight gain.

The discussion about managed care comes as lawmakers continue to ignore pleas to expand Medicaid to 191,000 uninsured residents in Missouri. A White House report released earlier this month made a case for expansion but was largely ignored by expansion opponents.

Concepts from the patient-centered medical home model can offer answers to giving the newly insured a place to find care outside of the emergency department setting.

The findings of inadequate access to providers and outdated information were no surprise to healthcare advocates. Many of the issues are addressed in a giant proposed rule issued by CMS in late May.

The consensus that drug manufacturers are at fault for high prescription prices comes even though only half the respondents said they were taking medication themselves.

Statins have been the mainstay of LDL cholesterol management for 20 years, but can the PCSK9 inhibitors do more for some patients?

Integrating behavioral health care into the space where care for diabetes occurs can be aided by new delivery models and by technology, panelists say.

The federal law to ensure parity in mental health services passed in 2008, but CMS is just now adopting rules for what that means for 21 million Americans in Medicaid managed care.

As accountable care organizations (ACOs) work to deliver population health, patient satisfaction, and cost savings, the need to engage patients as partners in their own healthcare has never been greater. The ACO and Emerging Healthcare Delivery Coalition convened April 30-May 1, 2015, at the historic Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, California, to explore ways to make patients the starting points of healthcare, not just its recipients.

Hospital spending rose 9.2% from the same period a year ago. Experts attribute the rise to patients who had been previously uninsured seeking care, some of it for complex conditions.

Considerations such as the potency of the drug, the practicality of the regimen, and the price go into decision-making.

A proposed soda tax failed at the ballot last fall but may be revisited. Warnings would apply to outdoor advertising in the city limits.

FDA's advisory panel voted 11-4 to give the green light to Amgen's entrant in the PCSK9 inhibitor race, but not after a lengthy discussion on who should get the drug.

Editorials that appeared during the run-up to the FDA advisory committee meetings noted the lack of long-term cardiovascular data and the need to be cautious about lowering cholesterol at any cost.

Denise L. Faustman, MD, PhD, announced the phase 2 trial during the 75th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association. The 150 patients will be studied for 5 years.

Results are the first from a cardiovascular safety trial in the GLP-1 agonist class. A commentator at the 75th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association asked whether the FDA-mandated studies are giving physicians the right information.

The long-awaited results, presented Monday at the 75th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association, are expected to strengthen sitagliptin's position against its competitors in the DPP-4 inhibitor class.

In a packed session at the 75th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association, the lead investigator told attendees how a matchstick-size device delivered exenatide, producing lower blood glucose levels.

An innovative education method asks an influential family member to take diabetes classes alongside the person with T2DM. The intervention produced positive health results for African Americans in a North Carolina study.

Patients who received canagliflozin from their health plan showed significant A1C improvement, even though the study group had poor glycemic control despite treatment with multiple therapies. The study period covered the months immediately following FDA approval.

The study found that certified diabetes educators were able to act quickly on intensifying therapy, resulting in improved A1C and cholesterol.

A study of Medicare claims suggests that policies that ask seniors to pay more out of pocket for prescriptions may lead to lower adherence and result in higher healthcare costs.

Studies presented at the 2015 American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions take different approaches on what percentage of carbohydrates should be part of a diet for persons with type 2 diabetes.

Osama Hamdy, MD, PhD, and other researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center showed that patients with obesity and diabetes who lost at least 7% of their weight the first year stood a better chance of keeping it off.

Just as diabetes care started the movement toward population management, it is leading the way to new payment models, according to speakers who appeared at a symposium to open the 75th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association.