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What we're reading, June 2, 2016: Medicaid can cover mosquito repellent to prevent the spread of the Zika virus; Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc, discusses New Orleans post-Katrina, life expectancy, and more; and teen births hit an all-time low.

Survival rates of patients with liver disease were better among those with 2 or more visits to a gastroenterologist, but access issues impede patients from receiving care.

The acquisition lets Myriad acquire the maker of EndoPredict, which just received reimbursement status from Aetna and meets ASCO guidelines for payment by Medicare contractors.

The proposal calls for 2-year and 10-year goals to gradually reduce Americans' salt intake. This strategy has been used in the past when it became clear that FDA would seek ways to limit sugar consumption.

Hospitals that serve the more vulnerable population perform worse with their readmission rate following cancer surgery, and the subsequent penalties that they face can further strain the hospital’s already burdened finances.

Historically, men and women who are currently serving or who have previously served in the United States military have limited treatment options when it comes to infertility resulting from service-related injury.

What we're reading, June 1, 2016: for the first time in a decade, the death rate in the United States has risen; UnitedHealth confirms it will leave the California insurance exchange in 2017; and just 6% of Americans do the 5 things they need to prevent disease.

During the Pharmacy Quality Alliance's Annual Meeting, 2 speakers discussed opioid abuse and how to combat the growing epidemic through the use of a prescription monitoring program.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)’s Value in Cancer Care Task Force has published an updated value framework that can help clinicians and patients assess the relative value of cancer therapies that have been compared in clinical trials.

Not everyone agrees that payers should risk losing these healthier consumers for the long haul.

Guidelines and an article in the issue take on the thorny question of how obese type 2 patients must be for surgery to be effective in improving glycemic control.

A single-patient study at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that combining ipilimumab and interleukin-21 (IL-21) in metastatic melanoma eradicated the tumors and the patient remained disease-free 5 years post treatment.

What we're reading, May 31, 2016: a federal judge ordered the Washington state Medicaid program to remove restrictions on hepatitis C virus medications; the trouble when drug prices are too low; and the World Health Organization will not consider postponing the Summer Olympics due to the Zika virus.

Hospitalizations related to opioid abuse and dependence both with and without associated serious infections significantly increased from 2002 to 2012. Inpatient charges quadrupled during this time.

A new analysis of children’s health found a disturbing national trend in prevalence of co-morbid chronic conditions among poor children with asthma, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

A substantial amount of US cancer diagnoses and deaths are preventable through lifestyle modification, according to a new study in JAMA Oncology, and the authors recommend that primary prevention remain a priority for cancer control.

A new study finds that exercise-a good mix of jogging, walking, and resistance training-can significantly help people who are addicted to methamphetamine.

Children with autism spectrum disorder who were born prior to the 2007 American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that all children be screened for autism at the 18- and 24-month well-child visits were diagnosed significantly later than they are today, a new study found.

This week in managed care, the top stories included new guidelines for treating obesity, updated guidelines for heart failure, and a study shed light on a shift in payment for opioids.

The rising costs of healthcare generally, and the high costs of childbirth in the United States, are forcing innovation in payment models for maternity care alongside the ongoing efforts in other clinical areas.

Amid rising Rates of severe maternal morbidity, 2 new studies consider how to optimize maternal care.

Recent coverage of our peer-reviewed research, in the healthcare and mainstream press.

As the most advanced accountable care organization (ACO) model, Next Generation ACO has its appeal. However, it is the riskiest model, and one ACO explains why it decided to stay with the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

New hepatitis C virus treatments may be extraordinarily effective, curing the disease in many cases, but the high cost has posed an enormous economic challenge that speakers outlined during a briefing in Washington, DC.

The patient will be the focus during the 2016 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Collective Wisdom: The Future of Patient-Centered Care and Research.

Access to care remains an issue for many US veterans, but a new initiative between the Department of Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System and MinuteClinic could expand access to care in Northern California.

What we're reading, May 27, 2016: treatment for pregnant women is often based on guesswork since few drugs are ever tested on them; a new superbug in the US is resistant to even the antibiotic of last resort; and how small physician practices can adapt to new payment models.

Bristol-Myers Squibb has challenged the recently released report by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review that evaluates the clinical and cost effectiveness of newer treatments for multiple myeloma.

The collaboration is the latest in a series of partnerships for diabetes care announced by the medical device maker.

How would the proposed Patient Choice, Affordability, Responsibility, and Empowerment Act affect enrollment, premiums, federal spending, and out-of-pocket costs now that an estimated 20 million Americans have become newly insured?