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Discovery of a previously unknown heart muscle protein and how it affects mechanisms related to heart failure may lead to further treatments for cardiovascular disease.

This week, the top stories in managed care included Express Scripts expressing a desire to partner with retail health clinics, a study that found oral cancer agents are being launched at much higher prices, and The American Journal of Managed Care's hepatitis C virus special issue was published online.

The matchstick-like device is placed under the skin and continuously delivers exenatide to ovecome a chief hurdle in diabetes care: poor adherence.

A new study found the increase in the use of insulin reaped dual results: the pharmacy expenses were substantially increased but the number of hypoglycemia-related emergency department visits were reduced.

Two doctors have been found guilty of falsely certifying Medicare patients were terminally ill and qualified for hospice care. However, the vast majority of the patients actually were not dying.

Six years after the adoption of the Affordable Care Act, a physicians' group says corporate interests are pushing aside the concerns of doctors and the needs of patients.

What we're reading, May 6, 2016: Both Democrats and Republicans are pushing back against the recent Medicare Part B proposal; medical overdose risk is high among people ages 45 to 64; and the Cayman Islands are releasing genetically modified mosquitoes to combat disease.

Even though prices for both drugs in Britain was less than half the list price in the United States, NICE demanded further discounts before issuing a draft guidance that the therapies were appropriate for those who cannot otherwise lower cholesterol.

Despite a high prevalence, rates of cardiac dysfunction and diastolic dysfunction are overwhelmingly unrecognized among the Latino/Hispanic population in the United States.

With reports documenting the shockingly rising use of e-cigarettes by middle and high school children, the announcement today that the FDA will extend its regulatory authority to include e-cigarettes is welcome news.

Patients with acute myeloid leukemia are extremely susceptible to infection, especially due to the prevalence of neutropenia.

Scientists have discovered a new biomarker that could predict survival outcomes, and help establish the need for aggressive treatment, in patients with head and neck cancer.

What we're reading, May 5, 2016: obtaining life-ending medications under California's new law won't be easy come June 9; Arizona is now the only state to not participate in CHIP; struggling insurers propose big premiums increases on Obamacare plans.

Smoking rates reported by insurers serving the ACA exchanges were consistently lower than findings from the CDC, suggesting that some are not being honest to avoid surcharges.

Discovery of the mechanism that connects low testosterone with diabetes could lead to better treatments for men as they age.

CDC also published a separate study that found more people in the United States now die from hepatitis C than die from HIV or any other infectious disease. The report comes as The American Journal of Managed Care publishes a special issue on policy concerns over patient access to new therapies that cure HCV.

A new study finds that more than one-third of heart failure (HF) patients do not receive recommended HF-specific medications within 30 days of diagnosis.

Safe disposal of prescription drugs is turning out to be a costly endeavor, and the pharmaceutical industry seems to want no part of it.

What we're reading, May 4, 2016: heart disease risk calculator has led to overtreatment; healthcare price transparency tool actually increased spending for those who used it; and Martin Shkreli may be facing additional charges.

A new commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine has cautioned clinicians to tone down the perceived benefits of earlier screening in colorectal cancer.

A new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute has identified the cause of the high rates of bladder cancer cases diagnosed in the New England region of the United States: arsenic in drinking water from private wells.

The method allows anti-obesity medication to reach fat tissue without causing side effects elsewhere in the body. So far, the method has been tested on mice.

Jeremy Schafer, PharmD, MBA, vice president and director of specialty solutions at Precision For Value, discussed a number of important topics regarding biosimilars, including how he expects the US will have an easier time approving biosimilars and the importance of patient education about biosimilars.

The poll found most Americans remain unaware of federal parity laws on access to mental health care, 2 years into the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

What we're reading, May 3, 2016: low-quality, low-cost hospitals received bonuses from Medicare; Brigham and Women's Hospital is publicizing its mistakes; and Tenet expects other insurers will fill the void when UnitedHealth leaves the exchanges.

Access to surgery in early-stage patients with non-small cell lung cancer is dependent upon the extent of racial segregation in the patient’s neighborhood, according to a new study in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

A survey compares healthcare access and affordability among different types of coverage for low-and moderate-income adults.

The crisis in Flint appears to have undermined public confidence in government's ability to deliver safe services, but Americans still trust state officials more than the federal government.