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What we're reading, November 11, 2015: annual flu shots may reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine; Democrats call for changes to the so-called Cadillac tax; and Millennium Health files for chapter 11 bankruptcy.

A new study finds that off-label drug use is associated with higher rates of adverse drug events in adults.

Success in marketplace enrollment under the Affordable Care Act has varied widely during the open enrollment periods, although some similar factors contributed to high enrollment rates in these 5 states.

New results don't automatically change guidelines for systolic blood pressure, as an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine notes.

The study by the well-known health system could not even test some children because they were too large for the MRI machine.

The approval comes after a priority review of the combination that blocks activity of 2 MAPK proteins: BRAF and MEK.

Enrollment in Medigap plans has continued to increase among senior citizens for the fifth year in a row, according to a new report from America's Health Insurance Plans.

Published in JAMA Oncology, the trial found an association between loss of heterozygosity and cancer-free survival in patients who had been diagnosed with oral premalignant lesions.

What we're reading, November 10, 2015: half of California's illegal immigrants would be eligible for Medi-Cal if it was expanded; women are less likely to receive optimal care after a heart attack, which accounts for survival gap; and Hawaii's residents face long wait times to sign up for health coverage on HealthCare.gov.

Oral contraception, the most widely used contraceptive method in the US, is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular side effects. Despite increased awareness of this risk over the years, the use of oral contraceptives among women with conditions that place them at high risk for cardiovascular effects is still common.

Getting people to take better care of themselves has been a focus of the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

Heterogeneity in quality of care and cancer patient survival based on insurance coverage are the highlight of a report by researchers at the Institute for Population Health Improvement at the University of California Davis.

Using information in a patient's electronic medical record during outpatient visits for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can lead to better outcomes, according to a study in Respiratory Medicine.

Americans with veterans or military health, Medicare, and Medicaid have a higher satisfaction with the way the healthcare system works for them. People on plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act exchanges are the least satisfied of insured groups.

Despite a recommendation by the American Diabetes Association, many patients in the California public mental healthcare system who have severe mental illness and are taking antipsychotic medications were not being screened annually.

Treatment of a recurrent brain tumor harboring a BRAF mutation with an inhibitor approved for melanoma resulted in dramatic tumor shrinkage.

What we're reading, November 9, 2015: Americans worry patient-centered care is a gimmick; insurers raise new concerns over the increasing prices for generic drugs; and President Obama challenges 20 cities to sign up the most uninsured on the exchanges.

Interoperability is becoming the most sought-after in healthcare, but needs further standardization.

The venture will select a project leader in early 2016. AHA said this is the largest single research investment in its history.

Eating out has consequences beyond your wallet, according to research from Harvard.

Democratizing the complex field of cancer care is not easy. We are providing patients with key information that their own cancer is unique and needs to be treated as such, but there is a great deal of work to be done in putting that knowledge to work.

This week in managed care Kentucky elected a new governor who could bring big changes to the state's Medicaid program, researchers reported that costs of dementia in the last 5 years of life surpass even cancer, and the latest Hospital Safety Score report was released.

Findings being presented in San Francisco show which patients may be able to stop anti-TNF therapy, and which ones will do well with conventional drugs as second-line treatment.

While care models are being designed to improve outcomes and reduce costs for complex needs patients, there is only modest evidence of their impact and there are a number of barriers to wider adoption of these care models in practice.

The FDA's meta-analyses, following results of the DAPT trial in 2014, have found no association between treatment with the blood thinner clopidogrel (Plavix) and increased incidence of, or death due to, cancer.

The Supreme Court has decided to hear a challenge from religious nonprofits who say the Affordable Care Act's requirement to provide birth control violates their religious beliefs.

Our homes should be sanctuaries-places of refuge and safety-but sadly, fraud is alive and thriving in home healthcare, endangering one of our most fragile and vulnerable patient populations: the homebound and often bed-bound. Defenseless people who may be totally alone, without family or friends.

An obscure notice on CMS' website outlines a proposed revised formula that would take effect in 2017.

From CMS to private health plans, professional healthcare organizations to patients and advocacy groups, the discussion nowadays seems to end up with value.

What we're reading, November 6, 2015: Americans want more aggressive measures to keep healthcare costs in check; the uninsured rate fell to 9% in the first half of 2015; and the federal government warns against restricting access to pricey hepatitis C drugs.