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The idea for putting drug prices in TV ads was part of the blueprint, American Patients First. The pharmaceutical industry opposes the plan on First Amendment grounds.

Oral theophylline has been used as a bronchodilator to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for decades, but it has fallen out of favor due to the side effects that come with the higher doses that are required to achieve any beneficial effect. A recent study sought to determine if adding low-dose theophylline to inhaled corticosteroids for COPD would reduce the number of exacerbations.

President Donald Trump named a Maine official opposed to Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act for a position that puts her in charge of the national program; an unvaccinated child in Florida has died from the flu, becoming the first person to die from the disease this season; Kaiser Health News has created a database to track up to 10 years of pharmaceutical company contributions to any or all members of Congress.

A large meta-analysis did not find any beneficial effects to vitamin D supplementation for reducing fractures, falls, and bone mineral density, according to a recent study published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.

As CareMore Health touts success in keeping Medicaid patients out of the emergency department, a separate report shows lack of access to Medicaid keeps the poor in many states from seeking care.

Medicare Advantage (MA) plans have been improperly denying many medical claims to both patients and physicians; low-income people in states that haven't expanded Medicaid are much more likely to forgo needed medical care, citing costs, than those in other states; dozens of vulnerable House Republicans have recently signed on to bills or resolutions in support of protecting pre-existing conditions.

Myeloproliferative neoplasms have varied progression rates, and a complex genetic landscape may contribute to heterogeneity in the outcomes of patients with these diseases.

Multiple myeloma (MM) occurs 2 to 3 times more frequently in Americans of African descent than in Americans of European descent, and a new study has identified 3 gene types that account for this disparity.

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) have not had a significant impact on cancer care costs and utilization. While cancer care costs did decline from before the introduction of ACOs to after, there was no significant difference in spending decreases between ACO practices and non-ACO practices caring for patients with cancer.

The analysis of data from EMPA-REG OUTCOME arrives as the FDA weighs the future of these large trials.

A recent study looked at regimens concordant with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines for Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) in order to describe categories of nonconcordant treatments; evaluate patient- and provider-level factors associated with nonconcordance; and determine the impact of nonconcordance on mortality, Medicare spending, and rates of healthcare utilization.

The time is right for providers to rethink how patients are able to check in for their visits.

A new study identified 3 novel genetic variants associated with chronic back pain, which is a leading cause of disability worldwide.

The FDA said Friday it is asking 21 e-cigarette companies for more information about whether more than 40 products, including some flavored e-cigarette products, are being illegally marketed and are outside the agency’s current compliance policy. The move comes a month after the agency warned of a teen vaping epidemic and said it would be cracking down on the sale of the devices to kids.

Here are 5 breast cancer risk factors for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

In some instances, migraine can be treated without medicine, meaning some patients with migraine can cut down on their medication use, according to a new study that demonstrated efficacy with an inhaler that slightly changes the body’s own molecules.

The number of infants born through caesarean section (C-section) almost doubled between 2000 and 2015—from 12% to 21% of all births—according to The Lancet. The surgery is still unavailable for many women in low-income countries and regions, yet is overused in many middle- and high-income settings, said the journal, which published a series of papers on the topic Thursday.

Coverage of our peer-reviewed research and news reporting in the healthcare and mainstream press.

Practices in the US Oncology Network received an average positive payment adjustment under the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) of 1.90% for performance in 2017, and 99% of the Network’s physicians were in the top tier of performers. The maximum allowable adjustment is 2.02%. The adjustment based on a clinician’s performance in 2017 impacts the clinician's Medicare reimbursement for 2019.

This week, the top managed care news included the Department of Justice giving the green light for the CVS–Aetna merger; premiums for employer insurance plans are on the rise; and the new North American trade deal includes protections for drug makers that will hurt biosimilars.

Two of the 3 largest drug distributors are on track to exceed the levels of their congressional campaign donations from 2016; the CDC reports that a growing number of preschoolers and kindergartners are not receiving their immunizations for vaccine-preventable diseases; genetic information posted online can be used to identify relatives who never participated in the DNA testing or agreed to share their personal information.

Today, HHS announced that approximately $2.34 billion in Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grants were awarded to cities, counties, states, and local community-based organizations during fiscal year 2018.

Insurers have inconsistent policy terms for nondrug treatments for low back pain while providing limited or no coverage for treatments that have scientific support, such as acupuncture and psychological counseling, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

CMS said Thursday that the average 2019 premium charged for the silver level of health insurance in the exchanges set up by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) dropped slightly for the first time since 2014, and Seema Verma, who heads CMS, credited the actions of the Trump administration for the lower premiums.

The first drug specifically to treat patients with Mycobacterium avium complex, a rare and chronic lung disease, has been approved by the FDA. Arikayce is also the first drug to be approved under the Limited Population Pathway for Antibacterial and Antifungal Drugs, established under the 21st Century Cures Act.

Although patients have the right of access to their protected health information, actual access remains limited. A new study, published in JAMA Network Open, has found that the processing of requesting medical records remains burdensome despite policy efforts.

A retrospective study by Houtchens et al on annual pregnancy rates from 2006 to 2014 reveals that US women with multiple sclerosis (MS) had increased pregnancy rates as compared to women without MS.

Senate Democrats were 1 vote short of overturning the Trump administration's expansion of short-term health plans; Celltrion’s CT-P10, a biosimilar to cancer drug Rituxan, received the unanimous support of an FDA advisory panel; Centene will enter 4 new states—North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Tennessee—and expand offerings in 10 markets in 2019.

Tisagenlecleucel's high price is aligned with the benefit the chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy provides over a patient's life. Approximately 40% of patients treated are expected to be long-term survivors.

Abnormal concentrations of inflammatory markers detected in children with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) support the theory that children with ALL are born with dysregulated immune function.