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Medicare will ease up on annual readmission penalties for safety-net hospitals; the House of Representatives has passed a bill prohibiting pharmacy gag clauses, sending the bill to President Donald Trump's desk; the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act of 2018 would reduce federal spending on prescription drugs by $3.3 billion from 2019 to 2028.

For patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) being treated with natalizumab, cognitive function improved from baseline to 1 year and improved significantly across all domains from baseline to 2 years.

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) found enough evidence that biologics provide a benefit over the usual standard of care for patients with moderate to severe asthma, the organization said in a draft evidence report released Tuesday. However, since biologics cost much more than other pharmaceutical treatments, ICER said the 5 drugs it reviewed did not meet its usual cost-effectiveness thresholds.

A recent study found that statin use reduced the risks of osteoporosis, hip fracture, and vertebral fracture in stroke patients by 30% to 40%, and a dose-effect relationship was observed between statin cumulative defined daily doses and decreased risks of osteoporosis and fractures.

Black and Latino individuals are less likely than their white peers to develop early-onset atrial fibrillation (EOAF), yet these individuals experience higher rates of stroke, heart failure, and mortality from AF than do white patients. To date, little has been known about this paradox, as most research into EOAF focuses on white patients.

Gilead Sciences will sell authorized generics of its blockbuster hepatitis C drugs Epclusa and Harvoni; the pharmaceutical industry inserted a measure into an opioid bill to reverse discounts they would be required to give next year to seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D plans; the Trump administration has terminated a contract with a fetal tissue firm after being criticized by antiabortion groups and Republican lawmakers.

Over the first 7 months of 2018, there were 96 price hikes for every price cut, an Associated Press (AP) analysis reported, although there were fewer and smaller price hikes than in years past.

CMS’ proposed rule described strong financial results from low-revenue ACOs, as well as ACOs in risk-bearing tracks, but it mostly ignored the success of small, rural providers in ACOs.

Heart failure hospitalization has been a target for accountable care organizations seeking to find ways to cut costs from the healthcare system. But it remains to be seen how many of the estimated 2 million patients would gain access to the device if it received an expanded indication and payer coverage.

Unstable housing among the HIV population is associated with decreased probability of viral suppression and adequate CD4 cell count. It also lowers the likelihood of mental health/counseling, visiting a healthcare provider, and engaging in continuity of care.

The ongoing REVEAL study, a prospective observational study of US patients with the myeloproliferative neoplasm polycythemia vera (PV), is designed to gather data on disease burden, clinical management, patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and healthcare resource utilization of this patient population.

The Department of Homeland Security is targeting immigrants who have sought assistance from food stamps, welfare, Medicaid, Medicare Part D, and housing vouchers; there is wide variation among ketamine clinics, including the screening of patients, dosages, frequency of infusions, and coordination with patients’ mental health providers; public health advocates are upset over a decision by the Trump administration to divert nearly $200 million from health programs to fund the detention of unaccompanied migrant children who crossed into the country illegally.

Full results from the cardiovascular outcomes trial for dapagliflozin (Farxiga) will be presented at the American Heart Association annual meeting in November.

With cancer costs rising and patients with cancer disproportionately facing financial toxicity, alternative payment and care delivery models are thought to help alleviate some of the cost burden. However, a review finds limited evidence available to evaluate the efficacy of alternative payment and care models in cancer care.

Older age, dyspnea, longer duration of illness, comorbidities, and use of oxygen hurt quality of life for those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Cancer-regenerating cells that arise after chemotherapy have been identified as a new type of cancerous cell that is responsible for the return of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after remission.

Despite there being effective therapies, asthma is commonly poorly controlled. Acknowledging and addressing patient treatment beliefs and perceptual barriers to adherence to asthma medication is necessary for designing adherence interventions for patients.

Hip fractures (HF) are one of the most common injuries seen in emergency departments among the elderly, but quality care measures for hip fractures are lacking. To that end, a recent report sought to identify optimal quality indicators (QI) for clinical use, but researchers found gaps that need to be addressed.

Myofascial trigger points are prevalent in both migraine and tension-type headaches. However, their role in the pathophysiology of each disorder and to what degree is unclear.

The flagship event of more than 450 Biden Cancer Community Summits convening throughout the day is focusing on sharing experiences, promoting new solutions, and bridging gaps in cancer care.

Noting a disconnect between evidence of benefit and uptake of exercise in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers offer behavioral science, specifically Social Cognitive Theory, as an approach to increasing participation.

AARP and other groups reacted strongly to reports that the pharmaceutical industry was using efforts to combat the opioid crisis to roll back an agreement to close the coverage gap in Medicare Part D.

Although many different treatments exist for basal cell carcinoma (BCC), many methods have not been compared in head-to-head randomized trials. A review recently published in Annals of Internal Medicine looked to evaluate the comparative effectiveness and safety of treatments in adults with BCC.

As the country continues to grapple with best practices for combating the high prevalence of obesity, here are 5 things to know.

A majority of US physicians have a pessimistic view about the future of medicine, believe value-based payments won't improve quality of care or reduce costs, and treat patients with social conditions that impact their health.

This week, the top managed care news included the Senate overwhelmingly voting to ban pharmacist gag clauses; a study found the current vaccine pipeline for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria may fall short; an expert noted a trend of healthcare cost data seeping into nonhealthcare companies’ earnings calls.

An artificial intelligence startup with ties to employees and board members of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is sparking dissent at the venerable institution; the American Medical Association (AMA) is opposing a change to patient privacy laws contained in a massive opioids bill; Republicans are struggling to find a healthcare message to sell to voters as the midterm elections draw near.

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

In the United States, a woman age 30 to 70 years of age has a 1 in 8 chance of dying from a noncommunicable disease (NCDs), putting the nation on par with low and middle-income countries, and setting it apart with Iceland among high-income countries, according to a report published Thursday in The Lancet.

Senators Bill Cassidy, MD, R-Louisiana; Michael Bennet, D-Colorado; Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; Tom Carper, D-Delaware; Todd Young, R-Indiana; and Clair McCaskill, D-Montana, have released the Protecting Patients from Surprise Medical Bills Act to protect patients from balanced billing for treatment and services from an out-of-network provider in an in-network facility.