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CMS today released a formal guidance that outlines the federal payer’s approach to calculating budget neutrality for Medicaid section 1115 demonstration projects, “to strengthen fiscal accountability.”

The investigators in a recent study found that prior thrombotic events and leukocytosis were linked to subsequent thrombotic events in general, and prior arterial events and hyperlipidemia were linked with subsequent arterial events.

Results from a long-term observational study found that disease-modifying therapies lowered conversion rates to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) among patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

A blood test that tracks the rise and fall of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) levels can predict how patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma will respond to therapy within days of starting treatment.

As healthcare innovation accelerates, it’s important to have scientific methods and begin to move towards a more inclusive and transparent approach to measuring value—one that acknowledges diversity among patients’ characteristics, preferences, and related treatment effects.

Patients living in rural areas have fewer options for a hospital as closures continue at a rate of about 30 a year; the Trump administration is sending mixed messages about how it views pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs); thousands of veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder may be left without benefits after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) improperly handled as many as 1300 sexual trauma claims.

Health organizations reacted with dismay at the decision by the Environmental Protection Agency to reverse the Clean Power Plan, which set limits on coal-fired power plants, and replace it with one called the Affordable Clean Energy Rule, which gives more authority to states in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A regulatory impact analysis prepared for the rule indicates 1400 excess deaths created per year by the rule.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with a history of at least 1 emergency department visit or hospitalization are eligible for a new digital health initiative announced by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield for its Ohio Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, where it will cover digital sensors from Propeller Health.

Tocilizumab (TCZ) monotherapy was noninferior to TCZ and methotrexate (MTX) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) following initial treatment with tocilizumab and MTX to a low disease activity state, according to a recent study.

The first chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy was approved just a year ago, changing the face of treatment for certain types of leukemias and lymphomas but carrying with it the downsides of toxicity and cost. A year later, scientists from a major cancer center said that they’ve made headway to discovering more about the T-cell signaling patterns and that understanding more about the biological pathways could help design the next generation of CAR-T treatments.

Multimedication use and the sequela of medication-related problems are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States and have a major economic impact on our society. Managed care providers should take solace knowing that a substantial proportion of medication-related problems are predictable and, therefore, potentially avoidable.

What type of cervical cancer screening should a woman get, if any, and how often? The latest recommendation from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) said Tuesday that it depends on a woman’s age and other factors.

Using lower-cost generic drugs that are as safe and effective as the brand-name versions could have saved more than $900 million in Medicare in 2016, according to research published in JAMA.

Senator Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, wants to attach his proposal to cut funding for Planned Parenthood to a massive defense, HHS, labor, and education funding bill that is currently being debated on the Senate floor; nearly 1 in 5 jail and prison inmates regularly used heroin or opioids before being incarcerated, making jails a place for intervention, treatment, and rehabilitation; in Maine, residents who applied for health coverage under Medicaid expansion are still waiting to hear from the governor, and in Kentucky, the governor was rebuffed in his lawsuit against 16 residents who sued the state over Mediciaid work requirements.

The emergence and uptake of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has led to significant improvements in viral suppression rates over the past 2 decades.

Payment reform efforts that don't engage patients are missing out on an opportunity for greater improvements, especially in cancer, where patients face substantial cost sharing.

CMS is giving $8.6 million to 30 states and the District of Columbia to help insurance departments stabilize their health insurance markets and implement and plan for consumer protections and market reforms called for under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Benralizumab, an interleukin-5 (IL-5) antagonist used to treat severe asthma, does not weaken antibody response of influenza vaccinations, according to results of a recent study.

A coalition of diverse interest groups—payers, unions, and business groups—wrote Senate leaders Monday to express their opposition to the inclusion of “pay for” legislation regarding end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in an opioid bill passed in June by the House of Representatives.

Authors of a Health Affairs blog post cite an initiative that rates how well cities are doing in making sure their laws allow for affordable housing, which is getting more attention as a factor in population health.

Long-term exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) during childhood increases the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) death in adulthood, according to a new study.

Patients with type 2 diabetes and moderate renal impairment who took oral semaglutide in a phase 3a trial reported a larger reduction in glycated hemoglobin and more weight loss than patients taking placebo.

A Dartmouth College investigation has concluded that H. Gilbert Welch, MD, MPH, a prominent healthcare policy researcher, committed research misconduct in connection with a breast cancer paper published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2016; a Boston University endocrinologist, Michael Holick, MD, who had a crucial role in drafting national vitamin D guidelines, has benefitted from the industry in the amount of hundreds of thousands of dollars; 24 states have passed 37 bills this year to curb rising prescription drug costs as bipartisan efforts are forcing pharmaceutical companies to disclose and justify price increases.

To address the needs of individuals with complex health and social needs, providers first need to know who they are. Integrating data from multiple sectors, such as social services, education, criminal justice, and healthcare, can help providers identify individuals who are facing multisector barriers to wellness.

Despite patients with migraine being younger and having fewer indicators for predicting readmission, they had an increased risk of 30-day hospital readmission due to pain.

Pentraxin-3 is known to promote the transition of monocytes to fibrocytes, though little is known about its role in myelofibrosis.

FAIR Health recently analyzed data from its database of more than 26 billion privately billed healthcare claim records dating back to 2002. The report also identified the top 10 procedure codes for specific treatments and services associated with opioid abuse and dependence diagnoses by utilization and aggregate cost in each US Census region.

The rate of disease progression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can be associated with a poor prognosis in patients.

A recent study discovered more about the immunological mechanisms correlated with lung inflammation in some severe asthma patients, raising possibilities it may serve as a baseline for future research and drug development.

Announced today, Bristol-Myers Squibb’s nivolumab (Opdivo) has received FDA approval as the first immuno-oncology treatment for patients with metastatic small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) whose cancer has progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy and at least 1 other line of treatment.