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The meeting in New Orleans featured surprising clinical findings and some attention-grabbing consumer news.

Medicaid policies that require patients to undergo counseling in order to receive medications to quit smoking, in fact end up affecting the use of these medications, according to a new study.

Accountable care organizations are seeking to expand population health management capabilities through relationships with community organizations and patients, according to a new report.

This week, the top managed care news included president-elect Donald Trump outlining parts of Obamacare he would be willing to keep, lawmakers confirming they still want to pass the 21st Century Cures Act, and the FDA held a 2-day hearing on off-label use.

Earlier this month, 2 members of Congress called for the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to examine whether the major insulin manufacturers are coordinating on prices.

A survey examining nonfinancial barriers to cervical cancer screening indicated that women who were rarely or never screened were more likely to report having 1 or more chronic conditions. The study suggests that physicians include preventive services along with treatment for chronic conditions.

Sanofi Pasteur has announced that it has decided to discontinue production of the BCG vaccine, which is indicated for the treatment and prophylaxis of carcinoma in situ of the urinary bladder.

A review of our peer-reviewed research in the healthcare and mainstream press.

What we’re reading, November 18, 2016: a study links higher death rates and negative outcomes to replacing registered nurses with nursing assistants; a pilot test begins in Africa for the first malaria vaccine; and an emergency physicians' group releases a video parodying Cigna’s “TV Doctors” ad.

A study published by researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle has found that admission to the intensive care unit reduced survival and increased the cost of care among patients undergoing treatment for acute myeloid leukemia.

Federal prosecutors announced in a press conference that Gary Tanner, a former executive at Valeant Pharmaceuticals, and Andrew Davenport, former chief executive officer of Philidor Rx Services, had been charged with taking part in a multimillion-dollar fraud and kickback scheme.

Public health officials scrutinize obesity rates among young children as an indicator of how efforts to combat the epidemic are faring overall.

With the release of the MACRA final rule last month, the move toward pay-for-performance has crossed a Rubicon. No longer a theoretical concept or something to worry about in some distant future, it is something you need to plan for now

The report did not break out the number of overdose deaths, but prior information said that 2014 had the most overdose deaths on record.

A study conducted in Canada to estimate the prevalence of psychotropic and opioid medication use by older women diagnosed with breast cancer found a significant increase in use, especially during the active treatment phase.

What we're reading, November 17, 2016: more Medicare doctors are considered high-dollar prescribers; the surgeon general releases a report tackling substance abuse and misuse; and the teen birth rate hasn't dropped as much in rural counties.

Studies of the effect of diet soda on diabetes and obesity have produced mixed results.

How receptive Americans are to certain public health initiatives to improve personal and community health varies a lot depending on the beliefs they hold regarding government involvement and health.

A hospital in China has made history by injecting a patient with lung cancer with revolutionary, yet controversial, CRISPR-Cas9—edited T cells. The first patient was injected on October 28.

What we're reading, November 16, 2016: Donald Trump seems to be backing away from his hard stance on controlling drug prices; DC lawmakers pass assisted suicide law; and doctors often do not consider cost a top issue when deciding on treatments.

Amgen and Allergan have announced that they have submitted a Biologics License Application (BLA) for ABP 215, a biosimilar to bevacizumab (Avastin).

The FDA conducted a public hearing November 9-10 to discuss whether pharmaceutical companies should be allowed to promote drugs for unapproved uses. The FDA also announced that it would fund studies to investigate the responsible promotion of drugs on online platforms.

Uncertainty was the theme of the day during the 21st annual "Wall Street Comes to Washington" roundtable, hosted by the Leonard D. Schaeffer Initiative for Innovation in Health Policy.

A new study conducted at the Massachusetts General Hospital evaluated the impact of intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT), along with induction chemotherapy and chemo-radiotherapy, in patients with advanced disease, and observed hints of success.

What we’re reading, November 15, 2016: retail health clinics are not associated with decreased emergency department visits; House Speaker Paul Ryan will push for Medicare reform along with repeal of the Affordable Care Act; screening of donated blood finds just a fraction of units are contaminated with the Zika virus.

President-elect Donald Trump has ignited uncertainty about the future of healthcare in America, as he has pledged to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act when he enters the White House. In the meantime, bipartisan lawmakers hope to continue funding for the Precision Medicine Initiative and Cancer Moonshot by passing the 21st Century Cures legislation in the lame-duck Congress.

A prospective trial among breast cancer patients enrolled in The Pathways Study has found that higher levels of vitamin D can lower the risk of breast cancer morbidity and mortality.

Overall, both case management (CM) and disease management (DM) are vital to reduce healthcare costs by helping beneficiaries control their disease and prevent excessive utilization. However, there are differences in their approach.

What we’re reading, November 14, 2016: President-elect Donald Trump may keep 2 popular components of the Affordable Care Act; the Department of Veterans Affairs will introduce an online appointment scheduling app; Pfizer drops price of pneumococcal vaccine for humanitarian groups.

US hospitals must compete with retail clinics, standalone surgical centers, and walk-up medical facilities for customers, so their prices must be more transparent, accessible, and defensible.