All News

This week in managed care, Martin Shkreli, CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals was arrested on charges of fraud; new research find that drug costs continue to take up a larger share of healthcare spending; and 3 healthcare experts take a look at how to fix the 340B drug pricing program.

Several economists have proposed a way to level the financial playing field between employer and individual health insurance markets.

Social support is becoming increasingly crucial to maintain a regular exercise regimen for heart failure patients, according to a recent study.

Pembrolizumab has been approved as first-line treatment for patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

The statistics are alarming: 61% of all drug overdose deaths in 2014 are from opioid drugs or heroin, which have been called "chemical cousins."

A letter to the Branstad administration said while approval of waivers to allow managed care could be anticipated, there were still too many unresolved issues to allow a transition on January 1, 2016.

The 32-year-old was arrested on charges related to his prior work as a hedge fund manager.

Americans are more likely to be facing higher premium costs than in previous years, according to Gallup poll results.

What we're reading, December 18, 2015: HHS report finds generic drug prices rising faster than inflation; UnitedHealthcare's real-time drug approval tool; and government overcharged by private Medicare Advantage plans.

Democrats and Republicans agreeing on something having to do with the Affordable Care Act is unusual, but there is one aspect of the healthcare law that both parties feel the same about: the excise, or Cadillac, tax.

Results of an analysis of 2012 cancer incidence and survival from various cancer registries, published in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, indicates reduced incidence of overall cancer across the United States.

Eleven states already ban minors from using tanning beds, and most states have other restrictions such as requiring a parent's permission.

A new report by the Berkeley Research Group provides numbers on Medicare Part B spending by 340B entities, especially for oncology drugs.

Multiple studies have shown improved outcomes by placing pharmacists into diabetes management roles. With a chronic condition such as diabetes, which impacts 29 million Americans, that’s welcome news. As the number of people with diabetes continues to escalate, we are faced with not only a physician shortage, but a provider shortage. We need to embrace the role of healthcare professionals like pharmacists and further expand their impact through the use of digital health technologies, which encourage patient engagement and extend care.

Plans call for enrolling the first students in the of 2019, in a location in Southern California that will be named later.

All-cause mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is improved by a high level of continuity of care.

In updates from FDA, a copycat insulin is approved and final restrictions are lifted on a one-time blockbuster diabetes drug that all but disappeared from the market.

What we're reading, December 17, 2015: Congress is expected to pass a spending plan that includes 3 changes to the Affordable Care Act; a new analysis estimates 2016 premiums for marketplace plans will increase 11%; and one-third of Americans die from cardiovascular disease.

A study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology predicts financial stress on Medicare Part D beneficiaries on oral anticancer medicines, even after the expected closing of the donut hole in 2020.

Martin Shkreli, Turing CEO, was arrested on fraud related to his time as a hedge fund manager, not his recent price gouging of Daraprim.

NICE rejects promising oncology agents once again, citing high drug cost.

Without measuring diagnostic errors, it will be impossible to hold people accountable and reduce them.

The new drug application says the insulin will be faster-acting, but it does not say just how fast.

Telemedicine in mobile stroke treatment can reduce time to evaluation and thrombolysis.

What we're reading, December 16, 2015: a new study casts doubt on what experts thought they knew about healthcare costs; unprecedented interest in health insurance coverage has prompted the government to extend the deadline for full-year 2016 coverage; and a law to create multi-state health plans won't reach it's 2017 goal.

A retrospective analysis of phase 1 oncology studies that used biopsy-derived pharmacodynamic biomarkers, could not draw a correlation between subsequent drug development and biopsy sample collection.

The study used Medicare data to identify patients who took both warfarin and 1 of 2 common sulfonylureas.

The FDA, today, launched precisionFDA, a cloud-based platform that members can utilize to access and share data sets, analysis pipelines, and bioinformatics tools.

What we're reading, December 15, 2015: call centers overwhelmed by last-minute rush for health insurance enrollment; AstraZeneca exploring deal with Acerta Pharma; and despite near universal health insurance coverage in Massachusetts, patients have access issues.

The data showed strong associations between certain behavioral factors and likelihood of childhood obesity, such as late or irregular bedtimes and a mother's smoking habit during pregnancy.