All News

A report by STAT has found that a majority of institutions conducting clinical trials fail to report their results to the website ClinicalTrials.gov.

There is, currently, an unmet need in bladder cancer, a disease expected to be responsible for 16,000 deaths in 2015.

The year 2014 was critical in the trajectory of prescription drug costs, as many therapies came off patent and health plans took steps to insulate themselves from the effects of the Affordable Care Act.

Most physicians consider telehealth a promising tool in improving patient access to primary care services, but only 15% use it in their practice.

What we're reading, December 14, 2015: public health initiatives are underfunded despite being a big return on investment; the FDA repeatedly approved the cancer drug Afinitor without proof it extended life; and a nurse may have exposed patients in a maternity wing to tuberculosis.

Patients with chronic conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, often have high-cost health needs that make choosing a health plan difficult.

Consumer demand for engagement in health information technology is a vital aspect of achieving national health goals, but multiple barriers prevent this demand from being filled.

This week in managed care, an analysis found the penalty for being uninsured will exceed the cost of insurance for most Americans in 2016, thousands met for the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield's OMNIA plan gets good news and bad news in New Jersey.

Despite recommendations that all healthcare workers are vaccinated against the flu, a study from the University of Michigan found that more than half of hospitals do not require healthcare providers get the influenza vaccine.

HIMSS is working to determine the readiness of providers to participate in the types of value-based payment models that CMS is moving toward.

Early results show that patients overwhelmingly prefer to have results of their genetic tests, even if they do not completely understand them.

Within 3 months of being granted priority review, alectinib (Alecensa) has been approved for patients with advanced ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose disease has progressed or who cannot tolerate crizotinib

Efforts to rein in costs have come with strings attached, but the surprises that patients experience have drawn the attention of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship has submitted comments to CMS, providing feedback on the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and Alternative Payment Models proposed by CMS as it transitions toward value-based reimbursement.

The Choosing Wisely campaign seeks to reduce unnecessary medical services but to date hasn’t seen much success.

Health economist Austin Frakt, PhD, of Boston University, weighs in on Ben Carson’s healthcare plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, implement personal savings accounts for all citizens, and reform Medicare and Medicaid.

The battle for presence in health plans and on formularies between the two cholesterol-fighting drugs has been fierce.

What we're reading, December 11, 2015: CMS penalized hospitals for patient safety deficiences; MedPAC approved reducing Medicare Advantage plan reimbursement; and Kentuckians favor keeping Medicaid expansion.

Nearly 31% of Americans confirmed that they have postponed medical treatment for either themselves or a family member in 2015 because of the cost.

The latest suit is the third involving the health plan, which lets consumers pay less premium and lower out-of-pocket expenses if they use only preferred, or "Tier 1" hospitals.

Shopping around carefully for plans will be important for Medicare Part D enrollees.

What we're reading, December 10, 2015: the Affordable Care Act has signed up 1 million new enrollees; Medicare patients spend more on oral cancer drugs than food each year; and the CDC found life expectancy remains at 79 years for the third year in a row.

A small amount of fat loss from the pancreas reverses type 2 diabetes for obese patients.

Research conducted at the Yale Cancer Center has found that a procedure known as cavity shave margins could avoid unnecessary follow-up surgeries and save time and costs.

Research presented during a health outcomes session at the recently concluded annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology evaluated the influence of patients’ insurance status on clinical outcomes of CML.

GOP presidential hopeful Ben Carson has presented his plan to overhaul the Affordable Care Act and replace it with a healthcare system that uses tax-sheltered personal savings accounts and reforms Medicare and Medicaid.

The DigniCap Cooling System reduces the frequency and severity of alopecia during chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.

Besides the cost of testing, excessive testing was associated with more medication changes that might not be necessary.

The Affordable Care Act's individual mandate will reach a point when the price of a bronze plan will cost less than paying the penalty of not being insured for many Americans.

The workgroup that generated the guideline included experts in primary care, gynecology, surgical oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, and nursing, along with a cancer survivor who provided a patient perspective.