All News

A recent study finds that newly diagnosed cancer patients with incomes below $50,000 are less likely to participate in clinical trials than patients with higher incomes, providing more evidence that income disparities in trial participation remains a serious problem.

A panel discussion at the PMC/BIO Solutions Summit in Washington, DC, saw an exchange on widespread and appropriate education of personalized medicine among payers, providers, patients, and families.

Two Harvard Medical School professors debate the merits of the annual physical in editorials published in New England Journal of Medicine.

What we're reading October 19, 2015: Clinton campaign leads rivals in pharma donations, lawmakers in North Carolina open to provider-led organizations and managed care, big surge in Medicare spending on hepatitis C drugs.

States can use their prescription drug monitoring programs to detect abuse and misuse of controlled substances, according to a report in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Surveillance Summary.

Better support for healthcare providers to reduce stress and prevent burnout was a key point of conversation during the opening keynote at US News & World Report's third annual Hospital of Tomorrow forum in Washington, DC.

By the end of 2016, 10 million people are expected to have insurance coverage through the health insurance marketplaces and be paying their premiums, which is a small increase from the current 9.1 million individuals.

Arkansas was recently found to have an obesity rate of 35.9%, but the new plan does not call for any mandates, only incentives for schools and businesses.

Top managed care stories this week include comparing US healthcare spending and outcomes to other wealthy nations, identifying how many Americans are affected by Medicaid expansion coverage gaps, and a look at adolescents and young patients with cancer.

As the country moves from volume to value, accountable care organizations (ACOs) can play a key role during the transition from fee-for-service. How well do you know ACOs?

NCCN Evidence Blocks add affordability to Guidelines recommendations on safety, efficacy, quality, and consistency of regimens.

The 15th annual survey finds the march of managed care continues in expansion and non-expansion states alike. Enrollment went up in states that did not expand under the Affordable Care Act, though less rapidly.

The results of a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases necessitate a wake-up call for stakeholders to develop a new approach that can overcome the rapidly-growing threat of antibiotic resistance.

Not just providers of care, but payers as well have been having a hard time embracing the rapidly-evolving and dynamic field of personalized medicine, according to panel members at the recently held PMC/BIO Solutions Summit.

What we're reading, October 16, 2015: judge rules orphan drugs do not need to be sold at discount under 340B, hospitals can use resources at their disposal to overcome the "weekend effect," and AstraZeneca's diabetes combination drug fails to win FDA approval.

The analysis by Anthem Inc, has identified a need for more widespread implementation of these interventions aimed at reducing healthcare utilization.

Patients are embracing and exploring alternatives to the traditional office practice, and the expansion of retail health clinics is a big part of that. However, the American College of Physicians said these clinics are best used as a backup alternative to a primary care physician.

Significantly, GAO made no recommendations on an issue that is one of the more volatile ones in Congress. That doesn't mean there won't be efforts to rein in limits on sodium and other items that make up school lunches, since most of the complaints about a 2010 law have come from districts represented by Republicans.

The standard test for osteoporosis does not do a good job of predicting fractures in T1D.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine failed to confirm epidemiologic and preclinical data that vitamin D and calcium can reduce the risk of colorectal neoplasia.

More than $240 million has been awarded to support programs that increase access to primary healthcare in medically underserved communities, announced HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell.

A panel discussion during the 2nd PMC/BIO Solutions Summit identified barriers and discussed the path forward to improve clinical integration of precision medicine.

What we're reading, October 15, 2015: federal prosecutors subpoena Valeant Pharmaceuticals over how the company prices drugs, Atul Gawande, MD, makes the case for better coordinated care, and proposed biosimilar reimbursement sparks outrage.

Earlier this year, the legislature laid the groundwork for Medicaid expansion to occur in 2016.

Relying only on data may fail to account for the effects of smoking.

What we're reading, October 14, 2015: Jeb Bush offers a detailed proposal for his plan to replace parts of the Affordable Care Act, California places a cap on out-of-pocket costs for consumers, and people addicted to opioids can't get the treatment they need.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology has issued a statement asking for an improved evidence base for treating older adults with cancer.

Even though the US spent far more on healthcare in 2013 than other comparable high-income countries, it has the lowest life expectancy and some of the worst health outcomes, according to a study by The Commonwealth Fund.

After 2 years, those drinking red wine had improved "good" cholesterol and other benefits.

A new study, published in JAMA Oncology has identified a widespread gap in counseling services for patients who undergo BRCA testing.