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The findings of inadequate access to providers and outdated information were no surprise to healthcare advocates. Many of the issues are addressed in a giant proposed rule issued by CMS in late May.

Another 2 companies that are using natural language processing and artificial intelligence in their efforts on direct-to-person health coaching.

Published in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, the study found a significant improvement in the blood pressure of T2DM patients who were counseled by a pharmacist.

The consensus that drug manufacturers are at fault for high prescription prices comes even though only half the respondents said they were taking medication themselves.

Although the introduction of new specialty drugs and increased investments into personal health data security, moderating forces will keep healthcare spending growth in check in 2016, according to a report from PwC's Health Research Institute.

Scientists have identified 3 gene variants of HOXD9, which can help explain the development of ovarian cancer.

A paper published in the British Medical Journal, authored by FDA staff, compares content from FDA's complete response letter for a rejected drug, with the subsequent press release by drug developers.

Arkansas, Delaware, and Pennsylvania have all received tentative approval from HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell to set up their own state-based insurance exchanges and move their residents off the federally facilitated marketplace.

Aledade, founded by Farzard Mostashari, MD, announced on Monday that it had raised $30 million to support its mission of partnering with independent primary care physicians to create accountable care organizations and further fuel the company's growth.

The availability of dabigatran 110 mg in the US may be a favorable therapeutic option for patients at high risk of bleeding, who may be willing to accept a higher probability of stroke for a reduced risk of hemorrhage

The FDA plans to mine data submitted by patients on the site PatientsLikeMe.

A new policy emerged from the annual meeting of the American Medical Association that calls for increased access to and coverage of integrated medical and behavioral healthcare services for patients.

Robert A. Gabbay, MD, PhD, FACP, chief medical officer at Joslin Diabetes Center, moderates a discussion on the role of combination therapy in several ways, including early aggressive therapy with combination treatment and the combination of taking 2 medications in 1 tablet to encourage adherence with increased convenience and reduced copays. He is joined by S. Sethu K. Reddy, MD, MBA, FRCPC, FACP, MACE; Ravi Retnakaran, MD, MSc, FRCPC; Alexander Turchin, MD, MS; and Helen Feit, MD.

Dennis P. Scanlon, PhD, faculty member and health services researcher at Penn State University, associate editor of The American Journal of Managed Care, moderates a discussion regarding the idea of value as it pertains to the emerging treatments and approaches for diabetes care. He is joined by panelists David Brumley, MD, MBA; Edmund J. Pezalla, MD, MPH; and Michael S. Sherman, MD, MBA, MS.

Om P. Ganda, MD, director, Lipid Clinic, Joslin Diabetes Center, discusses cholesterol and lipidemia as high risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), where diabetes itself is a risk factor for CVD. Dr Ganda refutes the misconception that exposure to cholesterol complications begins for adults 40 years old or over; these complications, he points out, can begin at a very early age depending upon the individual. Individuals can face CVD in their early 20's and 30's due to the cumulative burden of cholesterol.

Howard Wolpert, MD, senior physician in adult diabetes at Joslin Diabetes Center, director of Joslin Institute for Technology Translation, and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, recognizes 3 issues with current care delivery models that with modification, can change diabetes care in this emerging digital health era. These factors, he pointed out, include: a serious lack of diabetes specialists, an unsuccessful acute-based therapeutic model that concentrates on prescriptive dose adjustment, and an unrealistic care delivery model of patient scheduled office visits. Dr Wolpert believes that care models currently in place are not effectively promoting patient engagement, self-care and self-management skills. Further, they do not adequately satisfying the needs of a patient with a chronic disease like diabetes who may require 24/7 support.

Dennis P. Scanlon, PhD, faculty member and health services researcher at Penn State University, and associate editor of The American Journal of Managed Care, leads a discussion on diabetes and patient care management that is concentrated on patient behavior, patient motivation, and ultimately, patient adherence. He is joined by Paul Ciechanowski, MD, MPH; Todd Prewitt, MD, FAAFP; Trishan Panch, MD, MPH; and Ronal Tamler, MD, PhD, MBA, CDE.

Osama Hamdy, MD, PhD, FACE, leads a discussion on how clinicians and diabetes educators can integrate clinical practices and multi-disciplinary approaches in managing patient lifestyles, and are more effective when covered by insurance. He is joined by Andrew S. Pumerantz, DO, FACP; Melinda Maryniuk, MEd, RD, CDE; Albert Tzeel, MD, MHSA, FACPE; and Edward Phillips, MD.

Frank Hu, MD, PhD, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, provides insight into the report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which spends days reviewing hundreds of thousands of scientific studies in order to develop the report that will later become the basis for policy decision making, according to Dr Hu.

A Women's Health Initiative clinical trial has found that overweight or obese postmenopausal women are at an increased risk of aggressive breast cancer.

The federal law to ensure parity in mental health services passed in 2008, but CMS is just now adopting rules for what that means for 21 million Americans in Medicaid managed care.

A study published in the Medical Journal of Australia found that a TV program questioning the link between statin use and cholesterol reduction resulted in more than 60,000 Australians reducing or discontinuing the medication.

With a growing world population and a growing proportion of elderly, more people are living in suboptimal health around the world. A third of the world's population experienced more than 5 ailments in 2013, according to a study published in The Lancet.

An analysis of the Medicaid expansion plans of 6 states that have been granted Section 1115 waivers identified both the promise and limits that have emerged through these alternative expansion approaches.

This week the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions was held in Boston with results on 2 cardiovascular outcomes trials for diabetes drugs, and FDA advisory panels voted in favor of 2 PCSK9 inhibitors.

Some hospitals in the United States are marking up costs approximately 10 times the Medicare-allowed costs. This equals a markup of more than 1000% for the same medical services.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee is drafting language that will help create an in vitro center within the FDA to define risk categories for laboratory-developed tests (LDTs), and set timelines to accelerate the approval process for LDTs.

Hospital spending rose 9.2% from the same period a year ago. Experts attribute the rise to patients who had been previously uninsured seeking care, some of it for complex conditions.

An initiative aimed at speeding the drug development process to ensure patients have faster access to innovative treatments, several provisions of the bill have received mixed reviews.

Although there are numerous companies providing natural language processing services, there are only a handful that are focusing their efforts on direct-to-person coaching. Here are 2 companies who chose to submit a review of their agents and their capabilities.