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The accountable care organization, or ACO, can be a mechanism for employers to achieve healthcare savings, according to a just-published article in The American Journal of Accountable Care, the publication of The American Journal of Managed Care dedicated to healthcare reform.

Nearly $212 million in grant awards has been made available to all 50 states and the District of Columbia to support programs aimed at preventing chronic diseases, according to a recent announcement by HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell.

A study published in the British Journal of Cancer discovered a correlation between hypercalcaemia and the risk of cancer, specifically in males.

The researchers identified discrepancies across the globe in patient access to life-saving cures for cancer.

Harvoni, the sofosbuvir/ledipasvir combination, received accelerated assessment and will now be sent to the European Commission for EU-wide marketing authorization.

Having delivered antibody mimics to cancer cells in vitro, the research group at MIT that conducted the research is now working on evaluating the technique in tumors grown in mice.

Life for accountable care organizations (ACOs) in Medicare's Pioneer program appears to be as tough as that on the prairie itself: only the strongest are surviving. Yesterday, 3 more ACOs exited the program, according to numerous news reports. This morning the web site for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Pioneer program listed only 19 ACOs from the original 32 that were part of the initiative when it launched in 2012.

UnitedHealthcare is establishing new accountable care organizations with Advocate Health Care and Illinois Health Partners that will provide coordinated care for more than 65,000 Illinois residents.

Healthcare providers have shown a lack of progress regarding ICD-10 readiness compared with a year ago, while vendors are mostly prepared, according to a new WEDI survey.

A new retrospective study published in JAMA identified that tuberculosis and certain fungal infections in the lungs could hamper the efficient detection of lung cancer by FDG-PET imaging.

Managed care has an answer to what happens when previously uninsured patients suddenly gain coverage: the cost of uncompensated care falls substantially, and so do the numbers of patients showing up at hospitals and emergency rooms without insurance.

Poor interoperability across health information technology systems is preventing accountable care organizations from using the technology to improve clinical quality.

The uninsured rate among Latinos dropped sharply under the Affordable Care Act, but there were stark differences between states that have expanded Medicaid and those that have not.

A prospective study published in The Journal of Thoracic Oncology found that the average cost to screen high-risk individuals for developing lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography plus the average cost of curative intent treatment, like surgery, is lower than the average cost to treat advanced stage lung cancer, which quite rarely results in a cure.

The study warns that rising temperatures can aggravate cardiac conditions, respiratory conditions, and infections, among others.

Controversy over the value of proton beam radiation continues to harass clinicians as the therapy emerges to be extremely useful in some, but not all, cancers. Additionally, payers sometimes refuse to cover treatment costs due to lack of evidence of efficacy.

The Affordable Care Act will save hospitals a projected $5.7 billion in uncompensated care this year, according to a report released by HHS. Roughly three-quarters of those savings are coming from Medicaid expansion states.

With the aim of understanding why some patients respond better to a particular drug, NCI has launched the Exceptional Responders Initiative, to generate molecular profiles of tumors that respond well to a particular treatment.

Research published this month in the journal Cancer Research, found that increased expression of the enzyme PAD2 in young mice could lead to skin tumors that could progress to invasive squamous cell carcinoma.

Patient experience and satisfaction is becoming an increasingly important aspect of providing healthcare, and a new roadmap outlines opportunities and key strategies to include patients and families in healthcare delivery.

So far, the recent failure of a high-profile bundled payment pilot in California has not slowed enthusiasm for the concept from CMS.

The ASCO statement corroborates the need for regulation of laboratory-developed tests, which are increasingly being used to guide personalized treatment in oncology as well as other therapeutic areas.

The health insurance Marketplace will have 77 new insurers offering coverage in 2015, according to a report released by HHS. Overall, there will be a net 25% increase in the number of insurers that consumers will be able to choose from.

HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced $99 million to train new mental health providers, help teachers and others recognize mental health issues in youth and connect them to help, and increase access to mental health services for young people.

The National Institutes of Health announced disbursement of more than $10 million in research funding to researchers studying various healthcare issues. The objective of this additional funding is to avoid gender bias and seek equal representation of female subjects.

Since it appeared last week, the editorial in the September issue of The American Journal of Managed Care, "Is All ‘Skin the Game' Fair Game? The Problem With ‘Non-Preferred' Generics," has received comment in The New York Times, ProPublica, US News and World Report, and Mother Jones, among others. Commentators note that what Gerry Oster, PhD, and Co-Editor-in-Chief, A. Mark Fendrick, MD, uncovered in their brief survey of health plans is not just disturbing but possibly violates the Affordable Care Act's prohibition against discrimination based on pre-existing conditions.

Driven by a consolidation of offerings, the number of Part D prescription drug plans will decrease by 14% in 2015. While monthly premiums will decrease overall by 2%, there will be large premium variations.

Only a small proportion of industry stakeholders find any value in using the unique Health Plan Identifier within transactions, according to survey results from WEDI.

The guidelines have been published in 2 journals: Breast and Annals of Oncology.

Measuring quality in psychiatric care and using mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques for better pain management were some of the ideas of interest to managed care professionals at the 27th US Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress, which opened Saturday in Orlando, Florida.