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A new report questions what metrics policy makers are using to evaluate whether or not children enrolled in Medicaid managed care organizations are receiving quality care, given the public investment these programs receive. The report, from the nonpartisan Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, said that state Medicaid agencies and CMS do not use 1 common measurement for measuring quality of care.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Center (NCCN) has released new NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology to help ensure that people living with HIV who are diagnosed with cancer receive safe and necessary treatment.

Commercially insured individuals with health plans with value-based contracts for diabetes, high cholesterol, and HIV medicines had average co-pays that were 28% lower for those prescription medications compared with people on other plans, according to a report from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

On Friday, a bipartisan group of governors unveiled a blueprint to reform the US health system in an effort to produce better health outcomes at a lower cost to governments, employers, and individuals. The plan focuses on aligning consumer and provider incentives, encouraging more competition and innovation, reforming insurance markets, expanding proven Medicaid innovations, and modernizing the state–federal relationsip.

The identification of 16 items specific to patient-reported outcomes (PROs) by the SPIRIT-PRO Extension can improve the quality and use of PRO data.

A lawsuit filed Monday by 20 red states argues that the Affordable Care Act (ACA)’s individual mandate—and the law itself—is invalid; President Donald Trump brought up the issue of mental hospitals in a meeting with governors, and the administration said it is "actively exploring" ways to help states expand inpatient mental health treatment using Medicaid funds; an EPA center that distributes grants and fellowships to test the effects of chemical exposure on adults and children will be dissolved and consolidated within the agency.

As billing and insurance-related costs continue to largely contribute to administrative costs in healthcare, electronic health records (EHRs) were proposed as a potential solution to streamline the billing process and cut costs. However, a study in JAMA has found that EHRs do not lower administrative costs.

Traditionally, objective response rate (ORR) is used as the primary end point for phase 2 trials assessing the efficacy of anticancer therapies. However, in phase 2 trials of immune checkpoint inhibitors for advanced solid cancers, progression-free survival (PFS) is recommended as a primary end point over ORR, according to a study published in JAMA Oncology.

On Friday, Novo Nordisk announced the results from PIONEER 1, a phase 3a trial featuring oral semaglutide for treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Oral semaglutide is a new glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue taken once daily as a tablet, making this investigational therapy the first oral treatment in this class.

A new policy report from the Urban Institute examining the effects of the Trump administration’s changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) finds that premiums will rise in ACA insurance plans and more people will be without insurance in certain states.

The FDA is expected to release guidance to phamarceutical companies about expanding medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to help combat substance use disorder; the National Governors Association meeting featured a number of healthcare discussions, including HHS Secretary Azar meeting with Idaho officials about their plan to sell insurance not compliant with the Affordable Care Act; the CDC has requested $350 million for a new laboratory to work on dangerous pathogens.

In the next phase of the program, researchers will dig into the data they have gathered so far to identify the best practices for reducing 30- and 90-day readmission rates.

Partners in Healing, a program where family members of hospitalized patients are invited to take part in caring for their loved ones, reduced readmission rates and enhanced the healing process for patients, according to a study published in CHEST.

A symposium at Seton Hall Law School examined the role of care coordination and transitions in helping those with substance use disorder find success in treatment. Some experts say that managed care has not supported care coodination despite evidence that it works and ultimately saves money for health systems.

Blood or marrow transplantation (BMT) can have an impact on a patient’s cognitive functioning, affecting a survivor’s ability to integrate with a group of people and return to work. In addition, BMT recipients can experience a weakened memory, a loss of attention and concentration, and difficulty learning.

Kazia Therapeutics Limited, an oncology-focused biotechnology company, announced on Friday that it has received the FDA’s Orphan Drug Designation for its investigational drug, GDC-0084, for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive form of primary brain cancer.

A study to be published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons found that a safety-net hospital in Florida could perform an esophagectomy, a highly complex operation, with fewer complications and shorter hospital stays than the national average.

Policy changes are needed to increase risk-adjustment payments for special enrollment period (SEP) enrollees. A new study in Health Affairs, the current payment-adequacy difference between full-year members and SEP enrollees has a high probability of increasing.

Recent study results showed larotrectinib was effective in patients with tropomyosin receptor kinase fusion-positive cancer, regardless of the age of the patient or the tumor type. In addition to implications for the treatment of genetic alterations across tumor types, these study results underscore the importance of molecular profiling of tumors, through which patients were identified for the studies, on ensuring precision medicine is used in practice while simultaneously providing a cost-effective tool.

A study of adults in Canada found that primary care doctors were usually able to correctly identify patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with the diagnosis being confirmed by a specialist in most cases.

This week, the top managed care stories included the Trump administration proposed extending the duration of short-term health plans; a report found that CAR T-cell therapies are worth their high price tags; the new issue of Evidence-Based Oncology® examined current issues in immunotherapy.

Last week, the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation held its 13th annual congress in Vienna, Austria. At the meeting, researchers presented new data on using biosimilar anti–tumor necrosis factor therapies in treating Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis, 2 manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease. Here are 5 things to know about the research presented.

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) showed no signs of effectiveness when compared with a placebo with an indication to relieve moderate to severe hand pain and radiographic osteoarthritis, according to a randomized trial published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Coverage of our peer-reviewed research and news reporting in the healthcare and mainstream press.

Pediatric patients from low-income neighborhoods died at rates 18% higher while hospitalized, and had higher hospital costs after cardiac surgery, compared with those from higher-income neighborhoods, according to results of a national study that the lead investigator called “shocking.” The NIH-supported study was published Friday in Pediatrics.

Broad bipartisan and multi-stakeholder support of VBID has stemmed from its applicability to a wide range of healthcare issues and its potential to reduce overall healthcare expenditures while improving health outcomes.

A study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that some states are slow to complete evaluation reports of Medicaid Section 1115 waivers; Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) is proposing a $200 million reinsurance program to cover high-cost patients; the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee will hold a hearing on bills containing enforcement-related measures aimed at the opioid crisis.

A working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research identified an association between employees who choose to participate in firm-sponsored wellness programs and lower average healthcare spending and healthy habits, like clean eating and exercise. However, employees who participate already practice heathy lifestyles and have low spending.

The FDA is warning healthcare providers about prescribing the antibiotic clarithromycin (Biaxin) to patients with heart disease because of a potential increased risk of heart problems or death that can occur years later. FDA's recommendation is based on a review of the results of a 10-year follow-up study of patients with coronary heart disease from a large clinical trial that first observed the issue.

A new study integrates traditional National Comprehensive Cancer Network prostate cancer guidelines with genetic information found in biopsied tissue to more accurately predict which men have more aggressive forms of prostate cancer.