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A review of some of the presentations at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2017 Annual Meeting, in San Diego, California, where the discussions ranged from clinical progress witnessed in 2017 for the treatment of inflammatory conditions to reimbursement models in the rheumatology space.

While consumers must buy coverage or face penalties under the individual mandate for now, there is speculation that a Trump tax plan could remove this feature of the Affordable Care Act.

A campaign to cut low-value clinical services has identified the top 5 based on cost, harm, and prevalence that can be targeted for reduction.

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

This week, the top managed care stories included a vote in Maine to expand Medicaid and other election day 2017 results; CMS issued final rules for the DIabetes Prevention Program; and a report from the American Society of Clinical Oncology highlighted the link between alcohol consumption and cancer.

A battle between hospitals and pharmaceutical companies is brewing over the 340B program; Uber and other companies relying on independent contractors lead the push to get people to enroll in Obamacare plans; the government intends to crack down harder on fentanyl-related substances.

For almost all adults who come into contact with Staphylococcus aureaus, the bacteria is harmless; but for a handful of people it is the cause of a debilitating, itchy red skin rash. Researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine set out to learn more about this bacteria.

A recent report from Price Waterhouse Cooper’s Health Research Institute says that, while electronic health records have become ubiquitous in recent years, the systems still have significant room for improvement.

While it is known that febrile neutropenia is the most common reason for pediatric patients with cancer visiting the emergency department (ED), little had been known about the most common reasons for adult patients with cancer ending up in the ED.

Catalyst for Payment Reform is leading a movement for employers and other healthcare purchasers to push for greater transparency into their health plans’ ACO arrangements.

Some Republicans are interested in attaching a repeal of the individual mandate to a tax bill, and interest from members of Congress on the impact of such a move prompted the Congressional Budget Office to publish a revised estimate of what would happen.

President Donald Trump is expected to name an ex-Eli Lilly executive as his pick for HHS secretary; Connecticut's new budget will cut Medicaid eligibility; Nebraska lawmaker seeks a Medicaid expansion ballot vote.

A new study has shown that long-term oxygen therapy in patients with severe alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency can improve survival; however, their outcomes do not improve following lung-transplantation.

After the Maine Legislature passed legislation to expand Medicaid on 5 separate occasions and each time the bill was vetoed by the governor, the state's voters took the issue into their own hands this election day.

A specific mutation has been linked with acquired resistance in immunotherapy drugs used to treat non–small lung cancer (NSCLC).

Ohio voters reject measure that capped prices for drugs bought by the state; Senate Republicans consider keeping medical expense deduction in their tax bill; and the flu vaccine's effectiveness can be undermined by the process by which it is grown.

Studies presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts, and published this week examine the links between early exposures and response from the immune system later in life.

Mind-body practices have increased in popularity,but the challenge of variation between teachers and classes has been a barrier to payer reimbursement.

Roche had 2 drugs approved by the FDA—one that is the first approved treatment for a rare blood disease and the other is approved as a first-line treatment for anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive metastatic non–small cell lung cancer.

According to evidence gathered by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), alcohol consumption is linked with an increased risk of cancer and can negatively impact cancer treatment.

As the idea of accountable care gains traction worldwide, there are challenges participating physicians and organizations face. An article in Health Affairs introduced a comprehensive framework for implementing the healthcare model and provided 3 approaches for implementing accountable care utilized by 3 different countries.

First day Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollment surpassed numbers from last year; CVS will offer next-day and same-day prescription delivery in 2018; and voter confusion surrounds Ohio's drug-pricing ballot measure.

During open enrollment, some families will weigh the option of enrolling under more than 1 health plan. There are many issues to consider, and the right solution depends on the details of the plans.

Rising rates of diabetes and obesity have been cited in the fact that pancreatic cancer is expected to be the second-leading cause of cancer death by 2020.

The authors, both members of the Digestive Health Physicians Association, write about efforts in their home state and at the federal level to reform payer restrictions.

Research into GSK-3 inhibition in cells may have implications for leukemia treatment.

With the ACA putting emphasis on preventive care, there has been an immediate increase in breast and coloreactal cancer screenings. A recent study found that incidence rates of early-stage breast and colorectal cancer increased in 2014, but did not vary for late-stage breast and colorectal cancer.

The report from PwC states that people who met criteria for traditional Medicaid enrolled in larger numbers after the ACA, apparently with help from navigators.

CDC released a report showing a more than 17% increase in drug overdose deaths last year; Gail K. Boudreaux will step in as new Anthem CEO; and the first glucose-monitoring system that doesn’t require a blood sample will hopefully be introduced by the end of 2018.