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With an increasing population of head and neck cancer survivors in the United States, the American Cancer Society identified the need to develop survivorship guidelines that can lend support to primary care clinicians and other health practitioners as they care for survivors.

What we're reading, March 23, 2016: moderate alcohol consumption may not have any health benefits; Johnson & Johnson researching the development of 2 diseases; and 2 more California hospitals received ransom demands from hackers.

The move means the nation's largest payer will invest in diabetes prevention, which has been a focus of CDC, the American Medical Association, and the American Diabetes Association.

Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia is a common adverse effect in children with cancer, yet there are less serious causes of febrile neutropenia for which extended in-hospital treatment might be unnecessary.

Smartphone personal voice assistants, such as Siri and Cortana, often fail to provide appropriate information when asked questions about mental health, rape, and domestic violence.

"Our analysis suggests that annual screens may not be warranted for patients who have had an initial negative scan, and future risk prediction and cost-effectiveness models could incorporate these data to improve screening guidelines," said the study's lead author.

The Alabama Senate seems poised to pass a budget that comes $85 million short of Governor Robert Bentley's funding request for a Medicaid agreement with CMS, which was signed a few weeks ago.

An estimated 29.1 million Americans have diabetes; most have type 2 disease. While the CDC reported in December that new cases had fallen for the first time in a generation, there are disparities in who gets the disease. It hits harder among the poor and minorities.

Growing numbers of women with breast cancer in one breast are choosing to have preventive double mastectomies despite there being little evidence that the surgery actually improves quality of life for those women.

A new study in JAMA Internal medicine has found that the concurrent use of interacting medications has increased since 2005 and that 15% of older adults are potentially at risk for a major drug-drug interaction.

What we're reading, March 22, 2016: the reduction of the uninsured rate was driven mostly by the Affordable Care Act, not economic recovery; heart disease rates dropped; and participation in meaningful use program declines.

Each year physician practices in 4 common specialties spend 785 hours per physician and more than $15.4 billion to report quality measures.

US hospitals continue to have high healthcare-associated infection rates according to a joint report by the Leapfrog Group and Castlight Health.

Analysis of data on nearly 27,000 patients with rectal cancer found distance from site of radiation therapy, along with a few other factors, could significantly impact the possibility of the patient receiving treatment.

The study from researchers at Cleveland Clinic found that during the years before full implementation of the Affordable Care Act, a shift in treatment methods for patients with a painful condition was associated with fewer amputations and deaths. But large disparities remain.

According to reports, the dispute centers on the terms of a repricing provision in the current contract.

The program will air nearly 3 years after Jolie stunned the country with news that she'd had surgery to remove both breasts after a genetic test revealed she was at very high risk for cancer.

Based on the review of additional data submitted by Janssen, an appraisal committee from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has finalized a guidance that recommends abiraterone for use in some prostate cancer patients prior to chemotherapy.

Patient behavior is perhaps the final frontier to concur in our quest of making our population healthier. But, how can we change the health behavior of nearly 200,000,000 Americans? A SXSW panel discussed some individual approaches using innovative technology.

What we're reading, March 21, 2016: government action to lower drug prices unlikely; women live longer than men but face more years of disability; and the movement to give nurses more autonomy.

In states that have not expanded Medicaid, uninsured low-income women face more difficulties in accessing recommended screenings for breast and cervical cancer.

Employers are willing to invest the money on emerging technologies aimed at improving employee wellbeing, but they face challenges with budgets and issues of confidentiality and privacy.

This week, the top managed care stories include Humana announcing executive bonuses are now partially tied to value, Veterans Affairs has expanded access of hepatitis C drugs to all veterans in the system, and CDC releases guidelines on prescribing opioids.

Panelists highlighted the flexibility allowed in a state-based marketplace, the benefits of setting one up, and paint a rosy future at America's Health Insurance Plans' Health Insurance Exchange Forum.

Twitter may have the potential to promote trial recruitment for cancer clinical trials by promoting interest and boosting enrollment in the trials.

The partnership between is expected to improve access and help overcome gaps in care for consumers.

Standard ways of assessing depression risk may not work as well among black adults as white adults, according to the results of a long-term study.

As the industry continues its move to value-based care, health plans need to build trusted relationship for the move to be successful, according to Charles Fazio, MD, MS, medical director of HealthPartners, Inc.

There has been interest in learning whether the SGLT2 inhibitor class could benefit those with type 1 diabetes who have been unable to achieve good glycemic control on insulin alone. The thought is that this class could help smooth out daily peaks and valleys in blood glucose levels.