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The battle for presence in health plans and on formularies between the two cholesterol-fighting drugs has been fierce.

What we're reading, December 11, 2015: CMS penalized hospitals for patient safety deficiences; MedPAC approved reducing Medicare Advantage plan reimbursement; and Kentuckians favor keeping Medicaid expansion.

Nearly 31% of Americans confirmed that they have postponed medical treatment for either themselves or a family member in 2015 because of the cost.

The latest suit is the third involving the health plan, which lets consumers pay less premium and lower out-of-pocket expenses if they use only preferred, or "Tier 1" hospitals.

Shopping around carefully for plans will be important for Medicare Part D enrollees.

What we're reading, December 10, 2015: the Affordable Care Act has signed up 1 million new enrollees; Medicare patients spend more on oral cancer drugs than food each year; and the CDC found life expectancy remains at 79 years for the third year in a row.

A small amount of fat loss from the pancreas reverses type 2 diabetes for obese patients.

Research conducted at the Yale Cancer Center has found that a procedure known as cavity shave margins could avoid unnecessary follow-up surgeries and save time and costs.

Research presented during a health outcomes session at the recently concluded annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology evaluated the influence of patients’ insurance status on clinical outcomes of CML.

GOP presidential hopeful Ben Carson has presented his plan to overhaul the Affordable Care Act and replace it with a healthcare system that uses tax-sheltered personal savings accounts and reforms Medicare and Medicaid.

The DigniCap Cooling System reduces the frequency and severity of alopecia during chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.

Besides the cost of testing, excessive testing was associated with more medication changes that might not be necessary.

The Affordable Care Act's individual mandate will reach a point when the price of a bronze plan will cost less than paying the penalty of not being insured for many Americans.

The workgroup that generated the guideline included experts in primary care, gynecology, surgical oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, and nursing, along with a cancer survivor who provided a patient perspective.

As Americans continue to struggle to afford their medical bills, and some newly insured under the Affordable Care Act find they can’t afford to use the coverage they purchased, finding the “right” health insurance plan is important.

The characteristics of the patients a hospital serves play a huge role in determining the readmission fines, according to a study.

A recent report in JAMA has identified a tipping point that reverses the advantage of cesarean delivery on reducing maternal and infant mortality.

What we're reading, December 9, 2015: the federal government recovered $200 million from state's whose health insurance exchanges faltered; drug cocktails are responsible for majority of drug overdose deaths in Massachusetts; and healthcare organizations are not confident in their ability to share patient data while protecting patient privacy.

The effort comes at a key time: CMS is moving ahead at full steam to require more use of alternate payment models in reimbursement.

Across the US, the states' rates of uninsured individuals can vary dramatically, and while all states have made gains in covering individuals, these 5 continue to have the highest uninsured rates.

A study of the prevalence and treatment of psoriasis in older Americans suggests the presence of economic and racial barriers.

The report comes near the third anniversary of the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

A new test found a noninvasive, simple way to identify which patients are at risk for kidney disease progression.

What we're reading, December 8, 2015: Cigna remains committed to participation in Obamacare exchanges; Puerto Rico demands the US fix healthcare funding disparities; and fewer Americans struggle to pay medical bills.

The appellate division rejected the more serious legal challenge to Horizon's tiered network plan, which came from 17 hospitals left out of the preferred network. The first public employees who will use OMNIA will be eligible for benefits on December 26, 2015.

A Rural Health Committee convened by the National Quality Forum recommended that rural providers should not just be included in quality care programs, they should be required to participate.

Low-carb diets high in animal based foods were more associated with a risk of type 2 diabetes than plant-based diets.

After 5 years of low growth, CMS reports that national health spending grew 5.3% in 2014, which is still slower than most years prior to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

What we're reading, December 7, 2015: Mylan is subpoenaed over pricing of generic doxycycline antibiotic products; Congressional hearing this week on drug pricing controversy; new superbug on the rise; and Obamacare penalty for being uninsured may not be enough to get people to sign up.

A new coalition of patient advocacy groups representing more than 10 million patients launched in Washington, DC, with the goal of providing better healthcare for Americans.