Health System

Soft tissue and bone infections, urinary tract infections, stroke, and electrolyte disorder top the reasons why patients with diabetes are admitted to the hospital at greater frequency and cost compared with patients without the disease, according to a new study.

William Shrank, MD, MSHS, the chief medical officer of Humana, discusses how the company is trying to overcome any vaccine hesitancy both in its workforce and in its insured member population.

In this analysis of the National Readmissions Database, the authors investigated the association between interhospital fragmentation of care, reason for readmission, and patient outcomes.

A survey by West Health and Gallup found that Black workers and those making less than $48,000 in the United States were more likely to stay in unwanted jobs out of fear of losing their health benefits.

Factors related to pulmonary and physical activity could serve as predictors for how long patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can tolerate during an endurance walk test, potentially leading to more accurate analyses on the effectiveness of interventions.

In a minority-predominant patient population, a standardized pathway for total knee arthroplasty was associated with improved outcomes with no change in postoperative complication rates.

Courtney Blair, MD, discusses how COVID-19 has impacted patients with allergies and other respiratory conditions.

Ensuring that employees have the assistance and tools necessary to meet telehealth and behavioral health demands is vital to promote safety and health amid the pandemic, along with lowering or eliminating out-of-pocket costs that can steer people away from cancer screenings, therapies, or aspects of high-value care.

The current treatment landscape of polycycthemia vera (PV) hinges on treatments like hydroxyurea and ruxolitinib, the latter having emerged as an effective second-line therapy in patients with severe pruritis, symptomatic splenomegaly, or post-PV myelofibrosis symptoms.

An analysis by the Integrated Benefits Institute estimates that the total cost of lost time from work due to the COVID-19 pandemic could reach $50.5 billion, marking a 117% increase from prior projections.

The summit will address priority patient inputs for comparative effectiveness research and health technology assessments.

Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week, and you can now listen to it on our podcast, Managed Care Cast.

Investigators explored common challenges cited by hospital staff as barriers to implementation and adherence with national guidelines for managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

At a session at the National Association of Managed Care Physicians Virtual Spring Managed Care Forum, an Aetna executive discussed how one employer used the payer's data to see how its workforce was affected by social determinants of health (SDOH).

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, independent community practices were integral in helping patients access chemotherapy and other critical treatments, participate in clinical trials, and screen for serious diseases. However, the pandemic also presented significant challenges to them, their operations, and their patients.

Microsoft's acquisition of Nuance reflects health care trends of an economy emerging from COVID-19, according to a speaker at the National Association of Managed Care Physicians Virtual Spring Managed Care Forum.

How well, and how in-depth, all parties execute each step can determine how long it will take to reach a finalized agreement, what the relationship will be like after the transaction, and whether the parties will be in legal compliance, speakers noted.

All US adults are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccines; Biden administration considering policy to reduce the nicotine in all US-sold cigarettes to nonaddictive or minimally addictive levels; vaccines may ease lingering symptoms of COVID-19.

Half of US adults have been administered 1 COVID-19 vaccine dose; researchers identify cause of clotting events associated with AstraZeneca vaccine; Anthony Fauci, MD, the chief medical advisor to the president, says he believes a decision on whether to resume the J&J vaccine will come by Friday.

Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week, and you can now listen to it on our podcast, Managed Care Cast.

A changing climate affects every organ system of the body, individual patients, and population-based health, noted Misha Rosenbach, MD, associate professor of dermatology and internal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Algorithms similar to those used by Amazon and Netflix may help to unravel the biological language of cancer, Parkinson disease, and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Given that some patients may need to travel out of state to access CAR T sites of care, some may not have a clear understanding of their insurance benefits, including requirements for out-of-state or out-of-network treatment, as well as adequate assistance with the costs of medical-related travel.

With President Joe Biden marking his 100th day in office at the end of the month, a health policy strategist sat down for a conversation to discuss the new administration’s achievements and challenges.

Study quantifies risk of blood clots in patients with COVID-19; Biden administration aims to reverse restrictions on fetal tissue research; Michigan hospitals struggle to care for COVID-19 cases.

A poster at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2021 meeting examined the impact of high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) on access to health care and resource use in the United States and the interaction of race, ethnicity, and income.

The pandemic reduced visits to specialists last year, which in turn reduced the volume of prescriptions, according to a presentation at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2021 meeting.

New research presented at AMCP 2021, the annual meeting of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, evaluated treatment patterns and costs related to hospitalization for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) declined to change the current recommendation to pause administration of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine.

Compared with when Medicare Part D launched, therapies today are more expensive. A panel at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2021 meeting discussed how the benefit needs to adapt to keep up with the future.