Health Care Delivery

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.

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

What we're reading, March 18, 2016: Covered California is considered removing hospitals with poor performance from the exchange; an outbreak in Wisconsin spreads to Michigan; #ZikaVirus infection in the US climbs to 450.

Health plans that manage complex populations covered by Medicaid often have to get creative in order to provide care for their consumers, explained panelists at America’s Health Insurance Plans’ National Health Policy Conference.

Dermatologists have conducted a research study that proves "smartphone microscopes" can improve the detection of skin cancer in remote areas and in developing nations, where specialists are not as easily accessible to patients.

Rather than decreasing healthcare spending, retail health clinics actually modestly increase spending by $14 per person per year.

Individuals facing end of life-whether that be for themselves, or a family member-encounter an array of challenges when attempting to decide among the end-of-life care options that are available. Health care professionals sometimes struggle with providing guidance, as well.

A new report published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology has drawn a mixed picture of oncology care in the United States-reduced mortality, increased survivors, and progress in treatment coupled with unsustainable costs and an unstable clinical setting.

Healthcare consolidation must be accompanied with integration of care in order to be successful, explained Robert Nesse, MD, the senior director of Policy and Payment Reform at Mayo Clinic.

Factors determining access to care are closely associated with hospital and emergency department visits among adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The Department of Veterans Affairs will now be able to treat all veterans who have hepatitis C instead of restricting treatment to only the sickest.

What we're reading, March 14, 2016: hospitals implement new ways to combat skyrocketing drug prices; some Affordable Care Act's health insurance co-ops could see profits in 2016; and patient anxiety decreases when hospitalists show more empathy.

According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, TAPUR provides patients access to drugs at no cost, and is designed to evaluate FDA-approved targeted agents for indications other than those on the drug’s label.

An analysis of hospital participation in plans on the Affordable Care Act exchanges found that despite increasingly narrow networks, almost all highly ranked hospitals can be found in at least 1 plan.

In spite of a surge in telehealth-related policies, telehealth claims numbers remain low, according to an analysis of private payer reimbursements to primary care providers for telehealth services from 2009 to 2013.

The Affordable Care Act and rising healthcare spending were the main topics of conversation at America’s Health Insurance Plans Health Insurance Exchanges Forum and National Health Policy Conference, which were held March 8-10 in Washington, DC.

The proposals recommend modernizing policies across the healthcare industry, including the drug discovery and development process, promoting value-driven healthcare, increasing the consumer voice, and addressing market distortions.

What we're reading, March 10, 2016: spending on drug advertisements up 60% over 4 years; lawsuit between Gilead and Merck over hepatitis C virus drugs; and Tennessee considers allowing pharmacists to prescribe contraceptives.

Despite big changes in the American healthcare system over the past 2 years, most US residents report that the healthcare they personally receive has remained about the same.

Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) have sent a letter to the FDA urging the regulatory body to find efficient ways to distribute expensive cancer drugs.

Mental health parity laws have created very little progress, almost none, in enhancing access and utilization of mental health services.

The health insurance marketplace’s application/verification process is vulnerable to fraud, found a report from the US Government Accountability Office.

There are a number of reasons why enrollment in the Affordable Care Act's health insurance plans is lower than initially estimated, according to a new report.

To discuss the challenges with the implementation of value tools, the Association of Community Cancer Centers invited a panel of experts during its 42nd annual meeting on policy, value, and quality in Washington, DC.

What we're reading, March 4, 2016: Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, 20 million people have signed up for healthcare coverage; the FDA has a backlog of 4000 drug applications waiting for approval; and Flint, Michigan, receives expanded Medicaid coverage.

Social workers represent a critical part of the multidisciplinary healthcare team, but they are not always present in medical settings.

What we're reading, March 3, 2016: additional funding for the opioid abuse bill was shot down in the Senate; Donald Trump releases his plan to replace Obamacare; and Christine Cassel, MD, discusses designing a new medical school.

What we're reading, March 2, 2016: FDA commissioner pledges stronger efforts to develop harder-to-abuse painkillers; Olympus Corp. agrees to largest settlement for violating anti-kickback laws; and the Supreme Court hears Texas abortion case with just 8 members on the bench.

Starting at the very top, with boards and management is one way that healthcare institutions can better diversify their workforce, and doing so will make health equity achievable, said Georges Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health Association.