Policy

A newly released internal CDC report shows the agency's communication struggles and its challenges in combatting the virulent delta variant, acknowledges the need for universal masking, and illustrates the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing more severe illness and death in those who are inoculated.

A new CMS rule increases reimbursement for providers; coffee is linked to decreased risk of arrhythmia; the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine’s shelf life is extended.

When a New Zealand health care network switched to telehealth visits, its rheumatology patients had more health care interactions, but they had fewer changes in care and were less likely to be categorized as having active disease.

The designation means that pharmacists can switch patients to the less-expensive version of insulin without seeking approval from the clinician.

President Joe Biden requires federal workers to get vaccinated for COVID-19 or face strict safety protocols; Pfizer files federal lawsuit over reimbursing drugs through Medicare; and the CDC revises its testing guidance for fully vaccinated individuals.

Saying that in rare cases vaccinated people can spread COVID-19 due to the unique behavior of the delta variant, the CDC Tuesday recommended that vaccinated individuals revert to indoor mask wearing in hot-spot areas, including in schools this fall.

Two oncologists dive into the reasons behind physician hesitancy and unwillingness to prescribe biosimilars to patients with cancer and make suggestions on how to increase confidence in these agents.

With nearly all parts of the country seeing a steady increase in COVID-19 infection, health care and medical groups are calling for mandatory vaccinations of their staff, and on Monday, the Department of Veterans Affairs, New York City, and California also announced vaccine requirements for workers.

While polypharmacy, along with hospital length of stay and other factors, was linked to a higher risk of 30-day hospital readmission, the type of medication mattered as well.

Mississippi's attorney general asks the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v Wade; the Biden administration releases more COVID-19 funds to combat the delta variant; Missouri Supreme Court rules to expand health care access.

The federal government requires insurers to cover PrEP; Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and pharmaceutical wholesalers agree to settle opioid crisis lawsuits; NYC health care workers will be required to receive a vaccine or weekly tests for COVID-19.

Members covered by an integrated pharmacy benefit (as opposed to a pharmacy carve-out) experienced slower growth in medical spending.

With the delta variant now dominant in the United States, study results highlight the need for officials to do everything they can to increase vaccine uptake.

In this episode of Managed Care Cast, the lead author of an article in the July issue of The American Journal of Managed Care describes the latest research that looks at the power of self-insured employers to negotiate hospital prices and the relationship between employer market power and hospital prices.

Medicaid expansion was associated with a reduction in the racial disparity in timely treatment of patients with advanced cancer in the United States.

Larger primary care practices in downside risk–only payment models and capitation saw the highest telemedicine utilization rates by their patients enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans.

An advisory from the US Surgeon General classifies COVID-19 misinformation as a public health threat; the most populous county in the nation reinstates a mask mandate; debate continues around COVID-19 booster shots.

A string of controversies surrounding the approval of Biogen's Alzheimer disease drug aducanumab (Aduhelm) has not only called into question the independent nature of the FDA, but puts both providers and patients in a challenging position when it comes to deciding whether or not to prescribe or take the treatment.

The new standards come as community oncology practices await word on the future of the oncology care model, which will expire in 2022.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Charlie Wray, DO, MS, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco, outlines the findings of a paper he coauthored which assessed Americans' experiences with their insurance providers.

Medicare Advantage plans may deliver care more efficiently to food-insecure beneficiaries than traditional Medicare, but they are not better at reducing food insecurity.

PBMs keep copays higher on the same generic drugs.

Pfizer and BioNTech said they will seek approval for a booster shot of their COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, while US health authorities said a booster is not necessary. In addition, the CDC emphasized in-person learning for schools this fall in updated guidance.

President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order aimed at lowering drug prices; the FDA imposes limits on who should receive a controversial new Alzheimer disease drug; western US states prepare for a second heat wave.

New data underscore how obesity, racial disparities and recent treatment advancements have impacted cancer mortality and incidence rates.

The FDA issued a Complete Response Letter, halting Provention Bio's type 1 diabetes prevention drug.

Abstracts cover the cost of cancer-related diarrhea, 30-day readmission rates, and how perceptions of the likelihood of survival affect end-of-life care.

The proposed changes to the payment model for end stage renal disease (ESRD) would make it the first payment model under the CMS Innovation Center to directly address health equity by incentivizing increased rates of home dialysis and kidney transplants.

The measure is designed to end surprise medical billing and balance billing, taking the first step to implement the so-called No Surprises Act that passed Congress at the end of last year.

A heat wave affecting the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and parts of Canada is linked with hundreds of deaths; Arkansas sees a rise in COVID-19 cases; updates to federal funeral assistance program.