Policy

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to uphold the original language of the emergency use authorization for Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccination, and is possible the 1-dose vaccine could resume Saturday.

A study analyzes the effects of homelessness on childbirth; some states report drops in demand for COVID-19 vaccines; researchers examine long-term risks of severe COVID-19.

According to the report, direct medical costs represented less than half ($418 billion, or 43%) of overall annual costs.

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).

New reports show additional doses of Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine manufactured in Baltimore may be contaminated; legislation extends fentanyl's regulation as a Schedule 1 drug; COVID-19 cases and deaths increase in Texas.

For Alberta and Green Shield Canada, savings are beginning to add up from switching initiatives for multiple reference biologics.

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.

With unprecedented pauses in air pollution emissions in spring 2020 and ongoing virus mitigation behaviors around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity to better understand the impact of poor air quality on human health.

To be sustainable and successful, Medicare alternative payment models (APMs) have to attract and retain high and low performers. That requires a different approach to pricing and evaluation.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the chief strategy officer for Well Being Trust, one of the authors of a recent report about how well health insurers and state Medicaid programs are covering mental health care for children and compliance with federal law. We discuss the unique challenges that youth face, the health disparities, racism, and community trauma that has been experienced in the past year, and some creative ways that organizations and communities can consider increase access to mental health supports.

During her opening plenary at the NAACOS Spring 2021 Conference, Liz Fowler, PhD, JD, deputy administrator and director of the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, highlighted how the center is taking a pause to reassess its models and what is coming next.

The study, on the quality of on-demand video telemedicine services, found that patients using telemedicine for respiratory infections were more likely to receive follow-up care, causing higher health care spending.

Changes to naming conventions and interchangeability labels are just some of the regulatory barriers standing in the way of biosimilar uptake, according to Kaiser Permanente researchers.

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 new study finds high rates of suicide among female nurses in the United States; President Joe Biden aims to undo Trump-era restrictions on abortion referrals; research indicates regular exercise may prevent severe COVID-19 outcomes.

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.

PIE, or a preapproval information exchange, is aimed at streamlining payer and health plan involvement so that it happens at the same time a drug developer submits an application to the FDA, instead of after a drug is approved, with the intent of speeding patient access to therapies.

Neglecting public health in state budgets for more than 10 years created an environment that was ill-suited to deal with the challenges of COVID-19 as well as other issues. On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with one of the authors of a recent paper that examined state funding trends from 2008 to 2018 and discuss what could be done in the future to avoid past mistakes.

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)–lowering therapies have yielded significant value to society through reduced costs for both fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular disease events. The vast majority of this value has accrued to patients.

On day 2 of this year’s Community Oncology Conference, a panel of government and health policy experts gathered to discuss the hot-button issue of political influence on cancer policy and the damage community oncology has suffered this past year.

Officials urge the Biden administration to track COVID-19 deaths among health care workers; the B.1.1.7 variant is now the dominant strain in the United States; pandemic results in steep declines in STD testing.