Two new studies in The American Journal of Managed Care find that state Medicaid restrictions on access to newer antipsychotic drugs save little in the short run, and may cost more later when patients fail to stay on their medication, end up in the hospital, or both.

A US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) analysis determined that a new payment formula, which would reduce Medicaid reimbursement rates for generic prescription drugs, could save Medicaid up to $1.2 billion per year. So why are pharmacists and drug manufacturers pushing back?

The 2014 Spring Managed Care Forum, held April 24-25 in Orlando, FL, will feature sessions and discussions on today’s most important topics in healthcare. The Forum includes members and executives from the American Association of Integrated Healthcare Delivery Systems (AAIHDS), the American Association of Managed Care Nurses (AAMCN), and the National Association of Managed Care Physicians (NAMCP). Check back here for continuing conference coverage, or you can sign up for our daily e-mail blasts on our registration page.

Doctors should consider expensive new hepatitis C drugs for patients with advanced liver disease, including those awaiting transplants, but ask most others to wait for drugs in development, the Department of Veterans Affairs said Wednesday.

President Obama’s health law has led to an even greater increase in health coverage than previously estimated, according to new Gallup survey data, which suggest that about 12 million previously uninsured Americans have gained coverage since last fall.

Multispecialty medical practices with non-physician providers typically perform better financially than those without physician assistants and nurse practitioners.

Pharmacists and drug manufacturers are pushing the CMS for a one-year transition period before states attempt to implement a new formula mandated under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that will significantly trim Medicaid reimbursement rates for generic drugs.