Value-Based Care

Andrew Leitner, MD, City of Hope, highlights the essential role of supportive care in improving the quality of life of patients with cancer undergoing treatment.

Domestic and international financial challenges in maternity care highlight the need for payment reforms to reduce out-of-pocket costs and better protect pregnant women from financial strain.

The author discusses a program to prevent kidney decline and progression to dialysis by offering education, support services, and help navigating the health care system to those most at risk.

A statement about the acquisition promises that Navigating Cancer will operate independently with no differences in service regardless of a practice's status with a management service organization.

Joseph Alvarnas, MD, of City of Hope, recaps yesterday's Institute for Value-Based Medicine® (IVBM) event on value-based oncology care, emphasizing patient-centered approaches and how attendees can apply these insights in their daily practice.

The authors examine how insurer and patient out-of-pocket payments for advanced prostate cancer differ by drug and health plan type and describe the relationship between these payments and utilization.

The Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law on August 16, 2022, and the debate over its Medicare-related benefits and impact on the prescription drug market has been raging ever since.

With the advances in cancer care, focus has mostly been on lamenting the high cost of these innovations instead of making patients and populations healthier, said A. Mark Fendrick, MD, director of the Center for Value-Based Insurance Design at the University of Michigan.

As the pharmacist’s role has evolved in the last decade, they’ve become an important part of reducing costs and better managing patients, explained Scott Soefje, PharmD, MBA, BCOP, FCCP, FHOPA, assistant professor, Mayo Clinic College of Medicines and Science.

Steve Pickette, PharmD, BCPS, explains that artificial intelligence (AI)–driven formulary analysis can significantly enhance the efficiency and accuracy of drug selection processes by rapidly compiling and analyzing evidence.

Advances in technology have made active surveillance in men with prostate cancer possible and prevented treatment for men who don’t need it, said Matthew Nielsen, MD, FACS, chair, Department of Urology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

Patients on specialty medications may face many barriers that prevent them from getting on or staying on therapy, but a specialty pharmacy integrated into a health system can help address these issues, explained Ryan Nix, PharmD, MMHC, of Vanderbilt Specialty Pharmacy.

Alex Jahangir, MD, MMHC, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, discusses innovative technologies to combat burnout and improve specialty care.

Katherine Baker, MD, MMHC, of Tennessee Oncology, highlights the need for physician-payer collaboration to tackle challenges and drive innovation in specialty care.

The $2.49 billion cash purchase will give McKesson about 70% ownership of Community Oncology Revitalization Enterprise Ventures, LLC (Core Ventures).

Samyukta Mullangi, MD, MBA, of Tennessee Oncology and Thyme Care, discusses the future of specialty value-based care and how attendees can apply what they learned at the Institute for Value-Based Medicine event on August 22.

National data sets and registries are able to provide outcomes data and process measures that testify to quality of care being delivered, said Matthew Nielsen, MD, FACS, chair, Department of Urology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

The authors advocate for a consideration of 2 distinct phases of obesity management (ie, active weight loss and maintenance of weight loss) to allow substantially more people access to antiobesity medications.

The authors advocate for a strategy that reallocates the substantial workforce effort and financial resources currently devoted to low-value care to enhance access and affordability of high-value services.

Low-value service utilization is common among all older adults, and utilization of some high-value services decreases after the onset of cognitive decline.

The findings can help reduce barriers that delay the onset of recommended palliative care in advanced cancer.

Ronesh Sinha, MD, attributes the rising rates of heart disease to sedentary lifestyles, stress, and health inequities, while advocating for digital health solutions to improve preventive care.

A new program from Optum Rx would offer greater predictability by using a guarantee-based pricing model.

Kimberly Westrich, MA, chief strategy officer of the National Pharmaceutical Council, reflects on the most valuable learnings from the 2024 meeting of ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research, including lively discussions of the Inflation Reduction Act and workshops on value assessment.

In 2024, the Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit celebrated 20 years and speakers highlighted the conversations around improving access and affordability taking place at the meeting.