What We're Reading: Policies Needed to Support Prisoner Health After Release
July 15th 2016What We’re Reading, July 15, 2016: What can the 7 remaining co-ops do to survive; CMS projects increased Medicare spending per enrollee by 2025; and experts call for policy changes to support the health of prisoners at high risk for HIV.
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What We're Reading: VA Failed Veterans With Brain Trauma
July 13th 2016What We’re Reading, July 13, 2016: Humira faces competition from a biosimilar; Washington, DC, campaigns to raise awareness on anti-HIV PrEP pills; and veterans may have been incorrectly diagnosed for traumatic brain injury...or not.
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Safety, Efficacy of Balugrastim to Treat Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia
July 12th 2016Researchers assessed balugrastim’s efficacy, safety, and tolerability in 4 different clinical trials and found it to be a suitable alternative to pegfilgrastim in regard to reducing the mean duration of severe neutropenia.
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What We're Reading: Greater Campaign Dollars for Lawmakers Who Opposed Part B Demo
July 11th 2016What We're Reading, July 11, 2016: US lawmakers who signed letters opposing the Medicare Part B demonstration received bigger monetary support from Big Pharma; e-cigarettes could push adolescents toward smoking cigarettes; and Hillary Clinton says she supports lowering Medicare enrollment age.
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Hypertension Medication Caused Rare Case of Severe Neutropenia in Patient
July 11th 2016In an unusual case, a patient was diagnosed with febrile neutropenia after starting benazepril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor. The treatment is rarely associated with agranulocytosis, which is defined as severe neutropenia.
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What We're Reading: Aetna to Meet With DOJ to Discuss Humana Deal
July 8th 2016What we're reading, July 8, 2016: Aetna will meet with the Department of Justice to discuss Humana purchase; Pfizer will disclose serious risk of addiction when marketing opioids; and US insurers' spending on prescription drugs nearly quadrupled from 2003 to 2014.
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What We're Reading: Lawmakers Move to Overhaul Mental Health System
July 7th 2016What we're reading, July 7, 2016: the House passed legislation to overhaul mental health care; the NFL is accused of being quick to hand out powerful painkillers; and one student outlines 5 ways to reform medical schools.
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What We're Reading: VA Healthcare Operations Still Require "Urgent Reform"
July 6th 2016What we're reading, July 6, 2016: the Department of Veterans Affairs has made progress, but still has a long way to go; court upholds 6-month delay for biosimilars; and Apple promotes organ donation with iPhone app.
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What We're Reading: Obamacare Exchange Close to Collapse in South Carolina
July 5th 2016What we're reading, July 5, 2016: South Carolina's Obamacare health insurance exchange is close to collapse; hepatitis C virus treatment restrictions are being slowly lifted; and a special feature on what foods are healthy.
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What We're Reading: DOJ Skeptical About Anthem-Cigna Merger
June 30th 2016What we're reading, June 30, 2016: concerns over Anthem-Cigna deal may mean the government moves to block the merger; why the price of childhood vaccines is actually too low; and saturated fats are not as bad as once thought.
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What We're Reading: A New Approach to Care for Super-Utilizers
June 30th 2016What we're reading, July 4, 2016: a hospital is offering free housing to get super-utilizers out of the emergency room; campaigns for patients to gain access to stem cell treatments are gaining momentum; and why hospital/physician integration and consolidation probably won't lower costs.
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What We're Reading: Should the FDA Change How Drugs Are Approved in the US?
June 30th 2016What we're reading, June 30, 2016: one doctor makes the case for the FDA moving away from a simple approval/no approval system; Massachusetts and Gilead come to an agreement over hepatitis C drug rebates; and Georgia considers Medicaid expansion.
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World Economic Forum Group Honors Omada Health for Medical Innovation
June 29th 2016The citation from the World Economic Forum allows the digital behavioral health company to participate in the annual meeting of new champions.Some will also participate in the annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
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What We're Reading: CMS Considering Changes to Medicare Part B Demonstration
June 29th 2016What we're reading, June 29, 2016: CMS is considering changes to the proposed Medicare Part B demonstration; Senate Democrats block the GOP's Zika funding bill; and a Bloomberg analysis shines light on the pricing practices of the pharmaceutical industry.
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What We're Reading: Illinois Approves Aetna-Humana Merger
June 28th 2016What we're reading, June 28, 2016: Illinois approves Aetna-Humana merger; Harvard Pilgrim Health Care reaches value-based payment agreements with Novartis and Eli Lilly; and the Supreme Court struck down key aspects of the Texas abortion law.
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What We're Reading: BCBSMN Retreating From Individual Market in 2017
June 27th 2016What we're reading, June 27, 2016: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is leaving the individual market; out-of-pocket costs for hospital visits grew 37% in 5 years; and a growing number of millennials are becoming caregivers for loved ones.
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What We're Reading: How Brexit Could Impact Drug Regulation
June 24th 2016What we're reading, June 24, 2016: Britain's decision to leave the European Union will impact drug regulation; Supreme Court decision derails California proposal to allow illegal immigrants to buy health insurance; and lawmakers look to reduce exclusivity period for biologics.
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What We're Reading: Medicare Will Become Insolvent 2 Years Sooner Than Expected
June 23rd 2016What we're reading, June 23, 2016: Medicare's fund will be insolvent 2 years earlier than estimated last year; nearly 1 in 3 Medicare beneficiaries received an opioid prescription in 2015; House Republicans' health plan calls for greater use of value-based insurance design; and the Democrats urge the Department of Justice to block Anthem-Cigna and Aetna-Humana mergers.
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What We're Reading: HHS Targets Young Adults for ACA Coverage
June 22nd 2016What we're reading, June 22, 2016: Obama administration targets young individuals for Affordable Care Act enrollment; Boeing is directly contracting with a major California health system to provide employee benefits; growing interest in the use of value-based insurance design.
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What We're Reading: Zika Vaccine Ready for Human Trial
June 21st 2016What we're reading, June 21, 2016: potential Zika virus vaccine to be tested in humans; California regulator approved the potential merger between Aetna and Humana; and 5 states will be the testing ground for a new Medicare initiative to reduce fraud.
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What We're Reading: Employers Cut Back on Wellness Programs
June 20th 2016What we're reading, June 20, 2016: employers are cutting back on wellness benefits; new apps and websites provide birth control prescriptions to women; and Novartis pledges to triple the number of biosimilar drugs on the market by 2020.
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