AJMC Staff

Florida Cancer Specialists will pay $100 million as a criminal penalty for antitrust violations; CMS will exclude spending associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic from accountable care organization (ACO) performance calculations; the Department of Veterans Affairs orders $300,000 worth of body bags.

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Outcomes were worse for patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and extramedullary disease, and the authors said their findings indicate that evaluation of extramedullary response using imaging is needed in this group.

Doctors are reporting challenges when it comes to accessing electronic medical record (EMR) data for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Los Angeles will be the first US city to test all residents, regardless of symptom presence; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enrollees are struggling with social distancing guidelines.

Racial disparities are a leading factor in the impact of pollution on concentrated populations; Pfizer could begin initial testing of its coronavirus vaccine as soon as next week; study results of a new liquid biopsy point to the ability to detect cancers before they have spread.

Sachin Jain, chief executive officer of CareMore and Aspire Health, announced he will step down from both companies; HHS launches a new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Uninsured Program Portal; evidence suggests surgical mask use among healthcare workers are putting them at risk of COVID-19 infection.

President Trump insisted that Alex Azar would remain HHS secretary amid reports of his imminent firing; an analysis found that several nursing homes have mismanaged the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in residents and staff; rural populations have been left stranded as several for-profit hospitals have closed amid the the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new survey found around 20% of cancer survivors are reluctant to switch jobs for fear of losing health insurance; the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is disrupting anti-malaria campaigns in Africa; pregnant women and newborns may face pandemic complications at birth.

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A new poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows a majority of Americans fear the worst of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is yet to come; reports of blood clots in patients with COVID-19 raise concerns; Veterans' Affairs medical facilities are struggling to cope with the pandemic.

Some rural communities are only now seeing an uptick in coronavirus disease 2019 cases; lifesaving organ donations have seen precipitous drops as of late; the current social distancing measure of 6 feet may not apply in all cases.

CMS will allow clinicians who participate in the Quality Payment Program to earn credit in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for participation in a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) clinical trial and reporting clinical information; President Trump announced via Twitter that he would sign an executive order to temporarily suspend immigration; findings from antibody testing in Los Angeles indicate that more people have been infected with COVID-19 than initially confirmed.

In the eligibility terms and conditions published by HHS for practices seeking emergency funding, surprise medical billing is banned for patients with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); more Americans are worried the United States will lift restrictions on the pandemic too soon than they are about the economic shutdown; nursing homes are now required to report cases of COVID-19 to the CDC.

Difficulty swallowing affects about one-third of patients with multiple sclerosis.

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Manufacturers are reporting shortages of a common medication for sexually transmitted disease (STDs); rates of cancers related to human papillomavirus (HPV) increased from 2007 to 2016; early trial data show patients infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) respond to remdesivir.

Several nurses have been suspended for refusing to treat patients with coronavirus disease 2019 without N95 masks; researchers found virus particles in infants’ guts 1 month after birth; surgical residents face racial/ethnic and religious discrimination.

President Donald Trump looks to suspend funding to the World Health Organization; unused ventilators may shift to hospitals with the greatest need; coronavirus testing rates fell off in the past week.

A recent study showed how a next-generation sequencing (NGS) test, cloneSEQ, is being used in guideline-supported cancer care.

The latest indication makes nintedanib the first treatment for people with chronic fibrosing interstitial lung diseases.

Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, emphasized testing, contact tracing, and treatment to address coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); US pediatric practices have struggled during the pandemic; FDA approves first saliva-based coronavirus test.

CMS, this week, may strongly recommend or enforce elder care facilities to inform residents, families, and staff when coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases occur; British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was released from a London hospital; Apple and Google are collaborating on COVID-19 tracking software for smartphones.

Policy, clinical, and targeted therapy updates in oncology.

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New CDC data documents a sharp rise in hepatitis C cases among millenials; FEMA and HHS are asking states to take charge of drive-through testing sites for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); some pharmacies are ill-prepared to stem COVID-19 transmission.

Centivo has launched a new health plan solution, aimed at lowering costs for employees; trial results show dead bacteria may be effective in treating IBS; continuous glucose monitoring systems are now being used in hospitalized patients with diabetes and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Geisinger Health Plan is waiving coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing- and treatment-related costs; President Donald Trump comes down hard on the World Health Organization; there is optimism that schools could reopen in the fall.

Patients with cancer are reporting that they have faced treatment delays due to the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); the Trump administration reached an agreement with 3M Co. to produce nearly 167 million face masks in the next 3 months; US hospitals cite lack of supplies, testing coordination as major obstacles during the pandemic, according to an HHS survey.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a London hospital, 10 days after being diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Also Monday, the CDC released a preliminary report about how COVID-19 is affecting children in the United States.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was linked with cardiovascaluar issues and cardiac arrest; African Americans were shown to have higher rates of infection and death due to COVID-19; health experts call for smokers to cease use and manufacturers to halt production.