What We're Reading: Hospitals Replacing RNs With Assistants See Rise in Death Rates
November 18th 2016What we’re reading, November 18, 2016: a study links higher death rates and negative outcomes to replacing registered nurses with nursing assistants; a pilot test begins in Africa for the first malaria vaccine; and an emergency physicians' group releases a video parodying Cigna’s “TV Doctors” ad.
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What We're Reading: More Medicare Doctors Are High-Cost Prescribers
November 17th 2016What we're reading, November 17, 2016: more Medicare doctors are considered high-dollar prescribers; the surgeon general releases a report tackling substance abuse and misuse; and the teen birth rate hasn't dropped as much in rural counties.
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What We're Reading: Is Trump Softening Stance on Controlling Drug Prices?
November 16th 2016What we're reading, November 16, 2016: Donald Trump seems to be backing away from his hard stance on controlling drug prices; DC lawmakers pass assisted suicide law; and doctors often do not consider cost a top issue when deciding on treatments.
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What We're Reading: Retail Clinics Do Not Alleviate Emergency Department Burden
November 15th 2016What we’re reading, November 15, 2016: retail health clinics are not associated with decreased emergency department visits; House Speaker Paul Ryan will push for Medicare reform along with repeal of the Affordable Care Act; screening of donated blood finds just a fraction of units are contaminated with the Zika virus.
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What We're Reading: Trump Hints at Keeping Some Popular ACA Components
November 14th 2016What we’re reading, November 14, 2016: President-elect Donald Trump may keep 2 popular components of the Affordable Care Act; the Department of Veterans Affairs will introduce an online appointment scheduling app; Pfizer drops price of pneumococcal vaccine for humanitarian groups.
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What We're Reading: Medicare Premium Increases Will Be Modest
November 11th 2016What we're reading, November 11, 2016: Medicare premium increases lower than expected for high earners; HHS' Office of Inspector General will increase pharmaceutical oversight; and a study on the safety of mail-order abortion pills.
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Nivolumab Approved in Patients With Recurrent SCCHN
November 10th 2016The FDA today granted approval to the programmed death ligand-1 inhibitor, nivolumab (Opdivo), for treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN), following platinum-based treatment.
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What We're Reading: The Future of Right-to-Die Initiatives
November 10th 2016What we're reading, November 10, 2016: right-to-die supporters start eyeing the next states; healthcare winners and losers after the election; and women are promoting birth control access before the Affordable Care Act is dismantled.
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What We're Reading: Walgreens Sues Theranos for $140 Million
November 9th 2016What we’re reading, November 9, 2016: pharma stocks surge following US election news; Mylan will face an FTC probe over anticompetitive practices with the EpiPen; and Walgreens has filed a lawsuit against its former laboratory testing partner, Theranos.
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What We're Reading: Maybe There Is No Doctor Shortage in the US
November 8th 2016What we're reading, November 8, 2016: the US may not have a doctor shortage, it may just have an inefficient health system; there is a gap between the richest and poorest countries when it comes to spending on essential medicines; and scientists start another Zika virus vaccine test.
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What We're Reading: Medicaid Caretaker Fraud Leaves Patients Suffering
November 7th 2016What we’re reading, November 7, 2016: caretaker fraud within Medicaid’s Personal Care Services program left patients neglected and abused; a proposal to increase shift limits for first-year residents from 16 to 28 hours draws both support and criticism; CDC has identified 13 locally-acquired cases of antibiotic-resistant Candida auris in the US.
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What We're Reading: Has the ACA's Struggles Renewed Interest in a Public Option?
November 4th 2016What we're reading, November 4, 2016: Public option gains momentum among Democrats; a new Veterans Affairs clinic is dedicated to women's health; and Sutter Health in California attempts to prevent lawsuits.
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What We're Reading: Three States That Could Expand Medicaid Depending on the Election
November 3rd 2016What we're reading, November 3, 2016: gubernatorial races could expand Medicaid in 3 more states; genetic testing wastes billions of dollars; most popular Facebook posts on the Zika virus contained inaccurate information or conspiracy theories.
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What We're Reading: Political Focus on Healthcare Heats Up
November 2nd 2016What we're reading, November 2, 2016: Donald Trump attacks Obamacare while drug makers pour funding into Republican candidates, and Anthem considers reducing Affordable Care Act participation and is under fire in California for auto-renewals.
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What We're Reading: Despite California Law, Women Struggle to Access Birth Control
November 1st 2016What we're reading, November 1, 2016: despite law, women in California still struggle to access birth control; Americans mostly believe obesity can be fixed through willpower; and Facebook is going after pharmaceutical advertisements.
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Phase I Study Indicates Pembrolizumab an Option in Heavily Pretreated Hodgkin Lymphoma
October 31st 2016A small, early-stage study in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma who had failed multiple treatments or relapsed after stem cell transplant indicates that pembrolizumab could be a favorable treatment option in these patients.
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What We're Reading: Just One-Third of Providers Use EHRs
October 31st 2016What we’re reading, October 31, 2016: a CDC survey found that although almost 4 in 5 physicians have electronic health record (EHR) systems in place, only one-third use them; Community Health Options, an ACA Marketplace exchange in Maine, will no longer cover elective abortions; CMS improves its Dialysis Facility Compare website and adds patient ratings.
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What We're Reading: Government Blocks Some Seamless Conversions Efforts in Medicare
October 28th 2016What we're reading, October 28, 2016: Medicare blocks some efforts to automatically move customers eligible for Medicare into Medicare Advantage; the first lung cancer vaccine developed in Cuba will be tested in the US; and American Red Cross and Teladoc partner for disaster relief.
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What We're Reading: 1000 Counties Will Have Just One ACA Insurer
October 27th 2016What we're reading, October 27, 2016: the number of counties with just 1 Obamacare insurer will skyrocket in 2017; Teva and IBM partner for 2 projects; and the United States may never be able to rid itself of the Zika virus.
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What We're Reading: AAP Issues Sleep Safety Recommendations for Infants
October 26th 2016What we’re reading, October 26, 2016: AAP advises that parents take measures to reduce the risk of SIDS; Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump reacts to ACA premium hikes announced by HHS; patients with ALS volunteer for an accelerated study on the effects of a dietary supplement.
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What We're Reading: ACA Deadline Extended for Consumers With Discontinued Plans
October 25th 2016What we're reading, October 25, 2016: individuals with discontinued Obamacare plans will have a special enrollment period; Arizona governor orders limits on opioid prescriptions; and the FDA aims to speed up generic drug reviews.
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What We're Reading: Cigna Eases Barriers to Drug That Treats Opioid Addiction
October 24th 2016What we’re reading, October 24, 2016: Cigna makes it easier for clinicians to prescribe drugs to treat opioid addiction; some hospitals move to eliminate sugary drinks from their campuses; and a researcher at the National Cancer Institute was months late to notify authorities of 2 deaths in the clinical trial he oversaw.
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What We're Reading: CDC Changes Recommendations to Encourage HPV Vaccination
October 20th 2016What we're reading, October 20, 2016: CDC recommends fewer doses of the HPV vaccine; HHS expects an enrollment to increase by 1 million in the upcoming season; and HIPAA violations result in a multimillion fine for St. Joseph's Health.
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