Brooke McCormick

Some groups praised CMS after it announced the 10 negotiated Medicare drug prices while others criticized its potential impacts on drug competition and development.

Health plans can improve their Medicare Advantage Star Ratings by focusing on member relationships, ensuring proper documentation, grouping measures, staying updated with regulatory changes, and optimizing their strategy based on numerical targets.

Malnutrition significantly increases the 180-day hospital readmission rates among patients 65 years or older with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), highlighting the importance of monitoring and improving their nutritional status.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer but not ovarian or endometrial cancers.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we discuss strategies to improve 2025 Medicare Advantage Star ratings, especially for smaller plans, with Marge Ciancetta, the product manager of Cotiviti's Star Intelligence solution.

Patients with cardiometabolic diseases who follow an anti-inflammatory diet have better brain health and a lower risk of dementia.

The FDA has approved nemolizumab (Nemluvio; Galderma) to treat patients with prurigo nodularis based on successful phase III trials demonstrating significant reductions in itch and sleep disturbances.

Homebound beneficiaries of a national Medicare Advantage (MA) plan had higher health service use and mortality rates, highlighting the need for tailored care strategies for this population.

Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment has grown to 32.8 million in 2024, representing 54% of total Medicare spending, with significant variation in enrollment across states and counties.

Medicare Advantage beneficiaries with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who were invited to enroll in a program that reduced inhaler costs and provided medication management had higher inhaler adherence; however, there was no significant impact on exacerbations or overall health care spending.

In part 1 of our interview with Anna Sureda, MD, PhD, president of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, she summarized the current treatment landscape for relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (R/R DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma (FL).

The involvement of 2 surgeons during cytoreductive debulking and bowel surgery in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer significantly reduces the rate of anastomotic leaks.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the chief medical officers of CVS Health and Aetna, as well as CVS Health's chief health equity officer, about primary and preventive care engagement, the impact of telehealth, and the role of trust in patient-provider relationships.

Chinese adults with a poor socioeconomic status are at a higher risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

In the second part of our interview with John M. O'Brien, PharmD, MPH, of the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC), he calls for further research into employer choices and the influence of benefit consultants in the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) and drug rebate landscape.

With 390 investigations by the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR), Shawn Tuma JD, CIPP/US, partner at Spencer Fane LLP, offers advice for health systems and insurers on handling data breaches.

Steve Feldman, MD, PhD, of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, discusses how adverse event risks influence atopic dermatitis treatment selection and highlights promising new therapies offering effective itch control with minimal side effects.

Patients with endometriosis have a 4.2-fold greater ovarian cancer risk, highlighting the need for further research into the biological links between endometriosis subtypes and ovarian cancer.

John M. O'Brien, PharmD, MPH, of the National Pharmaceutical Council, discusses his recent study, which sheds light on how important rebates are when choosing benefits for employers and who advises employers on these choices.

Steve Feldman, MD, PhD, of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, considers dupilumab the "gold standard" for itch control in patients with atopic dermatitis due to its minimal adverse effects.

Steve Feldman, MD, PhD, of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, discusses various effective treatments for alleviating itch in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), including dupilumab and Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors.

Psoriasis is not an independent risk factor for developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a new study.

Despite numerous trials, breast cancer immunotherapies have had a modest clinical impact, with only 2 approved drugs, highlighting inefficiencies in the clinical trial system.

Patients with alopecia areata (AA) face significant out-of-pocket costs for treatments, despite many having limited efficacy.

In part 2 of our interview, Diane Mahoney, PhD, DNP, FNP-BC, WHNP-BC, APRN, advocates for a multidisciplinary, community-centered approach to reduce ovarian cancer care disparities and stresses the need for ongoing exploration of social, biological, and environmental factors affecting health outcomes.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with Jason Spangler, MD, MPH, CEO of the Center for Innovation and Value Research on equity challenges within health technology assessment.

Ryan Jacobs, MD, lymphoma division director at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute, explains the design and objectives of the phase 2 CAPTIVATE study comparing ibrutinib and venetoclax in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Diane Mahoney, PhD, DNP, FNP-BC, WHNP-BC, APRN, discusses her study on how social determinants of health impact the health perceptions of Black and Hispanic ovarian cancer survivors, highlighting significant health disparities.

Patients with intellectual disabilities experience inconsistent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) consultations and higher rates of antibiotic prescriptions for asthma, highlighting the need for improved and tailored primary care management.

Patients with atrial fibrillation who use wearable devices, like Apple Watches and FitBits, report higher anxiety levels and increased health care usage than nonusers.