Christina Mattina

Research on the role of community health workers shows that they can help patients manage their hypertension, in part by addressing barriers to medication adherence.

As 2016 drew to a close, The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC)® polled readers on what was, in their opinion, the biggest healthcare story of the year. Runners-up included drug pricing drama, Medicare policy announcements, and more, but the top answer by far was the news story that sent shockwaves throughout the healthcare industry and around the world.

Contributors to AJMC.com bring fresh insight from their real-world experiences to discuss important subjects in managed care, which this year included topics like accountable care organizations, telehealth, and urgent care prescribing. Here are the 5 most-read articles from our contributors in 2016.

After the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, hospital readmission rates decreased nationwide, most dramatically for the lowest-performing hospitals, according to an analysis of readmissions data published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

This year, The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) published peer-reviewed research on a multitude of managed care topics, including benefit design, health information technology, and clinical pathways.

Gift-givers have more options than ever when choosing the perfect toy for a child with special needs, thanks to advocacy efforts in recent years to make toy stores more inclusive.

A study that purported to doubt on the scientific evidence supporting current sugar intake guidelines has been criticized for its funding source: the sugar, food, and beverage industries.

A report card published by the National Organization for Rare Disorders issued grades to each state for 7 categories of rare disease policies.

A study by The Commonwealth Fund reports that uninsured rates have dropped in all states and fewer patients in most states say cost is a barrier to care. These improvements were observed in the years after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

This year, the most read articles from The American Journal of Accountable Care® explored how healthcare providers and payers have implemented innovative ideas to reduce spending while maintaining or increasing the quality of care.

A case study of an innovative model for wound care suggested that an integrated approach to healing wounds could result in decreased costs of care and length of hospital stay.

Research published in JAMA indicates that the proportion of pregnant women who have recently used marijuana has increased significantly from 2002 to 2014.

A recent study that conducted interviews with mainly Latino residents of agricultural communities in California found that most considered affordability, not access, a major barrier to buying healthy foods.

A study on gender and racial inequalities in the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among non-smokers found that black Americans and women are at higher risk, possibly due to a combination of biological and social factors.

After widespread criticism from healthcare providers, drug companies, and lawmakers, CMS has announced that it will not go forward with its proposed Medicare Part B payment program. The experimental reimbursement model was intended to reduce outpatient drug spending, but oncologists worried it would have unfairly slashed their Part B payments.

A new accountable care organization (ACO) model announced by CMS aims to improve care and lower costs by allowing beneficiaries enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid to be covered under a Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO.

A longitudinal 5-year study that tracked women seeking abortions found that women who were turned away had worse mental health outcomes than those who received an abortion, contrary to some claims that abortion can have long-lasting psychological consequences.

The Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system has announced a final rule that will grant full practicing authority to some types of advanced practice registered nurses, with the exception of nurse anesthetists.

As the healthcare industry continues its transition toward value-based care, some medical ethicists have raised concerns about how education with an emphasis on value can potentially conflict with patients’ best interests. An opinion letter published in JAMA discusses various strategies for addressing these tensions.

An analysis of Medicaid coverage for substance abuse treatments revealed that the services and medications covered vary widely by state. The Health Affairs study raised concerns that patients in some states may not have adequate access to necessary addiction treatment.

The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic that has been responsible for a 200% increase in deaths due to overdose of heroin or an opioid pain reliever since 2000. Guidelines provide clinicians with ways to identify patients at risk of opioid use disorder and best practices of prescribing opioids.

The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics released a report with new data on the 2015 US mortality rates. Here are 5 findings to take away from the report.

At the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, researchers announced the creation of a model to identify patients with triple negative breast cancer who are most likely to respond to chemotherapy.

The American Hospital Association and the Federation of American Hospitals sent a joint letter to President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence highlighting the potentially devastating effects a repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could have on community hospitals.

A recently released report investigates the potential ramifications of partially repealing the Affordable Care Act through the process of budget reconciliation. The study by the Urban Institute Health Policy Center warned that such a move by Congress would double the number of uninsured Americans and significantly disrupt the insurance market, resulting in reduced access to care.

Researchers evaluated 137 mobile health apps designed to help patients manage their health and found inconsistencies in the apps’ functionalities, privacy policies, and reactions to indications of health danger.

An analysis of per capita Medicare spending among beneficiaries with 6 or more chronic conditions reveals wide geographic variations in costs across the US, with similar spending levels often seen in counties neighboring one another.

An analysis of 150 US cities’ stress rankings and the CMS star ratings of the hospitals within them reveals a significant correlation between the 2 factors, indicating that more-stressed cities tend to have lower hospital star ratings.

The House of Representatives has approved the bipartisan 21st Century Cures legislation, which includes funding for innovative biomedical research and provisions to speed up the drug approval process.

The amount of Americans under age 65 in families having trouble paying medical bills has dropped significantly over the past 5 years, according to a survey report from the National Center for Health Statistics. The percentage of children in families that struggle to pay healthcare bills has steadily declined as well, though as of June 2016 it remained higher than the percentage of such adults.