Katie Sullivan, MA

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reported that between 2002 and 2010, elderly healthcare spending grew at the slowest rate among all age groups, which, according to CMS, can be attributed to the recession.

Experts from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) found that big data tools can play an important role in personalizing healthcare delivery methods. Transforming care delivery models is an essential component of health reform because tailored, value-based care will lower costs and improve quality of care.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a rule this week that would reduce payments for hospital readmissions and hospital-acquired conditions in 2015.

Value-based insurance design (V-BID) encourages providers to deliver higher quality services at lower out-of-pocket costs for patients, and it is increasingly gaining bipartisan support in Congress.

The early detection of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients is important to reduce the risk for negative long-term outcomes.

Despite a growing number of people becoming insured in 2014, attitudes have not shifted about the Affordable Care Act.

As provider reimbursement begins to move toward models that favor quality over quantity, CEO compensation may be following the same path-with CEO pay determined more by quality measures than strictly by financial gains.

Providers and insurers alike know that focusing on quality and cost will be essential, especially as healthcare shifts toward accountable care models.

Despite enrollment deadline extensions and expansion of the federal poverty guidelines, many uninsured Americans are choosing not to obtain health plans on insurance exchanges.

Initial sales of Sovaldi (sofosbuvir), Gilead's new drug for the treatment of hepatitis C virus infection (HCV), set a sales record in its first quarter on the market in the United States. In fact, Sovalidi outpaced the sales of any other drug in its class, netting $2.1 billion in revenue-or approximately $25 million per day.

While lawmakers initially had intended to have each state run its own health insurance exchange, only 16 states and Washington, DC, have opted to do so. Many now wonder if the remaining states will establish their own exchange, as the November deadline to receive federal grant funding approaches, or if they will simply default to utilizing a federally-run exchange.

The relationship between a doctor and a patient can be one of the most important components to ensuring that they receive the best care possible. However, recent findings suggest that appointment windows still average only 15 minutes, and that doesn't provide patients with much time for care. Additionally, many experts worry that as the number of insured increases, this window may be even further strained and that it could drastically affect patients' quality of care.

A US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) analysis determined that a new payment formula, which would reduce Medicaid reimbursement rates for generic prescription drugs, could save Medicaid up to $1.2 billion per year. So why are pharmacists and drug manufacturers pushing back?

Cancer survivors often encounter a variety of health issues, the most common of which include fatigue, peripheral neuropathy, and depression. To address those specific issues, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has developed 3 new sets of guidelines on cancer survivorship care.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports that implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will cost $5 billion less in 2014 than the agency previously estimated. The report further details that an additional 12 million non-elderly Americans will receive coverage this year due to the health law's implementation.

In Virginia, the debate over Medicaid expansion and reform may be a win-win situation, regardless of its outcome.

As the healthcare landscape evolves, so will the way that providers help patients manage their diabetes.

Exchange enrollment numbers recently topped 7 million people this past week, which means insurance companies across the United States are already predicting a hefty increase to consumers' 2015 health plan premiums.

The American Medical Association (AMA) said it would not block the release of 880,000 physician billing records from the Medicare claims database. The government's decision to release the information is a response to the pressure they received from employers, insurers, and consumer groups for increased transparency and access to physician payment information.

Highlights from recent AJMC conference coverage.

In a 64-35 vote, the Senate approved the seventeenth fix to the sustainable growth rate (SGR) payment formula.

As retail clinics plan to have a role in improving health outcomes, they must achieve the 3 components of the triple aim: access, quality, and cost.

The Safety Assurance Factors for Electronic Health Record (EHR) Resilience, or SAFER guidelines, could assist healthcare providers as they integrate technology into their everyday practices.

Big data, electronic health records, online health insurance portals-countless technology innovations are emerging, but how important are they for health leaders to adopt? According to analysts at Forrester Research, a global research and advisory firm, it's not only extremely imperative, but a matter of organizational survival.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) recently aired concerns as to whether the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) can serve as a model for providing value-based care. In particular, several members asserted that the medical home model may have a real cost disadvantage for health systems. They explained that without evidence-based research, it is difficult to determine if the model encourages practices to use their cost savings to improve care.

The House of Representatives passed a controversial bill that will extend the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula for physician payments for 1 year.

Health information technology (HIT) system advancements, including medical device improvements, could account for more than $30 billion per year in savings.

The bundled payment model encourages health systems to provide high quality, better-coordinated care at a lower cost for Medicare beneficiaries. It's no wonder, then, why the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) has developed a colonoscopy bundled payment model to help gastroenterologists achieve value-based health outcomes.

New rules for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans would protect elderly citizens who might otherwise lose access to their preferred network of doctors.

Providers seeking to treat patients using telemedicine will be required to deliver the same standard of care as they would if they were treating them in person, at least according to a proposal from The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB). In fact, these new telemedicine policy guidelines intend to solidify patients' welfare.