Katie Sullivan

A bicameral effort is quickly gaining traction in an effort that would forever change the sustainable growth rate (SGR) and Medicare reimbursement model.

The individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act was intended to incentivize uninsured Americans into purchasing health insurance on the exchanges. However, latest findings show that the penalty may not be enough.

Reigning in costs is a key component of healthcare reform. So it is clear why it will be essential for both providers and policy makers to identify those most at risk for driving up costs.

Much of the healthcare spotlight has been squarely focused on the federal and state implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Yet, there is another fundamental shift in policy that is occurring at the private level that will change the way health insurance is offered to consumers.

Limited provider network options in the healthcare insurance exchange are causing concern that is not unlike the backlash managed care organizations received in the 1990s.

The aftershocks of states choosing not to expand their Medicaid programs are being felt nationwide.

While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) aims to reform healthcare nationally, the way in which the law is implemented will vary on a state-by-state basis.

Health information technology (HIT) innovation will positively impact and enhance physicians' ability to deliver effective care.

Just as a looming physician shortage threatens the effective treatment of millions of newly insured, patients may face another barrier: not enough doctors are participating in the healthcare insurance exchange networks.

Last March, a report sent to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revealed that the government had received warnings that the healthcare exchange website did not meet certain key requirements for successful rollout.

Finding a health plan on the Medicare website could be troublesome for some seniors.

At The American Journal of Managed Care's (AJMC's) Patient-Centered Oncology Care: Real-World Perspectives (PCOC) conference, held November 14-15 in Baltimore, MD, discussion squarely centered on the ideals of making oncology care more patient-focused.

The initial state healthcare exchange enrollment numbers are in, and that amount is short of expected estimates.

In states refusing to expand Medicaid programs, many low-income individuals are likely to face even more difficulties in receiving care as a subsidy that assisted safety net hospitals is reduced under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

With increasing numbers of Americans gaining insurance under the Affordable Care Act, many experts are worried about the looming physician shortage.

Whereas population health focuses on the outcomes within a specific group, personalized medicine seeks to customize care delivery at the individual level. A recent discussion between Dr Eric Topol, director, Scripps Translational Science Institute, and Dr Farzad Mostashari, former director of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, highlighted the diverging opinions of where future healthcare models need to go.

Some of the most significant changes in healthcare reform are being led by oncologists, especially as innovation and team-based collaboration are increasingly becoming the standard in cancer care delivery.

As the U.S. News & World Report Hospital of Tomorrow conference continues this week in Washington, DC, one message is clear: the future of healthcare will not look anything like it does today.

A recent analysis shows that people are electing to enroll in Medicaid instead of buying private health insurance on the 15 state-based health insurance exchanges. It's projected that if this trend continues, there will not be enough healthy young people buying health insurance to make the system work.

The challenges in reforming healthcare seemingly continue to increase.

The future of healthcare will likely rely on the advances that technology can provide.

Making health data more transparent could give momentum to an effort aiming to make hospital operations more cost-effective and driven toward improving health outcomes.

Implementation of ICD-10, or the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision, is on the horizon. This significant, next-generation change in the health information technology field will be used for everything from billing and measuring quality to managing population health.

Amid the havoc of a healthcare insurance exchange website overwhelmed with problems, many aired concerns as to whether the individual mandate penalty would be delayed.In addition to President Obama calling in reinforcements to address exchange technology problems, the administration announced Wednesday that it would extend the consumer enrollment deadline until March 31, 2014.

As the coming year approaches, more vendors are working toward meeting Stage 2 meaningful use in electronic health record (EHR) products.

For many, a bill for more than a quarter million dollars is nothing to scoff at-but while treating those with cancer, these costs are all too common.

By 2020, an estimated 85% of Medicaid beneficiaries are expected to be enrolled in a managed care organization a significant increase from the nearly 50% that are currently enrolled.

The debt ceiling has been raised, and that means that the government will be looking for ways to control long-term budget expenditures, including those for programs like Medicare.

The cost to treat rare disease can be extraordinary.

The disparities in the costs of care are obvious and just one of the reasons reform is needed in healthcare. For those managing chronic conditions like asthma, prescription drug costs seem to only be rising.