Katie Sullivan

While the employer mandate delay and other stalls in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act have raised a few eyebrows, a recent report from the Kaiser Family Foundation brings forth some encouraging news.

A new report finds that the US healthcare system could save more than $200 billion a year if prescription medications were more prudently administered.

The role of data collection in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) will be vital.

Almost $70 million in federal navigator grants are intended to ensure that consumers will able to successfully enroll in the healthcare insurance exchanges (HIEs) when they go live, October 1.

The health reform key is in, but the implementation ignition just won't start.

Prescription drug misuse is an epidemic affecting many American's lives. Opioids, high-strength painkillers, have especially been the focus of those in the medical community.

Two bills could expand the roles of nurse practitioners and pharmacists in California, as experts debate the scope of care they should provide in clinical settings.

Although healthcare insurance exchange (HIE) enrollment is intended for October 1 of this year, residents of Oregon will have to wait a bit longer to do it themselves.

Preventive health services are key to ensuring people seek care before their conditions are critical or urgent in nature. As healthcare services for Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries expand under the Affordable Care Act, so will the need for professionals who can administer certain preventive measures.

In an effort to offset cost increases associated with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Obama administration intends to expand hospitals' access of the 340B discount drug plan. While the expansion may sound promising to some, many others worry that the program will threaten the quality of care, as increased participation risks higher potential for abuse. Even worse, the 340B program will likely rise the cost of cancer care.

Findings published this month in The American Journal of Managed Care suggest that a more cost-effective solution may be possible through option pricing. This call options tool may resolve many payers' concerns about entering shared saving contracts with providers.

Dr Farzard Mostashari, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will be leaving his post after 2 years of service.

A provision of the Affordable Care Act went into effect on August 1st that will require physicians and medical companies to disclose their financial relationships.

The effort to drive quality-based performance in physicians is now evident in the provision of preventive medicine.

Delaying the employer insurance mandate until 2015 has cost the government an estimated $12 billion in fees. This coming after an assessment conducted by The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) on the impact the delay will have on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) implementation.

At the heart of Washington, government workers are concerned about what healthcare reform will mean for them. A mandate in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will require Congress members and their aids to obtain health insurance coverage through the state exchange marketplace.

Oncologists have a reputation to maintain - and according to the latest report from ZS Associates, when it comes to fortifying against pharmaceutical sales representatives, the specialty remains characteristically hardboiled for the second year in a row.

Big data is becoming an increasingly important buzz word in the healthcare industry, as it has a high potential for improving patient treatment and outcomes.

On this day in 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Medicare program into law. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has played a significant role in how the Medicare program operates as healthcare continues to be reformed.

A recent poll given to doctors showed that while they admit having some effect on healthcare costs, they felt the majority of health price control remained in the hands of lawyers, health insurance companies, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and patients.

The Affordable Care Act will expand Medicaid eligibility starting in 2014, but a Supreme Court ruling that there will be no penalty for those states refusing to comply, or who later withdraw from the program, has left many state legislators questioning how to proceed.

A Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposal would cut providers' reimbursement for dialysis treatment by 9.4%, or approximately $1 billion, nationwide.

The 340B program was originally designed to assist hospitals that treat under- or uninsured patients in receiving discounted pharmaceutical drugs. Now, the federal subsidy program is getting a second look.

Accountability will continue to be a key element in the future of healthcare reform. Whether in accountable care organizations, patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs), or other innovative programs for coordinating care-finding a way to drive quality-focused care is essential.

Community health centers in California are seeing a large disparity in patients' quality of care. The noted variation is cited as a result of the amount of time certain centers have put into improving quality measures, and attributed to their adaptation of electronic health records to monitor patients wellness.

Debate recently surfaced following controversial news that the employer mandate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would be delayed. However, welcome relief for employers has had little effect on individuals, who must still abide to the ACA's individual mandate or face tax penalties.

The cost rates of insurance in the New York healthcare exchange are expected to be drastically reduced for most consumers in the state.

With new models of care delivery, reformation of outdated fee-for-service payment systems, and collaboration of groundbreaking provider-payer partnerships, the changing landscape of the healthcare industry is irrefutable. Yet, the integration of health information technology (HIT) continues to be an area of deliberation for many managed care professionals.

In January 2012, 32 healthcare organizations became the first to participate in the Medicare Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) model. Now, over a year into the initiative, as many as 9 organizations are in deliberation of leaving the program.

Many men are still receiving potentially unnecessary and costly treatments, even after being diagnosed as having prostate cancer with a low risk of dying.