Laura is the vice president of content for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) and all its brands, including The American Journal of Accountable Care®, Evidence-Based Oncology™, and The Center for Biosimilars®. She has been working on AJMC® since 2014 and has been with AJMC®’s parent company, MJH Life Sciences®, since 2011.
She has an MA in business and economic reporting from New York University. You can connect with Laura on LinkedIn or Twitter.
Model Predicts Healthcare Utilization With EMR Information
September 30th 2015Researchers in China and the United States have developed a predictive model capable of forecasting which patients will account for either small or large proportions of healthcare resource utilization in the next 6 months.
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High-Cost Patients With Opioid Abuse Share Common Characteristics
September 28th 2015High-cost patients diagnosed with opioid abuse have higher rates of chronic comorbidities and mental health conditions compared with lower-cost patients, which highlights the need to consider the complete medical and psychosocial patient history, according to a new study published in the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy.
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Unfavorable Outcomes for Dialysis Patients Reaching the Part D Coverage Gap
September 27th 2015Medicare beneficiaries undergoing dialysis who reach the Part D coverage gap have increased out-of-pocket spending, increased medical service utilization and costs, and increased mortality, according to a new study.
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Premium Costs Similar for Marketplace Plans and Employer Plans
September 27th 2015A new report from The Commonwealth Fund has found similarities between premium costs for marketplace enrollees and those with employer plans. According to Are Marketplace Plans Affordable?, 60% of marketplace enrollees and 55% of individuals with employer plans pay either nothing or less than $125 a month for individual coverage.
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CMS Awards $110 Million to Further Efforts to Reduce Hospital-Acquired Conditions
September 26th 2015More than $100 million in Affordable Care Act funding is being awarded to 17 national, regional, and state hospital associations and health system organizations to assist efforts to reduce hospital-acquired conditions and readmissions.
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Public Outrage Overturning Drug Price Hikes
September 24th 2015Public outrage over the 5000% price increase for Daraprim, a 62-year-old drug purchased by Turing Pharmaceuticals in August, prompted the company to promise it would lower the drug's cost. This is not the first time such an incidence has occurred.
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ACA's Ability to Reduce Healthcare Coverage Disparities Has Mixed Results
September 20th 2015The implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has reduced the number of uninsured Americans and created significant gains in health coverage among racial and ethnic minorities. However, the ability of Obamacare to reduce racial and ethnic disparities has been limited.
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Risk-Based Payments: Challenges of Transitioning From Fee-for-Service
September 18th 2015Multispecialty medical groups and integrated delivery systems expect fee-for-service payments to decline 24% in the next 2 years, according to results of a survey from the American Medical Group Association.
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Health Benefit Cost Growth Expected to Slow in 2016
September 17th 2015While employers will continue to shift healthcare costs to employees, a new report found that the underlying cost growth, which employers would expect if they did not make changes such as raising deductibles or switching carriers, will slow in 2016.
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Alzheimer's Disease Costs Disproportionately Affect Women
September 16th 2015Women bear greater costs related to Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared with men for 2 reasons: they are at greater risk of developing the AD and cost Medicare and Medicaid more, and they are more likely to provide informal, unpaid care to family members with AD.
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President Obama Nominates New FDA Commissioner: Dr Robert Califf
September 16th 2015Robert Califf, MD, current deputy commissioner for medical products and tobacco at the FDA, has been nominated to lead the FDA and take over as commissioner. Margaret Hamburg, MD, stepped down from the position in February after nearly 6 years at the helm.
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Bernie Sanders Takes Aim at Prescription Drug Costs
September 12th 2015Democratic president hopeful Bernie Sanders took aim at the pharmaceutical industry with a new bill that would provide the government with negotiating power, allow the import of lower-cost drugs from Canada, and requires reporting of information that affects drug pricing.
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House Republicans Will Have Their Day in Court: Challenge to ACA Will Be Heard
September 10th 2015House Republicans won a minor victory in a new lawsuit against the Obama administration for the legality of spending money from the Treasury for health insurers under the Affordable Care Act. Arguments will be heard this fall.
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