Laura Joszt, MA

This Thanksgiving, as families gather around the table, health and wellness should be a topic of discussion.

Despite changes to the United States healthcare system, Americans' overall satisfaction with the total cost they pay for healthcare has been stable over the past 14 years, according to a Gallup survey, which also found little changes in satisfaction with healthcare quality and coverage.

Pfizer and Allergan announce $160 billion merger, which is the second-largest in the healthcare industry's history and the largest to use a controversial tax-saving strategy.

CMS has announced proposed changes to the 2017 health insurance marketplaces aimed at providing choice and competition for consumers and improvements in consumer experience.

The HHS Pharmaceutical Forum brought together a diverse set of stakeholders to share ideas on delivering affordable but high-quality care, improving outcomes, and continuing to lead in innovation. Here are 5 things that came out of the daylong meeting.

Rates of uninsured individuals vary dramatically across the country, and while some states made huge gains in covered individuals, others have lagged behind.

Due to poor performance in the Affordable Care Act's health insurance exchange's, UnitedHealth Group is considered pulling its plans from the exchanges in 2017.

CMS has finalized a rule for a bundled payment test for hip and knee replacements that will be mandatory for nearly all hospitals in 67 geographical areas across the country.

Express Scripts has dropped a specialty pharmacy from its network and filed a lawsuit seeking $140 million from Horizon Pharma. The drugmaker claims Express Scripts' lawsuit relates to a previous dispute.

The Medicare Shared Savings Program is the perfect way for primary care physicians to get involved with alternative payments as Medicare moves to replace fee-for-service, explained Hymin Zucker, MD, chief medical officer of the Triple Aim Development Group.

Panelist discuss early referral to palliative care, enduring misconceptions, culture considerations, and more at the Fall Managed Care Forum 2015.

There is an enormous medication adherence problem in the United States, and millions of people could benefit from cognitive therapy, and technology can help.

As the healthcare industry positions itself for the change to value-based care, there needs to be a widespread change in terms of collaboration between physicians, hospitals, and payers.

The government is leading the charge toward value-based care and no matter how slowly, everyone else will follow, said Jacque Sokolov, MD, chairman and CEO of SSB Solutions, during the opening keynote presentation at the Fall Managed Care Forum 2015.

Colorado could be the first state to implement a single-payer healthcare system and opt out of the Affordable Care Act with voters deciding on the issue next year. But the issue is not without controversy.

Success in marketplace enrollment under the Affordable Care Act has varied widely during the open enrollment periods, although some similar factors contributed to high enrollment rates in these 5 states.

Using information in a patient's electronic medical record during outpatient visits for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can lead to better outcomes, according to a study in Respiratory Medicine.

Americans with veterans or military health, Medicare, and Medicaid have a higher satisfaction with the way the healthcare system works for them. People on plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act exchanges are the least satisfied of insured groups.

The Supreme Court has decided to hear a challenge from religious nonprofits who say the Affordable Care Act's requirement to provide birth control violates their religious beliefs.

A list that seeks both the causes and effects of obesity.

There is not a lot of information about primary medication nonadherence, but it could have a huge impact on patients, as discussed by a speaker at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Nexus 2015 meeting.

Perioperative medication errors and adverse drug events occur in every second operation and in 5% of observed drug administrations, according to a study from Massachusetts General Hospital.

During the last 5 years of life, the cost of dementia eclipses that of other diseases, like cancer and heart disease, according to a study from the National Institutes of Health.

Healthcare spending for the privately insured increased 3.4% in 2014 despite a decline in the use of healthcare services.

Consolidation in the healthcare market continues with an announcement that Walgreens has entered into an agreement to purchase Rite Aid for a total of $17.2 billion.

While the age-standardized death rate for all causes of death combined, as well as heart disease, cancer, stroke, unintentional injuries, and diabetes, have slowed from 1969 to 2013, the rate for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease actually increased.

A new health insurance start-up aiming to aid companies with their employer-sponsored insurance raised $81 million in a new round of financing. The new funding will allow the company to expand its services beyond California in 2016.

CMS has unveiled the latest improvements to HealthCare.gov. However, the agency was not able to complete all additional features in time for open enrollment and will roll the remaining ones out after November 1.

Years after the country was sent into a tizzy over the fear of "death panels," there has been an enormous growth in palliative care in the United States, although it and hospice care are still very misunderstood by patients, said speakers at America's Health Insurance Plans' National Conference on Medicaid.