Laura Joszt, MA

A more selective use of biomarker testing for patients with breast cancer could save millions of dollars without compromising the care they receive, according to the results of a study published in The American Journal of Surgical Pathology.

There have been numerous attempts to repeal part or all of the Affordable Care Act since it became law, and the Congressional Budget Office admits its estimates on the effect of repealing the law are all subject to "substantial uncertainty."

During the first year of health coverage expansion under the Affordable Care Act, many primary care providers said the number of patients they saw increased, but reported no compromise in quality of care provided, according to a study from the Kaiser Family Foundation and The Commonwealth Fund.

One of the most vocal physicians about the high prices of cancer drugs, Peter Bach, MD, MAPP, director of the Center for Health Policy and Outcomes at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, recently led the effort to create a value-based calculator to determine the true worth of cancer drugs.

Newly announced fraud charges against 243 individuals involved schemes of approximately $712 million worth in false billings, according to an announcement by HHS. CMS also suspended a number of providers.

Despite the increased use of breast-conserving therapy among women with early-stage breast cancer, many women continue to undergo mastectomy, according to a study from researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston published in JAMA Surgery.

While Republicans continue to look at dismantling President Obama's Affordable Care Act, they are also working on plans to extend subsidies temporarily to the millions of Americans who may lose the financial assistance should the Supreme Court rule in favor of the plaintiffs in King v. Burwell.

In its proposed fiscal year 2016 funding bill, the House Appropriations Committee is looking to defund the Affordable Care Act, block additional funding for patient-centered outcomes research, and terminate the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

If the Supreme Court rules that individuals in states on the federal marketplace are ineligible for subsidies, the annual consumer premium contribution could increase $3300 in 2015, according to an analysis from Avalere Health.

Although the introduction of new specialty drugs and increased investments into personal health data security, moderating forces will keep healthcare spending growth in check in 2016, according to a report from PwC's Health Research Institute.

Arkansas, Delaware, and Pennsylvania have all received tentative approval from HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell to set up their own state-based insurance exchanges and move their residents off the federally facilitated marketplace.

Aledade, founded by Farzard Mostashari, MD, announced on Monday that it had raised $30 million to support its mission of partnering with independent primary care physicians to create accountable care organizations and further fuel the company's growth.

With a growing world population and a growing proportion of elderly, more people are living in suboptimal health around the world. A third of the world's population experienced more than 5 ailments in 2013, according to a study published in The Lancet.

An analysis of the Medicaid expansion plans of 6 states that have been granted Section 1115 waivers identified both the promise and limits that have emerged through these alternative expansion approaches.

Some hospitals in the United States are marking up costs approximately 10 times the Medicare-allowed costs. This equals a markup of more than 1000% for the same medical services.

The American Journal of Accountable Care recently interviewed Dr Jain about his decision to join CareMore, CareMore's innovative care model, and his perspectives on US healthcare.

There was a strong connection between the proportion of patients a physician already had enrolled in hospice care and whether or not other patients would enroll in hospice, according to a study published in Health Affairs.

On the first day of the NCCN 20th Annual Conference in Hollywood, Florida, March 12-14, 2015, panelists took a look back at the last 20 years of the NCCN and why it succeeded when others had failed before.

Participants on the second day of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 20th Annual Conference in Hollywood, Florida, March 12-14, 2015, spent a long time defining value in cancer care and how it can be incorporated into healthcare decision making.

During the session "Principles of Immunotherapy" at the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 20th Annual Conference in Hollywood, Florida, Anthony J. Olszanski, RPh, MD, from the Fox Chase Cancer Center, described the complex interplay between the immune system and cancer.

Although teenagers have greater access to mental healthcare compared with 2 years ago, there remain racial and ethnic inequalities, according a survey from the University of Michigan National Voices Project.

More than half of women diagnosed with breast cancer undergo breast-conserving surgery with a partial mastectomy. A new study from the Yale Cancer Center found that removing more tissue during this procedure could spare thousands of these patients from a second surgery.

Despite fast adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) over the past 5 years, many clinicians have voiced concerns about the unintended clinical consequences of EHR use, such as reduced time for patient-clinician interactions, burdensome data entry tasks for front-line clinicians, and interoperability troubles.

A new payment model through the Affordable Care Act seeks to decrease cardiovascular disease for tens of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries by assessing patient risks for heart attack and stroke and then helping them to reduce those risks.

Cancer patients under the age of 65 are much more likely to try alternative and complimentary medicine to ease their symptoms and the side effects of their cancer treatments.

Individuals who enrolled in health insurance on the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces had lower average drug spending and were less likely to use most medication classes than patients with employer-sponsored coverage, according to a study published in Health Affairs.

A review of the benefit design choices made by states that expanded Medicaid (as of the end of 2014), revealed that states are offering more generous coverage that what is required under federal law, according to researchers with The Commonwealth Fund.

Innovative care delivery programs intended to improve quality and reduce costs need sustainable business models in order to last beyond the end of grants or other methods of time-limited funding. RAND researchers take a look at methods Massachusetts health plans and accountable care organizations are using.

Taking the time to educate patients before their medical device implantation has positive implications for patients, healthcare providers, and medical device manufacturers, according to a new poll.

As more patients become insured under the Affordable Care Act, driving demand for primary care and urgent care services, there is an increased need for alternative service sites, according to an analysis from Alvarez & Marsal.