Laura Joszt, MA

Although this year's enrollment period has gone far smoother compared to the first year, there is much room for improvement particularly when it comes to helping consumers make informed decisions, according to a report commissioned by the National Partnership for Women & Families.

Cybersecurity has been at the forefront of people's minds in the wake Anthem's security breach with a new government agency and a new .

Almost 6.5 million individuals using the federally facilitated Marketplace qualify for an average of $268 per person per month in advanced premium tax credits, according to a new report from HHS.

Despite studies suggesting higher spending levels do not necessarily produce better health outcomes, a new paper to be published in the Journal of Political Economy found the opposite to be true with regard to emergency care.

A disease management program at the University of Minnesota revealed only some targeted chronic diseases benefitted from the program while others were unaffected.

Sunday marked the beginning of the last week of open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act, and at last count, 9.9 million individuals had signed up for Marketplace covered, according to numbers from HHS.

Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act was dealt 2 swift blows in Republican-led states this week, first in Tennessee and again just a day later in Wyoming.

Anthem reported early Thursday that hackers infiltrated the company, potentially putting as many as 80 million customers' information at risk.

As socioeconomic disparities have grown through Europe and North America, so have mental and physical health inequalities, according to a new paper published in The Lancet.

Panelists at the annual meeting of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology discussed efforts to holistically treat low-income or chronic care populations by taking social determinants of health into consideration.

Although African Americans have had lower colon cancer survival rates over the past 2 decades compared with white patients, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found evidence-based care can remove the racial disparity.

During remarks at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Annual Meeting 2015, HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced a new funding opportunity to achieve interoperability.

Putting data in patient hands, the construction of an open API, and interoperability are big hopes for the future of health information technology (IT), according to panelists at the annual meeting of the Office of the national Coordinator for Health IT.

Health information technology (IT) can create greater healthcare disparities if all patient groups and their concerns aren't considered properly, panelists said on the first day of the annual meeting of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT.

Addressing primary medication nonadherence through a telephonic intervention from the physicians office was not any more successful than the usual phone calls from the pharmacy.

Although one of the central features of the Affordable Care Act was eliminating discrimination based on preexisting conditions, there is evidence insurers have found ways to dissuade high-cost patients from enrolling in their plans.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has released the first draft of its interoperability roadmap to deliver better care through the exchange and use of health information technology.

After calls for changes and more flexibility from physician groups, CMS announced it intends to modify requirements to meet meaningful use in the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs.

Perceptions of drug costs may affect how much patients benefit from the drug, according to a study treating participants with a placebo. The results were published in the online issue of Neurology.

A new private-sector alliance of healthcare systems and payers will dedicate to accelerate the US healthcare system's transition to value-based models aligned with improving outcomes and lowering costs.

A new health policy issue brief from the Brookings Institution has outlined specific modifications that would enable to legislation in Congress to support better care and more value in Medicare.

Screening for deadly illnesses does not necessarily save lives despite assumptions otherwise, according to a study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

Indiana and HHS have come to an agreement about the state's proposal to expand Medicaid. The program will cover as many as 350,000 individuals.

Patient navigators in 3 health systems were able to reduce excessive emergency department visits by 43%, according to a 1-year pilot study by Accenture and the Highmark Foundation.

HHS has announced goals and a timeline to move Medicare toward a quality-based payment system and away from the current fee-for-service payments.

Drug and device companies are adapting changing consumer and insurer focus and report being more willing to have their products be judged on both clinical and economic value.

The launch of HealthCare.gov will likely always be remember for the numerous glitches and flaws that bogged down enrollment and the question of who is really to blame for the poor rollout remains.

Transparency throughout the healthcare system could produce safer care, better outcomes, and reduced costs of care, according to a new report from the National Patient Safety Foundation's Lucian Leape Institute.

Analysis of State Health Innovation Plans, funded by CMS, shows a variety of emerging approaches to healthcare reform. Accenture has identified the top 5 projected investment areas.

The Affordable Care Act's mandate to increase Medicaid reimbursement to primary care providers has improved access to care for Medicaid enrollees, according to analysis of early evidence published in the New England Journal of Medicine.