Laura Joszt, MA

Population health management programs are paying off, according to a survey of healthcare managers. More than half of respondents expect to recoup investments into these programs within 3 to 4 years, KPMG LLP found.

As the US sits firmly in the middle of peak flu season, a report published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that this season's flu vaccine is only 23% effective at preventing the virus.

Marilyn B. Tavenner, the administrator of CMS, announced on Friday that she will be stepping down from her position at the federal agency.

Expanded insurance coverage has not only brought a significant decline to the uninsured rate, but also reduced cost-related access to care issues, according to the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey, 2014.

The United States could save approximately $375 billion annually by simplifying the nation's complex, multi-payer way of financing care, according to a study published in BMC Health Services Research.

Involving the pharmacy benefits manager earlier in the decision-making process could lead to cost savings on cancer treatments, Express Scripts Chief Executive Officer George Paz said at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, California.

Older adults with diabetes are being overtreated for their condition, leading to harmful outcomes such as hypoglycemia, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Not only do a majority of older patients expect e-prescriptions, but 81% preferred e-prescriptions to paper in a study published in the Perspectives in Health Information Management.

The number of cancer survivors may be on the rise, but they experience continuing issues that can impair their quality of life beyond 5 years of survival, according to a new study published in Cancer.

Interferon-free combination therapy in hepatitis C patients who undergo liver transplantation can eliminate the virus, according to 2 studies published in Gastroenterology.

Studies from RAND and the Urban Institute estimate that eliminating subsidies for the federally facilitated Marketplaces would increase premiums between 35% and 47% and cause at least 8.2 million people to drop coverage.

The FDA approved on Thursday a new anti-clotting drug to reduce the risk of stroke and dangerous blood clot in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

If the Supreme Court invalidates Affordable Care Act subsidies for consumers on the federal exchange, states without their own Marketplaces will be unlikely to stave off "immediate destabilization" of their insurance market, according to experts.

Although HHS recently submitted its proposed rule for stage 3 meaningful use, which doesn't begin until 2017, the program continues to be an issue for providers and hospitals.

HHS has submitted a proposed rule for stage 3 of meaningful use for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, which includes changes to the reporting period, timelines, and structure of the program.

By the end of 2014, the uninsured rate among American adults was down to just 12.9% compared with 17.1% when the Affordable Care Act's requirement for Americans to be covered went into effect a year prior.

The percentage of people with high medical costs increased from 2007-2009 to 2011, but the Affordable Care Act's coverage provisions should substantially reduce cost burdens for many people, according to a Commonwealth Fund study.

Although infection prevention programs require ongoing investments, the money spent is worthwhile considering the costs saved as healthcare-associated infection rates fall, according to a study in the American Journal of Infection Control.

Outcomes for certain cardiac arrest patients were better for those admitted to teaching hospitals during national cardiology meetings compared with patients admitted on non-meeting days, according to a new study in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Year of birth has a larger impact on obesity than genes alone, according to an analysis of the relationship between body mass index and an obesity-related gene variant.

Researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine have developed a tool to test how well a doctor delivers patient-centered care by assessing whether medical students have learned and are applying the correct behaviors.

A large majority of people who selected health insurance plans through HealthCare.gov during the first month of open enrollment for 2015 will receive financial assistance for their monthly premiums, according to HHS.

Patients have a naïve optimism about medical care. A new study in JAMA found that patients have an unrealistic expectation of the benefits and harms of common medical treatments, tests, and screens.

Only a few states have readily available information on the quality of physician care, according to the second annual State Report Card on Transparency of Physician Quality Information from the Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute.

Simply increasing access to care is not enough to improve the health of patients with diabetes mellitus as a new study in JAMA has also associated the difficulty of paying for food and medications with poor diabetes control.

With 2014 coming to a close, The American Journal of Managed Care is taking a look back at the most popular articles from this year. These most-read articles highlight the healthcare issues most important to providers, insurers, and policy makers.

After website glitches stole the spotlight during the first open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act, CMS hired Accenture to fix HealthCare.gov. Now, the consulting firm has been awarded a 5-year, $563 million contract to continue working on the website.

Improved and standardized reporting across healthcare organizations is needed to better understand the impact of health information technology (IT) on adverse events, according to a report from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT.

Consumers remain very confused about their health insurance coverage, but the federal government is looking to provide a better understanding of benefits for consumers shopping for coverage.

Gilead Sciences' hepatitis C drugs Sovaldi and Harvoni are the poster children for out-of-control drug costs, but competition from AbbVie's drug may place downward pressure on these prices.