Mary Caffrey is the Executive Editor for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®). She joined AJMC® in 2013 and is the primary staff editor for Evidence-Based Oncology, the multistakeholder publication that reaches 22,000+ oncology providers, policy makers and formulary decision makers. She is also part of the team that oversees speaker recruitment and panel preparations for AJMC®'s premier annual oncology meeting, Patient-Centered Oncology Care®. For more than a decade, Mary has covered ASCO, ASH, ACC and other leading scientific meetings for AJMC readers.
Mary has a BA in communications and philosophy from Loyola University New Orleans. You can connect with Mary on LinkedIn.
Obese Teens Gain Mobility After Bariatric Surgery, Study Finds
Teenagers who started with an average BMI of 51.7 were able to reduce that by more than 40% over the first year after surgery. They were able to complete a lap of an outdoor track nearly a half-minute faster on average, and fewer reported being in pain.
To Fight Opioid Epidemic, Pain Management Survey Won't Be Tied to Medicare Payment
Yesterday's announcement featured several steps to combat opioid addiction, including expanded access to buprenorphine, steps to educate physicians, and controls on prescription programs through the Department of Defense and the Indian Health Service.
Another One Bites the Dust: Risk Adjustment Program Claims Connecticut's Co-op
Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Katharine L. Wade moved to protect existing policyholders after HealthyCT learned June 30, 2016, it would have to pay CMS $13.4 million under the ACA Risk Adjustment program, which has been heavily criticized.
Blue Cross of Georgia Sued for Sending Checks to Patients, Not Hospitals
Two hospitals, one in Georgia and another in California, charge in lawsuits that BCBS of Georgia sends payment directly to patients instead of paying the hospitals for care provided. The patients often do not know they are supposed to sign the checks over to cover the cost of their care, and the hospitals end up without payment.