Mary K. Caffrey

An evidence review supports a proposed USPSTF recommendation to update how the healthcare system screens for prediabetes.

Major professional and advocacy groups back legislation to create access to the National Diabetes Prevention Program.

Coverage from the 64th Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology.

The FDA said it had received 20 reports in the 15 months since the first of the SGLT2 inhibitor class was approved, and had continued to receive reports since that time. All drugs in the class were included in the safety communication.

If adopted, the active surveillance threshold would give physicians a tool in the management of men with localized prostate cancer and could spare many aggressive therapy or radiation and its side effects.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania tested interventions on smokers who worked to quit either on their own or in teams, with different reward structures.

A hospital visit prompts an exchange about an "Alabama plan" to expand Medicaid in a state that is trying for find new funding sources for adult mental health services.

The guidance comes after advocacy groups and members of Congress complained of widespread violations of the Affordable Care Act's requirement that all forms of birth control be covered without a co-payment, not just the low-cost methods. The action also responds to recent reports that payers have balked at requests for BRCA testing even when indicated.

February's report from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee called for an emphasis on plant-based diets and less red or processed meat. Protests from the meat industry followed, and the comment period was extended until Friday.

Senate Democrats seek to limit profits on Medicaid contractors and included a provision that would bar savings by cutting providers' fees.

Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell yesterday rejected Governor Rick Scott's proposal to extend the current funding mechanism, which this year brought $1.3 billion in federal funds to hospitals that care for high numbers of uninsured patients.

Lancet editors criticized the "unacceptably slow" global response to rising rates of childhood obesity.

Among other topics, panelists discussed the connection between mental health and diabetes, and the need to treat these conditions together.

FDA approves a key combination therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus, a device to help patients battle obesity, and another indication for Lucentis.

The Affordable Care Act provided funds for 10 states to experiment with incentive programs in Medicaid. Researchers hope to learn what steps will motivate beneficiaries to take steps to improve their health.

The meta-analysis in Annals of Internal Medicine found that small doses of exercise were not enough to offset the effects of long periods of sitting on all-cause mortality and chronic disease, including diabetes.

Several recent studies have singled out too much TV watching as being associated with a higher risk of all cause mortality and a string of health problems, from diabetes and obesity to colorectal cancer.

The argument for cost-effectiveness has become important in the care of patients with diabetes and other comorbidities, as patients typically take multiple medications, each with its own cost-both to the payer and to the patient in the form of a co-pay-as well as some side effects.

The number of Americans finding coverage through Medicaid expansion equals those who signed up for private insurance on the exchanges, according to new data. Montana has just passed legislation to become the 29th state to expand Medicaid.

California's policies to limit what kinds of foods and beverages can be sold alongside meals regulated by the National School Lunch Program are among the strictest in the nation. The rules appear to have helped stabilize and, in some areas, reverse childhood obesity trends.

In 2014, low- and moderate-income consumers were able to use premium subsidies to buy health coverage on Marketplaces under the Affordable Care Act. The individual health insurance market had been relatively flat for 3 years' prior.

Today's call for Medicare to cover the Diabetes Prevention Program is part of a broader effort by advocacy groups and the AMA to identify those with prediabetes and intervene before people develop full-blown diabetes.

House Republicans say that Medicaid takes up too much of the state's budget for them not to have more say in who receives it. They also included budget language calling for Medicaid officials to ask CMS to allow healthcare savings accounts for almost all beneficiaries.

Studies have shown that embedding behavioral health services into the primary care practice produces better health outcomes for patients with diabetes, while reducing indications of depression. The challenge is figuring out how to make the transition to new payment models that reward such care.

A review of 24 trials covering more than 10,000 patients confirmed earlier findings that PCSK9 inhibitors dramatically reduce cholesterol and risk of heart attacks. But an editorial that appeared alongside the meta-analysis in Annals of Internal Medicine said long-term studies are needed on this new drug class.

Medicaid managed care is expanding throughout the United States. Iowa is going through a request-for-proposal process, and Kentucky is rebidding its contracts after switching over to managed care in 2011.