Kansas Hospitals Renew Pitch to Expand Medicaid Amid Mounting Losses
September 24th 2015The problem in Kansas is the same as other states without Medicaid expansion: the ACA envisioned universal coverage, and funds to treat the uninsured are dwindling because it was expected that patients who are now in a "gap" would have insurance.
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Clinton Seeks Cap on Drug Expenses, Would Let Medicare Negotiate
September 23rd 2015Hillary Clinton unveiled a plan in Iowa that features a $250 per month cap on drug costs for patients with chronic conditions. This comes 2 weeks after her chief rival for the Democratic nomination, US Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, introduced a bill aimed at reining in drug costs. In the summer, The American Journal of Managed Care said polling showed that rising drug costs were poised to become a major issue in the 2016 campaign.
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Today's report is a successor to the groundbreaking report, "To Err is Human," which launched the movement to make healthcare quality part of the nation's policy agenda. Until now, however, not enough attention has been paid to an essential element: getting the diagnosis correct and getting it quickly.
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Iowa Democrats Ask Feds to Halt Medicaid Managed Care Transition
September 21st 2015The legislators say Iowa is moving too quickly to transition 560,000 beneficiaries without some disruptions in care. Deaths of mental health patients after hospital closings earlier this year fuel their concerns.
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For Now, PBMs Just Say No to High-Cost PCSK9 Inhibitors
September 18th 2015When prices of the first 2 entrants of this new class of cholesterol-lowering drugs came in well above expectations, leading PBMs announced plans to limit who could gain access and sent a clear message to the drug makers: get ready to negotiate.
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Empagliflozin Shown to Cut Mortality Risk in Long-Term CV Outcomes Trial
September 17th 2015Presentation of results at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes follows the announcement of topline results in August. For years, researchers and pharmaceutical leaders alike wondered if a diabetes therapy would be shown to have a cardioprotective effect.
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What "Behavioral Change" Looks Like From the Front Lines: Visiting Jefferson Hospital
September 16th 2015Evidence-Based Diabetes Management gained exclusive access to the Comprehensive Weight Management Program for a view of what "behavioral change" really means for patients overcoming obesity and for the clinicians managing their care.
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Cancer Drugs Driving 340B Growth Even More Than Understood, Report Finds
September 15th 2015The report, commissioned by the Community Oncology Alliance, finds that Medicare Part B cancer drug spending rose 123% in 340B hospitals from 2010 to 2013, but only 31% in non-340B hospitals; it fell 5% in community practices in the same period.
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Nation's Top Mental Health Official Headed to Google
September 15th 2015Thomas R. Insel, MD, leaves the National Institute of Mental Health after setting in motion a series of projects that will pair personalized medicine with improved detection and prevention of major mental health disorders.
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Deciding Which Bipolar Patients Need Antidepressants Remains Challenging
September 13th 2015The limited number of FDA approved medications indicated for bipolar depression makes treatment challenging, said Terence A. Ketter, MD. Several drugs that have been tested could not meet standards to receive an indication.
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Telehealth Offers Effective Way to Treat Veterans for PTSD
September 12th 2015Presenters who have implemented telehealth to treat PTSD through the VA in Charleston, South Carolina, say it will help address shortages of mental health providers and offer care that is just as good as in-person treatment.
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Human Nature Limits Good Medication Adherence in Bipolar Patients, Jamison Says
September 12th 2015Studies show medication adherence in bipolar disorder is only about 40% to 45%, but this dangerous, progressive disease has a high suicide rate. Adherence is complicated by the fact that patients may miss the mild "high" that many associate with periods of creativity, says Kay Redfield Jamison, PhD.
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Understanding Antipsychotic Drug Mechanisms Helps Predict Side Effects-and How to Respond
September 11th 2015Peter Weiden, MD, says that psychiatrists have greater ability to address side effects from antipsychotics than they did 10 years ago. It's essential that clinicians take patient concerns seriously, because when they don't patients may react by stopping their medication.
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