Diabetes

Both Express Scripts and CVS Health said they were taking aim at prescription drug prices that keep going up even when competitors are available.

Adrenal gland tumors that are defined as being nonfunctional may not really be so, and the hormones that these tumors secrete could increase an individual’s risk of cardiometabolic irregularities, according to a new study.

With Medicare preparing to reimburse for the Diabetes Prevention Program in January 2018, companies are forming or expanding to make this evidence-based program scalable to reach 86 million people with prediabetes.

Two consultants who help stakeholders in value-based transitions say CMS is serious about an aggressive pace for payment reform.

Experts say that at too many chain restaurants, individual meals exceed recommended calories for the entire day, to say nothing of excessive amounts of salt and fat.The Affordable Care Act will require most chains to put calorie counts on the menu by next year.

This week, the top stories in managed care included the release of Medicare's Star ratings for hospital quality, a new proposal from CMS to require bundled payments for cardiac care, and an FDA panel recommended approving a continuous glucose monitoring system for dosing insulin.

The work with mice models revealed how the functioning of a key receptor affects the body's ability to burn fat.

The study examined records for more than 124,000 people with type 2 diabetes over a 7-year period.

The approval paves the way for Sanofi's insulin and GLP-1 combination therapy, which is due for final FDA action in August.

The report found that in-person coaching and digital formats with human coaching were both effective and delivered value. ICER's review comes as Medicare is creating reimbursement standards to take effect in January 2018.

The study confirmed a suspicion that not all beta cells are equal in regulating insulin secretion.

This would be the second group of procedures targeted for bundled payments in Medicare. Rules for hip and knee replacements went into effect in April in 67 markets.

In a conference call the morning after a landmark vote, Dexcom's president and CEO said the company will not wait for final FDA approval to start talks with CMS.

CMS' Innovation Center created Million Hearts to identify Medicare beneficiaries most at risk of heart disease and cardiovascular events.

Highlights of coverage of our peer-reviewed research in the healthcare and mainstream press.

The move was cheered by a packed room of diabetes patients, parents, advocates, and doctors. Some see the change as a first step toward getting Medicare to cover CGM.

Minority teens were more likely to have undiagnosed diabetes or prediabetes, the researchers report.

Despite evidence and clinical guidelines that support intensive statin use in high-risk patients, very few eligible patients start treatment at recommended levels.

AstraZeneca is trying to invoke the Orphan Drug Act to protect its blockbuster, on the grounds it is approved to treat a rare pediatric condition.

The study found that the mortality risk for poor black men, relative to similar white men, persisted even when taking factors like education, employment, and marital status into account.

In a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey secondary analysis, privately and publicly insured patients with diabetes were both more likely to meet quality indicators than the uninsured.

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.

The tool will let pump users get updates of new features in between replacement of their hardware.

The top stories in managed care this week included coverage of JAMA’s special issue on healthcare transformation under the ACA, changes in the proposed 2017 Physician Fee Schedule promoting value-based care, and more.