Diabetes

The prices for new hepatitis C and cancer treatments are driving the cost of prescription drugs to new highs for more Americans, according to a new report, which found that 9 of 10 patients with drug costs of $50,000 or more used specialty drugs.

A very small segment of the Medicaid-only population-those who are not also eligible for Medicare-accounted for almost half of expenditures for all Medicaid-only enrollees from 2009 to 2011, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

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.

The average per capita spending difference between people with and without diabetes was $10,310 from 2009 to 2013, according to a new report from the Health Care Cost Institute.

Amarin's action has initiated a debate on whether the FDA's authority over ensuring the safety and efficacy is being side-stepped.

Behavior, including adherence behavior, are the keys to improving outcome in a variety of diseases. We must rethink our adherence strategy by using Intelligent Engagement to control the plecosystem of adherence technologies.

My mission: getting approval for a supply of blood glucose testing strips my endocrinologist recommends, so I can manage my diabetes and maintain my great quality of life.

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 pharmaceutical industry has learnt its lesson from the pushback that Gilead faced over the price of its hepatitis C drug, Sovaldi. The lack of a price discussion prior to the introduction of the regimen washed-out the excitement over a "cure" for the disease.

Saxenda was approved in December 2014 to treat obesity, giving physicians another option for patients who are overweight and battling diabetes. Experts say payers need to take obesity as seriously as other conditions when making decisions about covering therapies.

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.

Joslin Diabetes Center has earned the highest level of recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance, which cited the center's strengths in communication, access, and coordination of care in the citation for a Patient-Centered Specialty Practice.

When 5% of Medicaid recipients account for 54% of spending, cost is just the beginning of the problem.

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.

CMS' decision to pay primary care physicians to coordinate for seniors with multiple chronic conditions cannot soon enough, if a study in Clinical Diabetes is any sign.

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.

A study published in JAMA Surgery compared long-term weight loss and other outcomes, along with adverse effects, of different surgical methods for weight loss.

The medication adherence problem is emblematic of the larger coordinated care issue in the US healthcare system, according to Trishan Panch, MBBS, MPH, chief medical officer at Wellframe.

Real-world studies of SGLT2 inhibitors show that this new class of drugs for type 2 diabetes has lowered A1C more than rivals. Patients lose more weight than with other oral therapies, and the benefit of controlling hypertension may make it possible for some patients to stop taking other drugs.

As accountable care organizations work to deliver population health, patient satisfaction, and cost savings, the need to engage patients as partners in their own healthcare has never been more essential. The ACO and Emerging Healthcare Delivery Coalition, an initiative of The American Journal of Managed Care, gathered this week at the historic Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, California, to explore ways to make patients the starting points of healthcare, not just its recipients.

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.