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A prospective study published in The Journal of Thoracic Oncology found that the average cost to screen high-risk individuals for developing lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography plus the average cost of curative intent treatment, like surgery, is lower than the average cost to treat advanced stage lung cancer, which quite rarely results in a cure.

The study warns that rising temperatures can aggravate cardiac conditions, respiratory conditions, and infections, among others.

Controversy over the value of proton beam radiation continues to harass clinicians as the therapy emerges to be extremely useful in some, but not all, cancers. Additionally, payers sometimes refuse to cover treatment costs due to lack of evidence of efficacy.

The Affordable Care Act will save hospitals a projected $5.7 billion in uncompensated care this year, according to a report released by HHS. Roughly three-quarters of those savings are coming from Medicaid expansion states.

With the aim of understanding why some patients respond better to a particular drug, NCI has launched the Exceptional Responders Initiative, to generate molecular profiles of tumors that respond well to a particular treatment.

Research published this month in the journal Cancer Research, found that increased expression of the enzyme PAD2 in young mice could lead to skin tumors that could progress to invasive squamous cell carcinoma.

Patient experience and satisfaction is becoming an increasingly important aspect of providing healthcare, and a new roadmap outlines opportunities and key strategies to include patients and families in healthcare delivery.

So far, the recent failure of a high-profile bundled payment pilot in California has not slowed enthusiasm for the concept from CMS.

The ASCO statement corroborates the need for regulation of laboratory-developed tests, which are increasingly being used to guide personalized treatment in oncology as well as other therapeutic areas.

The health insurance Marketplace will have 77 new insurers offering coverage in 2015, according to a report released by HHS. Overall, there will be a net 25% increase in the number of insurers that consumers will be able to choose from.

HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced $99 million to train new mental health providers, help teachers and others recognize mental health issues in youth and connect them to help, and increase access to mental health services for young people.

The National Institutes of Health announced disbursement of more than $10 million in research funding to researchers studying various healthcare issues. The objective of this additional funding is to avoid gender bias and seek equal representation of female subjects.

Since it appeared last week, the editorial in the September issue of The American Journal of Managed Care, "Is All ‘Skin the Game' Fair Game? The Problem With ‘Non-Preferred' Generics," has received comment in The New York Times, ProPublica, US News and World Report, and Mother Jones, among others. Commentators note that what Gerry Oster, PhD, and Co-Editor-in-Chief, A. Mark Fendrick, MD, uncovered in their brief survey of health plans is not just disturbing but possibly violates the Affordable Care Act's prohibition against discrimination based on pre-existing conditions.

Driven by a consolidation of offerings, the number of Part D prescription drug plans will decrease by 14% in 2015. While monthly premiums will decrease overall by 2%, there will be large premium variations.

Only a small proportion of industry stakeholders find any value in using the unique Health Plan Identifier within transactions, according to survey results from WEDI.

The guidelines have been published in 2 journals: Breast and Annals of Oncology.

Measuring quality in psychiatric care and using mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques for better pain management were some of the ideas of interest to managed care professionals at the 27th US Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress, which opened Saturday in Orlando, Florida.

Doug Fridsma, MD, PhD, FACP, FACMI, is leaving his position as the chief science officer for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to become the president and CEO of the American Medical Informatics Association.

The drug is the first in it's class - an antibody designed to engage 2 different targets simultaneously.

The biosensor, which can detect the oxidative stress marker 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, is 5-times more sensitive than the ELISA test that is commonly used to identify biomarkers.

In response to the growing recognition that physician leadership is essential to the successful transformation of healthcare, the American College of Physician Executives is becoming the American Association for Physician Leadership.

In 2013, lower health insurance rates saved consumers a total of $1 billion. States that enhanced their rate review programs will receive $25 million in rate review grant awards.

Since 2000, small-group health insurance premiums averaged annual increases of 5.5% nationally; however, double-digit increases were not uncommon, according to a report from the Urban Institute.

The approval in CLL is supported primarily by data from a randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial in combination with rituximab in 220 patients with relapsed CLL who were not able to tolerate standard chemotherapy. The approval in FL, is supported by data from a single-arm phase 2 study (Study 101-09) of Zydelig monotherapy in 125 iNHL patients refractory to rituximab and alkylating-agent-containing chemotherapy.

One of the most vexing problems in managed care is the lack of pricing transparency: patients can't act like consumers when they don't have information on what they are buying. This week, the need for healthcare pricing transparency took center stage in several places.

The study, conducted in pancreatic cancer patients in Norway, was presented at the annual meeting of the International Contrast Ultrasound Society in Chicago.

Although a majority of adults with health insurance purchased through the Affordable Care Act's marketplace said they find it easy to afford the care they need, the number of people still enrolled has dipped to 7.3 million, according to recent numbers.

Sweeping changes to the way America delivers care at the end of life would better serve patients and their families while bringing the healthcare savings that managed care has long sought, according to the Institute of Medicine report, "Dying in America," which was released yesterday.

After examining the security and privacy of the Healthcare.gov website and its supporting systems at CMS, the Government Accountability Office published a report with 6 security management and 22 technical security recommendations.

The study, published in Lancet Oncology, found that ramucirumab significantly improved survival by over 2 months.