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Many nonprofit hospitals have "far from perfect" performance on a requirement of the Affordable Care Act to notify patients who qualify for charity care.

What we're reading, November 17, 2015: misunderstanding of antibiotics has fueled the rise of drug-resistant superbugs; healthcare leaders overwhelmingly support government intervention to curb rising cost of drugs; and the FDA wants more regulation on laboratory-developed tests.

CMS has finalized a rule for a bundled payment test for hip and knee replacements that will be mandatory for nearly all hospitals in 67 geographical areas across the country.

The drug was approved based on results of 2 open-label studies that showed reduction in tumor burden of patients who had previously received multiple lines of therapy.

Express Scripts has dropped a specialty pharmacy from its network and filed a lawsuit seeking $140 million from Horizon Pharma. The drugmaker claims Express Scripts' lawsuit relates to a previous dispute.

The study suggests treating depression could help combating poor diet and obesity. But in Kentucky, the future of Medicaid expansion is in doubt following the recent election.

When to screen and how to screen remain controversial issues in prostate cancer.

What we're reading, November 16, 2015: consumers face sticker shock on Affordable Care Act plans when they get sick and face high deductibles; Medicare spending on hepatitis C drugs nearly doubled in 2015; and US maternal mortality has worsened since 1990.

The VEGF inhibitors have been a game-changer in treatment of ocular conditions in diabetes.

Until now, the impact of evidence-based practice centers (EPCs) on hospital decision making has been relatively unclear-but new data from Penn Medicine researchers suggest that hospital EPCs can accurately distribute clinical evidence and are useful in influencing the stakeholder decision-making process.

The use of generic drugs is saving the United States healthcare system billions of dollars in spending every year for a total savings of $1.68 trillion over the last decade.

This week in managed care the top stories include pivotal results from the SPRINT study on blood pressure, an analysis on how states successfully enrolled consumers in the insurance marketplace, and experts discuss value-based care.

An analysis shows that the Priority Review Voucher Program is not spurring drug development in the disease areas it was created to address.

Some takeaways from the most important blood pressure study in 40 years.

Early sign-ups are strong under ACA; new food safety rules become final; report finds poor access to HIV drugs.

St. Peter's Hospital in New Brunswick won the right to a hearing, where New Jersey's largest insurer will have to say why the Catholic hospital was not included in a preferred network set up alongside a major population health initiative.

According to the CDC, while smoking rates are seeing a steady decline, rates for uninsured and adults on Medicaid are more than twice those for adults with private health insurance.

The scandal-plagued VA gave performance-based bonuses of over $140 million in 2014.

Diet and perceptions change with supermarket introduction in a "food desert," but not because of supermarket use.

A study in The European Journal of Public Health finds conversation on preventive vaccination against HPV can motivate participation in preventive screening for cervical cancer.

Evaluating adverse events of medications plays a vital role in post-marketing surveillance of clinical research, but how effective are these results when it comes to influencing public response? A recent study indicates a concerning public response.

What we're reading, November 12, 2015: nationwide ban on smoking in public houses could have a huge economic impact; CMS barrier to sharing patient records on drug and alcohol abuse; an urgent care—ED hybrid model could save unnecessary costs.

A retrospective study conducted at the Mayo Clinic found improved OS and PFS in ovarian cancer patients with a history of oral contraceptive use.

The estimated cost per quality-adjusted life year for the PCSK9 drugs is $300,000. How should health plans respond?

Colorado could be the first state to implement a single-payer healthcare system and opt out of the Affordable Care Act with voters deciding on the issue next year. But the issue is not without controversy.

A forced closing of Health Republic Insurance of New York has left many in need of immediate coverage.

The study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Session adds to the evidence that SGLT2s are beneficial in treating hypertension.

What we're reading, November 11, 2015: annual flu shots may reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine; Democrats call for changes to the so-called Cadillac tax; and Millennium Health files for chapter 11 bankruptcy.

A new study finds that off-label drug use is associated with higher rates of adverse drug events in adults.

Success in marketplace enrollment under the Affordable Care Act has varied widely during the open enrollment periods, although some similar factors contributed to high enrollment rates in these 5 states.