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What we're reading, December 16, 2015: a new study casts doubt on what experts thought they knew about healthcare costs; unprecedented interest in health insurance coverage has prompted the government to extend the deadline for full-year 2016 coverage; and a law to create multi-state health plans won't reach it's 2017 goal.

A retrospective analysis of phase 1 oncology studies that used biopsy-derived pharmacodynamic biomarkers, could not draw a correlation between subsequent drug development and biopsy sample collection.

The study used Medicare data to identify patients who took both warfarin and 1 of 2 common sulfonylureas.

The FDA, today, launched precisionFDA, a cloud-based platform that members can utilize to access and share data sets, analysis pipelines, and bioinformatics tools.

What we're reading, December 15, 2015: call centers overwhelmed by last-minute rush for health insurance enrollment; AstraZeneca exploring deal with Acerta Pharma; and despite near universal health insurance coverage in Massachusetts, patients have access issues.

The data showed strong associations between certain behavioral factors and likelihood of childhood obesity, such as late or irregular bedtimes and a mother's smoking habit during pregnancy.

A report by STAT has found that a majority of institutions conducting clinical trials fail to report their results to the website ClinicalTrials.gov.

There is, currently, an unmet need in bladder cancer, a disease expected to be responsible for 16,000 deaths in 2015.

The year 2014 was critical in the trajectory of prescription drug costs, as many therapies came off patent and health plans took steps to insulate themselves from the effects of the Affordable Care Act.

Most physicians consider telehealth a promising tool in improving patient access to primary care services, but only 15% use it in their practice.

What we're reading, December 14, 2015: public health initiatives are underfunded despite being a big return on investment; the FDA repeatedly approved the cancer drug Afinitor without proof it extended life; and a nurse may have exposed patients in a maternity wing to tuberculosis.

Patients with chronic conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, often have high-cost health needs that make choosing a health plan difficult.

Consumer demand for engagement in health information technology is a vital aspect of achieving national health goals, but multiple barriers prevent this demand from being filled.

This week in managed care, an analysis found the penalty for being uninsured will exceed the cost of insurance for most Americans in 2016, thousands met for the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield's OMNIA plan gets good news and bad news in New Jersey.

Despite recommendations that all healthcare workers are vaccinated against the flu, a study from the University of Michigan found that more than half of hospitals do not require healthcare providers get the influenza vaccine.

HIMSS is working to determine the readiness of providers to participate in the types of value-based payment models that CMS is moving toward.

Early results show that patients overwhelmingly prefer to have results of their genetic tests, even if they do not completely understand them.

Within 3 months of being granted priority review, alectinib (Alecensa) has been approved for patients with advanced ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose disease has progressed or who cannot tolerate crizotinib

Efforts to rein in costs have come with strings attached, but the surprises that patients experience have drawn the attention of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship has submitted comments to CMS, providing feedback on the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and Alternative Payment Models proposed by CMS as it transitions toward value-based reimbursement.

The Choosing Wisely campaign seeks to reduce unnecessary medical services but to date hasn’t seen much success.

Health economist Austin Frakt, PhD, of Boston University, weighs in on Ben Carson’s healthcare plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, implement personal savings accounts for all citizens, and reform Medicare and Medicaid.

The battle for presence in health plans and on formularies between the two cholesterol-fighting drugs has been fierce.

What we're reading, December 11, 2015: CMS penalized hospitals for patient safety deficiences; MedPAC approved reducing Medicare Advantage plan reimbursement; and Kentuckians favor keeping Medicaid expansion.

Nearly 31% of Americans confirmed that they have postponed medical treatment for either themselves or a family member in 2015 because of the cost.

The latest suit is the third involving the health plan, which lets consumers pay less premium and lower out-of-pocket expenses if they use only preferred, or "Tier 1" hospitals.

Shopping around carefully for plans will be important for Medicare Part D enrollees.

What we're reading, December 10, 2015: the Affordable Care Act has signed up 1 million new enrollees; Medicare patients spend more on oral cancer drugs than food each year; and the CDC found life expectancy remains at 79 years for the third year in a row.

A small amount of fat loss from the pancreas reverses type 2 diabetes for obese patients.

Research conducted at the Yale Cancer Center has found that a procedure known as cavity shave margins could avoid unnecessary follow-up surgeries and save time and costs.