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In a study to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting next week, May 4-10, 2019, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, researchers found that the out-of-pocket costs for neurologic medications have increased significantly over the past 12 years, particularly for those enrolled in high-deductible health plans.

A whistleblower lawsuit against Questcor Pharmaceuticals, which is now a part of Mallinckrodt, alleges bribes and other fraudulent strategies to boost sales of HP Acthar Gel. The drug, first developed in 1952, is approved for 19 different indications, including multiple sclerosis and arthritis.

A new study has examined whether rapid follow-up appointments within 10 days of discharge affect the risk of readmission for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who experience acute exacerbations that lead to hospitalizations.

Progressive House Democrats press for a more aggressive remedy than arbitration to reduce drug prices; FDA permits the sale of a new cigarette alternative; use of methamphetamine surges in some parts of the United States.

The move comes a month after FDA issued a Complete Response Letter on the drug, despite pleas from patient advocates to approve a new treatment option in type 1 diabetes.

The House Committee on Rules held a hearing on the Medicare for All bill submitted by Representative Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington.

Among 6 services commonly used by consumers with employer-sponsored insurance, there was wide variation in median prices across metropolitan areas, and some services had wide variation even within the same metropolitan area.

A federal judge has recused himself from a UnitedHealthcare proton therapy lawsuit; researchers are trying to develop a lifetime flu vaccine; researchers create an inexpensive 3D printed microscope for medical diagnostics in developing countries.

A genome-wide association study (GWAS) found that childhood-onset asthma was associated with nearly 3 times as many genes as asthma that develops in adults, in which environmental factors play a much bigger role.

Here are 5 interesting findings from the April 2019 issue of AJMC®.

Nearly 700 people at California State University and the University of California, both in Los Angeles, were still in quarantine over the weekend after possibly being exposed to measles; the world’s largest seller of cancer drugs, pharma company Roche Holding AG, will lose its top spot with competition from lower-cost drugs, namely biosimilars; findings from a new study showed that blood pressure regulation at or below 130/80 mm Hg lowered the risk of heart attack, stroke, or other complications in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

The results may lead to the first new option in years for youth with type 2 diabetes, besides metformin and insulin.

Ultrasound can be a cost-effective alternative to dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, which is considered the gold standard for assessing bone health but has limited use due to the the cost, size, and technical needs required to operate the machine.

Sarcoidosis has rarely been reported with polycythemia vera (PV), an acquired myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by mutant Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) signaling leading to erythrocyte overproduction. In a recent article in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, physicians report on the case of a female patient with PV and sarcoidosis.

A retrospective chart review examining demographic characteristics of children and adolescents receiving infusions at an outpatient center for prolonged headache found that their migraines were more disabling and resulted in lower quality of life than those who did not seek treatment at a center.

The CDC created the National Diabetes Prevention Program following a study of a lifestyle intervention; new results show that more than a third of adults who are referred to a program take part, but only a fraction are referred.

Over the past year, there have been multiple studies published on the outcomes of various lung cancer screening guidelines and programs. Here are the findings from 5 of those studies and their recommendations.

Study results demonstrated that in adult patients with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm, the targeted therapy resulted in high response rates, particularly among treatment-naïve patients.

Cortical lesions play a major role in the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). A recent study looked to longitudinally characterize the development and evolution of cortical lesions in MS across the cortical width, as well as their relationship with white matter lesion accrual.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is scheduled to release a report on single-payer healthcare next week; a federal judge in Washington state blocked a Trump administration rule that was set to take effect May 3 and would have stripped Title X funding from providers who refer patients for abortions; the University of Southern California (USC) is losing national accreditation for a joint-run fellowship in cardiovascular disease, run with Los Angeles County, after being dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct.

New report from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association finds millennials are less healthy than Generation X was at the same age. Millennials are also less likely to have a primary care provider and seek regular preventive care.

Coverage of our peer-reviewed research and news reporting in the healthcare and mainstream press.

This week, the top managed care news included HHS announcing 5 new primary care payment models; a judge blocking a "gag rule" for Title X; CMS reopening the rule for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy add-on payments.

The blood pressure medication felodipine could potentially be “repurposed” as a treatment for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson, Alzheimer, and Huntington diseases, according to findings from a recent study.

Working from findings in the landmark TAILORx study, reseachers estimated that Oncotype DX-guided treatment could reduce the total first-year breast cancer care by nearly $50 million across the United States.

A recent retrospective study looked to evaluate long-term treatment patterns in patients with migraine initiating prophylactic therapy, as well as acute medication use and adverse events associated with opioids.

Using a form of artificial intelligence called natural language processing (NLP) to mine information in electronic health records (EHRs) can uncover early cases of childhood asthma more quickly, reducing the long-term morbidity of this chronic disease, improve current care, and streamline and advance new therapeutic discoveries.