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Patients with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) who are on Medicaid in Oregon can expect to receive curative treatment in 2019 without having to wait for liver damage to set in.

According to a new study, single-tablet regimens may provide better virologic response and control than multiple-tablet regimens for people living with HIV, likely due to a lower pill burden and, subsequently, better medication adherence.

In 2018, articles in The American Journal of Accountable Care® (AJAC) analyzed experiences within accountable care organizations (ACOs), the cost-effectiveness of initiatives to prevent readmissions, and much more. Here are the top 5 most-read articles published in AJAC in 2018.

Michigan’s plan to require Medicaid beneficiaries to show workforce engagement was approved by the Trump administration, while attorneys continue to challenge Arkansas’ own Medicaid work requirements; a new report from the Government Accountability Office has highlighted serious deficiencies with how the FDA administers the Orphan Drug Act; the FDA has granted tentative approval to a weekly and monthly treatment for moderate-to-severe opioid use disorder (OUD), but cannot grant final approval until another treatment’s exclusivity period ends.

Here are 5 interesting findings from the December 2018 issue of AJMC®.

An estimated 553,000 individuals in the United States are homeless on any given night, yet few data are available to give insight into the patterns of acute illness in this particularly vulnerable population.

Which risk factors of osteoporosis can be modified, and which cannot? With osteoporosis causing more than 9 million fractures globally, understanding how to prevent it can reduce this growing threat to a rapidly aging population, researchers recently reported.

Current guidelines for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) call for using antibiotics in the emergency department (ED) when presented with acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD). A recent study sought to determine the rate at which patients with AECOPD are treated with antibiotics and also looked at the proportions of antibiotic classes prescribed, trends of antibiotic treatment, and identified independent predictors of antibiotic therapy.

Technology and issues with reimbursement with of interest to authors writing for our diabetes journal this year.

Molly MacDonald, the founder and CEO of The Pink Fund, writes about how patients with breast cancer can approach decisions about choosing among disparate treatment protocols.

Primary care clinics are beginning to integrate more patient-reported outcomes into practice, especially with implementation of the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System. However, little is known about whether patients perceive reporting these outcome measures as useful.

Contributors to AJMC.com share their expertise about important, timely topics in managed care on a regular basis, and in 2018, these were the top 5 most-read articles they wrote and published on our online managed care network.

The practices that have been participating in CMS’ Oncology Care Model have undergone significant practice transformation in order to be successful in the program. However, even after being in the model for 2 years, there are still remaining opportunities for investment.

The efficacy and safety of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (G/P, sold as Mavyret) in the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has previously only been investigated in clinical trials. Thus far, no real-world data had been available until a group of researchers looked to investigate the efficacy and safety of G/P in a real-world setting in Italy.

The COORDINATE-Diabetes seeks to explore what happens between development of clinical guidelines and their translation into clinical practice.

Increased severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was associated with an increased risk of mortality and hospitalization in patients with heart failure, according to a recent study published in JAMA Open.

Health information technology (IT), specifically electronic health records, came with promise of improving high-quality patient care. However, unintended consequences of the technology have exacerbated physician burnout in the United States. In response, HHS has released a draft strategy for addressing health IT–related burden.

CMS has finalized “Pathways to Success,” its overhaul of the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) that will push accountable care organizations to assume risk more quickly. The final rule includes some changes to the proposed rule, which was introduced in August.

Focusing on patients with latent tuberculosis (TB) infection who are at high risk of developing active TB may be key to eliminating the disease in the United States; however, a study found that physicians are not systematically identifying risk levels for patients with latent TB.

Earlier this week, the FDA granted accelerated approval to pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for adult and pediatric patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC).

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most frequently reported bloodborne infection in the United States, and prevalence has increased in recent years. Researchers recently sought to estimate the prevalence of HCV at the state level in order to more accurately guide prevention and care efforts.

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who also have food allergies have more relapses than patients with no known food allergy, according to a new study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

This week, the top managed care news included a federal judge ruling that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional; new diabetes standards address cardiovascular risk; efforts targeting loneliness show improved health outcomes.

Researchers found no evidence that initiation of inhaled corticosteroids or leukotriene receptor antagonist therapy is associated with fewer wheezing/asthma attacks than therapy with a short-acting ß-agonist alone in preschool children with recurrent wheezing/asthma.

Outgoing Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, is urging fellow Republicans to oppose President Donald Trump’s International Pricing Index; after 12 patients became seriously ill from stem cell injections, the FDA issued a warning to the company that made the product and sent a letter to 20 clinics warning them that stem cell products should be regulated by the agency; Cigna has finalized its $54 billion purchase of Express Scripts.

The relationship between diabetes management and preventing cardiovascular events was a theme throughout 2018, and this is reflected in the new standards.

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