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Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week, and you can now listen to it on our podcast, Managed Care Cast.

Results of a survey depicting the ways that spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) affects the lives of adolescents and young adults revealed areas of support that need to be addressed to ensure that patients are able to live their best possible lives.

According to the researchers, the findings are paving the way toward precision medicine and may have broader use in tracking treatment response in adult-onset motor neuropathy in the future.

While the findings of the small study indicate that there was no statistically significant difference in the rate of vascular complications between White and non-White patients with disease, there were differences in survival.

Multiple myeloma is not easily diagnosed, and its early symptoms may be confused for another condition.

Researchers analyzed 2 cohorts of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to characterize who is most at risk for developing hypercapnia and who could most benefit from at-home noninvasive inhalation therapy.

Screen usage among adolescent girls was associated with shorter weekday sleep and time in bed, as well as higher body mass index compared with girls reporting no screen time. Nearly two-thirds of girls also reported use of more than 1 screen at a time after school, in the evenings, and on weekends.

In this Mendelian randomization study, higher odds of developing heart failure were seen in regular vs never smokers and in current vs former smokers.

The case illustrates how these 2 different conditions may share a related mechanism of action.

Telerehabilitation programs for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have to address uptake barriers surrounding inadequate funding and access issues for elderly patients in order to last in a post–COVID-19 world, according to researchers.

Among patients with Parkinson disease, greater risk of frailty was associated with being female and having higher scores on the Movement Disorders Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale and Geriatric Depression Scale.

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is at least as accurate as conventional tests when it comes to genomic profiling in patients with acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes.

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

President Biden orders states to broaden vaccine eligibility by May 1; new data from Novavax, Pfizer point to high vaccine efficacy; Supreme Court will not hear arguments on Medicaid work requirements.

Reliable data on the costs of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) illness are scarce, leaving key questions unanswered as new, high-priced therapies continue to emerge.

This week, the top news in managed care included CDC guidance on safe activities for fully vaccinated individuals; American Rescue Plan signed into law; new lung cancer screening criteria expand eligibility.

Medicare Advantage beneficiaries with type 2 diabetes (T2D) may be less likely than commercially insured individuals to be treated with newer medications to lower glucose levels, according to results of a retrospective cohort study published in JAMA Network Open.

The study, published on World Kidney Day, is the first to report the optimal amount of activity in patients with chronic kidney disease, according to the authors.

During a session presented at the America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) National Health Policy Conference, Michael Chernew, PhD, the director of Healthcare Markets and Regulation Lab at Harvard Medical School, and Mark McClellan, MD, PhD, founding director at Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy, discussed the potential for Medicare innovation and reforms in 2021 and beyond.

In part 1 of the COPD Stakeholder Summit, a panel of experts about the burden of COPD, available treatments, and more.

Researchers discuss lifestyle interventions associated with improved outcomes in patients with obstructive sleep apnea, including weight management and alcohol and smoking cessation.

The $1.9 trillion spending package aimed at providing COVID-19 relief for those with low and middle incomes also represents the biggest investment in the exchange marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) since the landmark law was passed 11 years ago.

More treatment methods focused on reducing functionality loss and adopting multidisciplinary and prospective approaches via psychiatric screening should be developed for adolescents with chronic migraine (CM), researchers writing in BMC Neurology concluded.

To adapt to a new requirement this year for all US hospitals to publicly post the costs for treatment services under every insurance plan, health systems should be prepared to field the range of questions that consumers may ask on issues such as outcomes data and cost for prospective services.

Today marks the 1-year anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a pandemic; President Biden orders 100 million more Johnson & Johnson vaccines; 2020 saw a 15% increase in the US death rate.

During a session presented at the America’s Health Insurance Plans National Health Policy Conference, experts laid out potential policy priorities for states in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Updated lung cancer screening recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force include 2 changes that will nearly double the number of people eligible for screening.

When comparing 1-step and 2-step approaches for diagnosing gestational diabetes among pregnant women, researchers found no significant between-group differences in the risks of primary outcomes relating to perinatal and maternal complications.